Porcelain, Sandstone & Stone PatiosLaid To Sit Level For DecadesAcross Bucks & Surrey
Full-mortar-bedded patios in porcelain, Indian sandstone, limestone and natural stone, installed with proper falls, clean pointing and a 12-month workmanship guarantee.
About Our Patios & Paving Service
What it is
A patio is a load-bearing paved area laid on a compacted sub-base and full mortar bed, jointed with a resin or mortar to hold each slab in position. Done properly, it's flat underfoot, sheds water away from the house, and stays that way for 25+ years.
Who it's for
Homeowners across Amersham, Beaconsfield, Chesham, Chalfonts, Great Missenden, Hazlemere and Farnham replacing tired concrete or lifting existing paving, extending gardens for outdoor living, or building a patio from scratch as part of a full garden redesign.
When you need it
You need a new patio when your existing one rocks, has sunk against the house, drains the wrong way, or has cracked through frost damage. Also when you're re-landscaping, adding an outdoor kitchen, or replacing a lawn with entertaining space.
Why professional installation matters
Most patio failures are laying-course failures, spot-bedded slabs that rock, no falls so water pools against the DPC, or joints filled with wet sand that washes out. We full-bed every slab on 4:1 sharp sand/cement mortar, cut clean falls away from the property, and joint with a purpose-designed resin or mortar mix.
What Happens If You Leave It
Small problems don't stay small. Here's what we see when homeowners delay, and the corner-cutting mistakes that make it worse.
Water tracking into the house
A patio laid level with (or above) the damp-proof course, without falls, funnels rain straight into brickwork. The bill for treating rising damp dwarfs the cost of relaying the patio.
Rocking, cracked slabs
Spot-bedded slabs (five dabs of mortar per slab) rock the moment ground moves. Cracks spread across the whole patio within a couple of frosts.
Blown, stained pointing
Wet sand-and-cement joints crack, wash out and stain the slabs. Cheap sand jointing lets weeds through within a season.
Our Patios & Paving Process
A clear, in-person system from first visit to final handover, no surprises, no scope creep.
- 1
In-person site survey
We visit, take levels against the DPC and doors, discuss slab options, and sketch layout with borders and step details.
- 2
Fixed written quote, same day
Itemised, sub-base, mortar bed, slabs, pointing, edging, steps, drainage, all fixed in writing.
- 3
Excavation & sub-base
Dig out to correct depth, lay and compact MOT Type 1 sub-base, install any drainage channels or gullies.
- 4
Full-bed mortar & lay
Slabs laid on a full 40mm mortar bed (not five dabs), individually tapped level, cut clean around obstacles with a diamond blade.
- 5
Jointing & handover
Resin-based jointing brushed and consolidated, patio cleaned down, full walk-round with care advice, 12-month guarantee starts.
Why Homeowners Choose Hi Design
Slabs sit level, don't rock
Full mortar beds mean no voids, no rocking, no cracks through frost heave.
Correct falls, no house damp
Every patio is laid at 1:80 minimum crossfall away from the property, with a 150mm gap below the DPC.
Weed-free, stain-resistant joints
Modern polymeric and resin jointing seals against weeds, ants and staining for years, not months.
Recent Patios & Paving Projects
A selection of finished patios & paving work across Buckinghamshire and Surrey.
Patios & Paving: The Detail
Slab materials, porcelain, sandstone, limestone, natural
Porcelain is our most-requested material, dimensionally stable, near-zero water absorption, frost-proof, stain-resistant, holds colour for life. Indian sandstone (Marshalls Fairstone, Bradstone Peak) is the traditional choice, natural variation, calibrated for consistent thickness. Limestone is smoother and cooler underfoot. Natural yorkstone and granite for premium and heritage jobs. We bring physical samples to every survey.
Sub-base, mortar bed and falls
Domestic patios: 100mm compacted MOT Type 1 sub-base, 40mm full mortar bed at 4:1 sharp sand to cement, minimum 1:80 crossfall away from any building. Porcelain requires an additional SBR-modified slurry primer on the back of each slab to bond to the mortar reliably. Every slab tapped down to a string line, no eyeballing.
Jointing systems
For porcelain we use a two-part resin joint (GftK VDW 850, Azpects EASYJoint Pro), flexible, weed-free, stain-resistant, 20-year rating. For sandstone we use standard EASYJoint or a wet 3:1 sand-cement mix hand-pointed and struck flush. We never dry-brush sand into a patio joint, it washes out inside a year.
Steps, borders and edge detailing
Level changes are built from full-thickness concrete cores clad in matching slab or contrasting granite setts, never hollow-boxed. Borders are haunched in concrete for edge restraint. Where the patio meets lawn we install a stone or steel edging strip so lawn edges can be trimmed clean without damaging the paving.
Residential vs commercial
Domestic patios use 20mm porcelain or 22mm sandstone on a full mortar bed. Commercial paving (hotels, restaurants, apartment courtyards) uses 30mm porcelain or 40mm natural stone on a rigid concrete base for foot-traffic loads, with a 25-year design life. We install both.
Patios & Paving, Common Questions
Related services & areas
Design A Patio Built To Last
Free in-person survey with slab samples. Fixed written quote same day. 12-month guarantee.
Free site visit · Fixed written quote same day · 0% deposit · £10m insured