Paving provides the finishing touch for the outdoors. Paving is both functional and decorative and should be chosen carefully to fit in to the surrounding landscape design. Factors to consider when planning and choosing paving include:

• how large an area to pave. Paved areas are low maintenance and durable. Paths and driveways are the areas most usually paved but areas for entertainment or areas of heavy wear do well paved;
• drainage should be considered in conjunction with paving and the paved areas sloped towards collection points for these drains;
• whether the pavers are to be laid on sand or on a concrete base;
• whether the paving will be in sun or shade. Some pavers gather moss and are not suited to very shady areas.

Edging

It is most important to have secure edging on all paved areas and whether this is installed before or after the paving depends on the material selected. The edging where individual pavers are used is called the header course. Concrete edging can be used in combination with any type of paver and should have a substantial footing to prevent cracking.

The most popular types of pavers are:

• clay pavers which are very durable especially on driveways and in wet areas. Bullnosed edges can be used around pools and on steps;
• sandstone, an age-old favourite which can be used smooth sawn or in flagging pieces. Edges can be bullnosed or rock faced for steps and pools. Sandstone weathers to a patina with age and is non-slip;
• granite/bluestone which are very durable stones often used commercially;
• slate/marble are both highly durable materials;
• tiles are available in many colours and patterns and can be used inside and outside the home. Tiles are very durable and are available in non-slip finishes. Both clay products (terracotta, quarry tiles, ceramic tiles) and concrete products are available.
• bricks are often used for paving and can be laid in a variety of patterns -herringbone, basketweave , stretcher , stack , spiral , and the like
• concrete which can be laid in the traditional manner, coloured or pattern stamped to imitate bricks or other finishes. Make sure with concrete finishes that enough expansion strips are allowed to prevent cracking.

Pavers can be laid in many different designs and two or more materials can be combined to create a special effect. The most common patterns are:

Stretcher

Stack

Basketweave

Herringbone 90°

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