Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2015 11:13 am
I am starting from scratch with a new patio outside the back of my house. This will be sunken because the garden slopes slightly at present. There will be brick retaining walls leading to a lawn and flower beds each side. The house is semi detached and the garden is quite narrow.
The garden is accessed via a conservatory which is alongside the house and set back a bit so there is a small recessed area paved with concrete alongside a flower bed already in place just outside the door and sited between house wall and garden party wall with next door. There are drains and drain covers in this area. Area behind house is rough grass at present.
I have had two contractors round to quote (both highly rated on Checkatrade). They both want to leave the existing small area of concrete and pave over the whole area (excluding drain covers) with Indian sandstone which they say is the most suitable medium. The house is late Victorian/early Edwardian and I was hoping for something a little more characterful. I suggested herringbone bricks (repro) but they do not want to use these, say it is too hard to prevent vegetation taking hold.
As an alternative I thought maybe Indian limestone with inserted "tumbler" bricks but this was similarly rejected. The guys are not unpleasant about it but just suggest my ideas are not practical. I want something which looks in character with the house not just a workable modern patio. (I tried using a garden designer and they suggested something quite different which I did not like (included moving shed to far corner) and they went off in a huff.)
Anyone got any ideas or suggestions?
The garden is accessed via a conservatory which is alongside the house and set back a bit so there is a small recessed area paved with concrete alongside a flower bed already in place just outside the door and sited between house wall and garden party wall with next door. There are drains and drain covers in this area. Area behind house is rough grass at present.
I have had two contractors round to quote (both highly rated on Checkatrade). They both want to leave the existing small area of concrete and pave over the whole area (excluding drain covers) with Indian sandstone which they say is the most suitable medium. The house is late Victorian/early Edwardian and I was hoping for something a little more characterful. I suggested herringbone bricks (repro) but they do not want to use these, say it is too hard to prevent vegetation taking hold.
As an alternative I thought maybe Indian limestone with inserted "tumbler" bricks but this was similarly rejected. The guys are not unpleasant about it but just suggest my ideas are not practical. I want something which looks in character with the house not just a workable modern patio. (I tried using a garden designer and they suggested something quite different which I did not like (included moving shed to far corner) and they went off in a huff.)
Anyone got any ideas or suggestions?