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Posted: Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:08 pm
by merc
We are trying to find the best way to replace our poorly laid crazy paving (apprx 9m x 2m). We get a lot of ants in the sandy soil area we live and want to deter them coming up through the patio (and from entering the house etc!)
We have our main (private) sewer drain cover within the patio and wish to create a visually appealing / suit kids bikes etc surface. Feel block paving would encourage ants (due to sand base) and have been put off PIC (initially keen as completely sealed and aesthetic) due to the various pitfalls including if we ever need to get to the drain pipework beneath the patio.
We want to try and create a matching path through the garden also.
Any suggestions most welcome.
thanks
Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:57 pm
by Tony McC
Seal the block paving.
Use flagstones laid on a cement-bound bed.
Even if you had a hermetically sealed patio of some description, the ants would still come up at the edges and continue to invade your home. You have to deal with the two problems separately. Sealing the blocks or using cement-bound bedding and mortared joints with flags would prevent the ants mining and disturbing the paving, but then you need summat like borax'n'honey or an essential oil smeared around your doors and windows to keep them out of the house.
Or rent an Aaardvark for the summer! 
Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 1:44 pm
by merc
Thanks for the helpful advice Tony.
Also well done on your excellent websites, very interesting. You provide an
excellent service and inspiration here.
I've CAD'd up my garden now and added idea 'overlays'.
Ref the patio; any pointers on the following appreciated to aid a complete novice:
What 'spec' should I give my builder for the foundations for the patio/path before he lays the pavings - I'm thinking along the lines that 'fixed' slabs would give us less problems than block paving (ants), which is 'just' held together ?
I want to create the best base for long term trouble free life,
cost is not as important. NB: My main waste water drains run under it.
Which paving 'slab' co's would you recommend; we're looking for as large as reasonable to minimise joints, natural looking, probably with a few smaller ones to break up the pattern, darker colours eg reds, slate, etc to contrast with sandy coloured stonework of house.
Don't want too rough a pattern so kids scooters etc. don't struggle!
I want to be able to pressure wash it to clean (noted some brochures/manuf warn against this due to damaging the surface).
Any other tips/pitfalls to avoid as feel a bit out of my depth?
Thanks again.
Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 3:48 pm
by Tony McC
Specs for both block paving and patio flags are given on the main website. For patios, it's impossible to say one is better than the other: they both have their pros and their cons, but, properly laid, they'll be more than capable of dealing with a few pesky ants.
I'm not sure what you mean about recommending paving slab co's - do you mean contractors?
As for pressure washers, they're ok with the very best wet cast flags, as long as the lance is kept at a shallow angle, and there's no great problem with stone flags or block paving, as long as the jet is kept off the jointing as much as poss. It's the 'budget' or 'economy' flags that are a problem - they can, literally, fall apart under the presure of the water jet.