One such project might be building that new patio you’ve been imagining for some time and as late winter becomes early spring, that is as good a time as any to make a start. The design of a patio should reflect the architecture of the existing property to ensure it looks like an integral part of the existing house rather than an afterthought. If the property is built in traditional style it might look more integrated if the patio were to be finished with more rustic slabs or stone, whereas a modern property would benefit from smoother, more modern style slabs or tiles.

What your new patio might look like will depend very much on three things, how restrictive your budget is, how much space do you have available, and what you would intend to use it for. The size and complexity of the proposed patio will be very much dependant on how much money you want to spend. Two patios of equal size can have two very different costs attached to them depending on the material used to slab or pave the area. Concrete slabs are markedly less expensive than granite or slate tiles.

The size of your garden could be a limiting factor when designing a patio, as could any established trees and shrubs that you would not want to disturb. Consider what you would want to use your patio for, is it simply a small outside space where you and your family would be able to sit when the weather is conducive or do your ambitions stretch to a full blown outside area for dining and entertaining al fresco.

Either way, it is advisable to plan out the area to meet your requirements in advance. Firstly, using a sheet of graph paper if possible, draw out your garden and then overlay the area where you would want the patio. Once you are happy with the size and proportion of the patio in relation to the rest of the garden, lay garden canes on the ground to mark out the area the patio would take up. Leave these canes in place for a few days to get accustomed to where your new patio would be and make any adjustments you feel are necessary.

The next step is to work out the likely cost of the materials. You will need building sand, cement, mortar and hardcore, which is a sub-base material made from crushed, recycled aggregates such as brick, concrete or asphalt. This is designed to prevent your finished patio from sinking. On top of all that you will need slabs or tiles which you can choose from a wide variety of products that are available from the market at various different price levels.

    By this stage you will have finalised the design of the patio, its size and the associated cost and all things being equal you should now be ready to order your materials and begin work. Only start building your patio when you are satisfied with its size, design and cost as once you have started a project like this, stopping or changing plans can be difficult, and costly.

To begin, stake out the corners of your patio and mark out the perimeter with heavy string or cord, ensuring that the corners are square. If you are planning a pattern on the slabs or tiles, dry lay them in place to make sure where each one goes to achieve the pattern and for the avoidance of doubt, take a photograph of them for future reference and comparison to the graph paper diagram.

Dig out the turf and weeds digging down deep enough to accommodate the sub-base and base. At this stage it may be worth laying down plastic sheeting or a weed control membrane to inhibit the growth of weeds in the future before laying down the hardcore. Once laid, use a rake to spread the hardcore evenly then use a tamping tool or for larger areas hire a plate compactor to pack it down tightly. This hardcore is the foundation of the patio and in the same way that a house relies on its foundations, the patio is reliant on the hardcore sub-base to give it a solid and lasting base. This compacted hardcore base will prevent movement and potential cracking of the concrete base and finished slabs or tiles.

Laying the concrete base for your slabs should be done gradually, do not lay down a large area at a time, rather lay an area of mortar just larger than the area of your slab or tile. Lay the first one in one corner of the patio and use a rubber mallet to tap it down into place. Check the position of the slab with the help of a spirit level and tap to adjust as necessary. At this stage it is wise to position the slab very slightly off level with a small slant away from your property.

This should be continued on all slabs or tiles so that the finished surface will allow rain or other water to drain off the surface rather than pool on it or drain toward the property. To achieve a uniform finish to the patio, either leave a 1cm gap between your slabs or tiles as you lay them, or if you are not confident enough to do that by eye, use spacers which can be left in situ to form the required gaps.

Leave the patio area overnight before walking on it, this gives time for the mortar base to harden, then fill the gaps between the slabs or tiles. Mix four parts sand with one part cement and add a little water to moisten the mixture then push the mixture into the gaps and finish with a pointing trowel. Lastly, wipe the excess mixture off the surface to leave a clean finished patio surface.

As part of the planning and designing stage, you should have looked at planters, plants, lighting and patio furniture and now is the time to add all of these aspects to your newly completed patio. This is your chance to add your personality onto a flat area of paving slabs or tiles and make it a comfortable, useful extension to your outside living experience.