A patio is the room you use most in summer, and the one most often let down by the wrong material, the wrong joint, or a base that was never built to last. This guide walks through every choice, in the order you actually make them.
No material survives a poor base, so this comes first. It is the single biggest reason patios fail, and the easiest thing to get right.
A patio should be built on a compacted sub-base (typically MOT Type 1) over well-prepared ground, then laid on a full mortar bed, not on five dabs of mortar under each slab. Spot or dot-and-dab bedding is the most common cause of slabs that rock, sound hollow, crack, or let water sit underneath and blow the surface in frost.
The patio should also be laid to a gentle fall, usually around 1 in 80, running away from the house, so water drains and never pools against the wall or a damp course.
If a quote does not mention a full mortar bed and falls, ask why. Those two details separate a patio that lasts twenty years from one that fails in two.
The big decision. There is no universally right answer, only the right one for your home, your budget and how much upkeep you want. We cover the porcelain-or-stone question, the stone options, and how the surface finish changes everything.
Choose porcelain for a crisp, contemporary, low-maintenance surface that looks the same in ten years. Choose natural stone for warmth, character and a traditional feel, if you do not mind a little seasonal care. Both are excellent laid well, and both are ruined by a bad base.
If you go for stone, the type sets the character, the durability and the maintenance.
| Stone | Character and use |
|---|---|
| Sandstone | The most popular and affordable, especially Indian sandstone. Warm tones, strong natural variation, riven surface. Porous, so seal it. Superb value for a traditional look. |
| Limestone | More uniform and understated than sandstone, with a fine, even surface. Elegant and calm. Also porous and best sealed. |
| Granite | Extremely hard, dense and durable, with a flecked, contemporary look. Low porosity, high slip resistance when flamed. A premium, long-life choice. |
| Yorkstone | The classic British sandstone, prized for period and heritage settings. Beautiful and hard-wearing, with reclaimed and new options. The premium traditional stone. |
| Slate | Rich tones from deep blue-black to grey-green, with a naturally grippy riven surface. Quality varies by source: Welsh slate is dense, hard and the premium choice; Brazilian offers consistent blue-grey and black at mid price; some Chinese and Indian slates are softer and can flake if poorly selected. Handsome in contemporary schemes and around water; buy from a reputable supplier. |
| Travertine | Soft, creamy, Mediterranean feel. Lovely around pools, but softer and more porous, so needs sealing and suits warmer, drier spots. |
The same material feels completely different depending on its finish, which affects both looks and grip underfoot.
Once the material is chosen, format and framing decide the whole feel, from rustic and relaxed to sharply modern.
A border is what lifts a patio from a slab of paving to a considered piece of landscaping. It frames the space, hides the cut edges, and gives a clean line to mow or plant against.
The joint is where most patios fail, because it is where water, frost and weeds attack. Get the joint width, the compound and the sealing right and the surface looks after itself.
Joint width is dictated mostly by the material, and it matters for both looks and performance.
| Material | Typical joint | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Porcelain | 3 to 5mm | Precisely calibrated, so tight joints look crisp and stay even. |
| Sawn stone | 5 to 10mm | Consistent edges allow a fairly tight, neat joint. |
| Riven sandstone | 10 to 15mm | Irregular hand-cut edges need a wider joint to sit comfortably. |
| Setts / clay pavers | 5 to 10mm | Depends on the unit and whether rigid or flexible laid. |
Too narrow a joint leaves no room for the compound to key in and can fail; too wide looks clumsy. Your material and jointing product together set the right width, and the product will state a minimum joint width and depth it needs to work.
The right jointing compound is as important as the paving itself. There are three common approaches.
Traditional sand and cement mortar. Pointed in by hand. Cheap in materials but slow, easy to smear and stain, and rigid, so it can crack and lift over time. Still used, but increasingly replaced.
Single-part, brush-in compounds. Resin and aggregate compounds brushed and washed into the joints wet, then tooled off. Fast, clean and popular for stone, with good weed and frost resistance. They suit joints from around 5mm. A practical, good-looking choice for most domestic stone patios, in colours from natural buff to charcoal.
Two-part epoxy resin. The strongest and most durable option, a slurry squeegeed across and washed off. It bonds hard, resists frost, weeds and pressure washing, and works down to narrow joints, which makes it the natural partner for porcelain. It costs more and is sensitive to temperature and moisture during installation, so it must be laid by someone who knows the product.
Porcelain: a suitable two-part epoxy slurry, for narrow, hard, lasting joints. Natural stone: a quality single-part brush-in compound for most patios, or two-part epoxy for the most demanding jobs. Colour: charcoal or basalt reads contemporary and hides dirt; natural and buff suit traditional stone.
Sealing is misunderstood. It is not always needed, and the wrong sealer can do more harm than good.
The honest rule: seal porous natural stone with a breathable impregnator, leave good porcelain alone, and be cautious with heavy film-forming sealers unless you specifically want the wet look and accept the upkeep.
Not everything is slabs. For driveways, paths and detail, smaller units come into their own, and the laying pattern affects both looks and strength.
The bond pattern affects both looks and strength.
We design and build patios, terraces and full landscaping schemes as part of our work, and we treat the groundworks with the same care as the finish. That means a properly compacted sub-base, a full mortar bed, correct falls and drainage, the right jointing compound for the material, and sealing only where it genuinely helps. We will talk through porcelain against stone honestly for your home, your budget and how much upkeep you want, and match the borders and detailing to the house and garden.
General guidance for 2026, written for homeowners in Surrey and Hampshire. Product choices and specifications should always be confirmed for your specific project, and the manufacturer's instructions followed for jointing and sealing.
From material choice to the base beneath it, we build outdoor spaces to last. Tell us what you have in mind.