Hertford

Patios & Paving in Hertford

Patios, paths and steps laid on a full mortar bed, with the falls set before a slab goes down. Free survey, a fixed written price, and you only pay when you're happy with the work.

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Patios & Paving in Hertford, explained

A patio quote is really a quote for three things: the ground under it, the levels across it, and the slab on top. Most people are only thinking about the third one, and most patios that fail do so because of the first two. So the survey is spent on the base, the falls away from the house, and where the water is going to end up once there is a solid surface where soil used to be.

Two things get fixed before a slab is laid and they are not up for discussion, because the house is what pays if they are wrong. We set them at the survey and they shape the design rather than the other way round. Everything after that is yours: porcelain, natural stone, concrete or block, the size and the shape, where the steps go, and whether the levels want a retaining or sleeper wall to make sense of them.

We are based in Hatfield and this area is part of our normal work. The survey and the written price are free, there is no deposit, and you pay when the patio is finished and you have seen it.

We cover the SG14 postcode in Hertford, and the rest of Hertfordshire.

What your quote covers

A free design and survey visit, with materials to look at in daylight
One fixed price in writing, no deposit, nothing payable up front
Excavation, a compacted sub-base, and the falls set away from the house
Slabs laid on a full mortar bed, never on dabs, and cut on a wet saw
Jointing, clean edges, and matching paths, steps or retaining walls where the design needs them
The garden cleared and swept, and payment once you are happy with it

Choosing patios & paving in Hertford

A patio is decided by how you actually use the space. A dining area wants to be level, close to the door and big enough for chairs to push back without dropping off an edge. A sun-trap corner can sit anywhere the sun lands, and does not need to be square to the house.

The material choice comes down to look and upkeep. Porcelain is dense, holds its colour and shrugs off stains, which is why it has taken over. Sandstone and limestone are softer underfoot and warmer in tone but are more porous. Concrete flags do a lot for less money and have improved enormously.

Slip resistance is worth a thought on anything shaded or north-facing, where algae builds up. It is also worth planning steps and level changes properly rather than leaving them to the end, because that is what makes a patio feel designed rather than assembled.

Thinking about patios & paving in Hertford?

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From first visit to finished job

Step 1
Tell us about it
Call or send a photo of the space and say how you want to use it. Where the sun lands and where the door is usually decides the shape before anything else does.
Step 2
Free design and survey visit
We look at levels, drainage and the damp proof course, measure up, and go through materials and layout with you.
Step 3
Fixed written price
One figure covering the patio and anything tied to it, with the material, the jointing and any walls or steps written down.
Step 4
Booked in
We agree dates and order the paving. Some porcelain and stone ranges carry a lead time, and we tell you what yours is before you commit.
Step 5
The work
Dig out, sub-base, falls set, then slabs laid on a full bed, cut in, and the joints finished.
Step 6
Walk round and settle up
Steps, edges and walls finished, the garden tidied, and you pay once you are happy with the result.

What happens on site in Hertford

We excavate and build a compacted sub-base, then set the falls. A patio has to shed water away from the house, and the finished surface has to stay at least two courses below the damp proof course. Those two things are not negotiable and they get set before a slab is laid.

Slabs go down on a full mortar bed, not on dabs or spots. A spot-bedded slab sounds hollow, holds water underneath and eventually cracks where it is unsupported. Cuts are made with a wet saw so the edges are clean and consistent.

Jointing is either brushed in or slurried, depending on the material and the joint width. Where a patio meets the house or a lawn, we deal with the transition properly, with a channel drain or a mowing edge, rather than leaving a ragged finish.

What affects the price in Hertford

We do not publish a rate per square metre, because the number would be wrong for most properties. The survey is free and the price you get afterwards is fixed and in writing. These are the things that move it:

The size of the patio, plus any paths and steps that go with it
The paving you choose, which is the widest swing in any patio quote
Changes in level, and whether they need steps or a retaining wall to work
Ground conditions, and where the water is going once the surface is solid
Access to the rear garden, since everything in and all the spoil out may have to go by barrow
The jointing finish, and any edging, lighting or drainage channel built in

Looking after patios & paving

Brush it and wash it down once or twice a year, and keep the joints and any drainage channel clear. Most patio problems are really drainage problems that have been left alone.

Porcelain rarely needs sealing. Sandstone and limestone benefit from it, as it slows staining from food, drink and leaf fall, and it wants redoing every few years. Take spills off sooner rather than later whatever the material.

Green growth in shaded corners is normal and comes off with a proper biocide, which works slowly but does not need scrubbing. If a slab is ever damaged, it can be lifted and replaced without disturbing its neighbours.

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Around Hertford

As well as Hertford itself, we take on patios & paving work in Hertingfordbury, Ware, Bayfordbury, Hertford Heath and Bramfield, and across the rest of Hertfordshire. If you are just outside the towns listed here it is still worth a call, because we cover more ground than any list of names can sensibly show.

Patios & Paving in Hertford: Common Questions

Do you offer patios & paving in Hertford?

Yes. Hertford is one of the areas we cover as standard, including the SG14 postcodes. We work out of Hatfield, and the survey and the written quote are free wherever you are.

Do you charge for the design visit or the quote?

No. The visit and the written quotation are both free, with nothing to sign afterwards. No deposit, and nothing to pay until the work is done.

What if there is no side access to the garden?

It is common and it is workable, but it does affect the price, because the paving in and the spoil out go by barrow through the house side or the garage. We check it at the survey and price it honestly rather than find out on day one.

How do you stop water running back towards the house?

By fixing the fall and the finished level first, as above, and by building the drainage into the quote rather than leaving it as an extra. Where the garden will not give us a straightforward run-off we put in a channel and take the water somewhere that can actually accept it.

Can you match a new patio to an existing drive?

Often, yes. Where the exact range is still made we match it, and where it is not we will show you the nearest thing and suggest a border or a change of material that looks intended rather than approximate.

Will the garden be a building site for long?

For a few days to a week on most domestic patios, depending on size, material and any walls or steps. We keep the working area contained, clear the spoil as we go, and tell you the number of days to allow when we quote.