The Many Reasons Why You Should NOT 'Dot and Dab' To Lay Your Stone Patio...

Several years ago, we had a split-level patio laid by GK Wilson Landscapers of Glossop. At the time, we were away on business in Cambridge and left the job in their care. We had stipulated that many plant and holly bush roots needed to be removed before laying the patio. When we returned, the job was well underway, and in fact, the hardcore had already been laid, and 2/3 of the patio had been bedded. However, we pointed out that the lower level had been turned into a narrow path. Also, the entrance for the gate they fitted was on two different levels vertically across the opening with a drop on one side of 500mm, and it opened outwards onto our neighbor's property! After the landscapers demonstrated to my wife that she could single-file our three refuse bins along the path, I decided that enough was enough!

We paid them off, and I relandscaped the path to make a small drying ground instead of a narrow path. This enabled me to refit the gate across one level (ground!) and also made it possible to place the bins wherever we wanted, while still keeping enough room on the upper level to accommodate a 6-seater patio set. I also added a step to enable us to put the bins (impossible before) on the top level should we require. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about the top level 'fall' coming towards, rather than away from our house. Their drainage solution was to collect the drain water down the gap left by the edge of the stone tiles into the hardcore along the side of our kitchen wall they filled with gravel. This is a 1930s house with no damp proofing layer. Why, at 65 years old, am I still having to correct paid-for work by professionals? I am not a landscape gardener, but I do have a modicum of common sense, which was all that this job required!

Infestation of Ants and Rats...

Here we are in May 2024: After noticing that several of the stone tiles had started to lift over the last couple of years, I decided to remove one to take a look. And here it is, shock horror:
Dot and Dab! Yes, you heard that right. G K Wilson Landscapers actually laid our patio using the DIY SOS technique of splatting 5 dabs of concrete per stone tile to 'bed' our patio to the hardcore! Apart from the obvious physical implications of lbs per inch vs. sinking and sideways movement on a hardcore base, you really could not provide a better home for insect infestations and even a potential rodent habitat, both of which we have had in the last three years!

Further reading on the consequences of "dotting and dabbing" to lay a patio: British Standard 7533: Part 4, which covers the installation of both concrete and natural stone flags or slabs, requires that these are laid on a "full bedding layer." This applies to all classes of pavements, including patios and driveways, not just the big projects undertaken in the town center or on a retail park.

There are many resources available on the internet regarding amateur DIY vs. professional paid-for patio installations… Read up, and then decide if this is (in any way) an unfair summary of my experience with this Glossop landscaping business…

P.S. The stone tiles I fitted to complete the job are still rock solid, and yes, they are fully bedded! Oh, and here is a shot of our old Holly bush coming back up! - Paul 'Wal' Walster...