Grey Porcelain Paving

Grey is the coloured garden paving that is highest in demand - with a good reason behind it! Grey has become a highly popular colour for use both in the home and outside the home, with many grey garden features such as grey garden furniture and grey painted fence panels. By installing these dark grey paving slabs in your garden, it will look modern as well as distinctive with the unique pattern and mixture of beige colours throughout. 

How to Lay Paving Slabs

Installing your own garden patio isn't as laborious as you may have thought, and can be completed by an experienced DIYer, provided they have all the equipment they need and ideally, another set of hands! Read our guide below to get an idea of what is involved in laying paving slabs in your garden. Please note: if you don't feel you are experienced enough to complete this task, please contact us where we can recommend a professional Landscaper in your area.

Step 1 - Measure Up & Purchase

As the saying goes, 'measure twice, cut once,' using a quality Tape Measure. You've probably already decided on the area in which you'd like to create your garden patio, so the next step is to measure this area, to know how many square metres of paving you'll need. Measure the longest length and longest width, and add +10% if you think you might need off-cuts and spare slabs to play with. 

When it comes to buying your paving, you may have chosen the range you want, or maybe you're undecided. The big decision is between natural Sandstone Paving and manufactured Porcelain Paving; they both offer differences which you can read about here. Then there's choosing the right colour, we have Grey Paving Slabs, Beige Paving Slabs, Brown Paving Slabs, Black Paving Slabs - and most colours in-between!   

Step 2 - Prepare your base

Once you've decided on the area you're going to pave, and the range of Paving you'd like to buy, it's time to prepare your area. If you have a spray paint or rope, you could lay this around your desired patio area to use as a guide for the ground prep. 

Now you can start digging! Ensure you have a high quality Landscaping Spade that can withstand potentially hard ground. We recommend digging to a depth of at least 150mm; as you'll need around 100mm for the sub-base, 25mm for Sharp Sand or Cement and then the depth of your paving slabs. Use a Spirit Level to make sure the ground you've dug is level.

Step 3 - Create your base

Now the ground is prepped, you can begin creating a solid base for your garden paving. Add MOT Type 1 limestone at a depth of 50mm and rake until it is a roughly level surface; you can then start compacting this by using a Wacker Plate which you can hire from all major Builders Merchants. Add a further 50mm of sub-base and compact this layer as well. Compacting twice is the best practice because it will ensure a stable and durable base for your paving.

You've now got a nice compact base, so you can add your mortar bed at a depth of at least 25mm using either Washed Grit and Cement or Sand and Cement. It's really important to get this step right and to work out the correct ratio of each material you're using. Then, water over the sand to slightly wet the surface until it is fairly moist and then rake over again.

Step 4 - Lay your paving

It's finally time to complete your patio! When it comes to laying the paving slabs, try and do this at a slight angle of 1/60 to ensure the run-off of any rain or drain water. You'll want some heavy duty safety gloves when completing this to protect your hands. 

Prime the slabs with a Porcelain Primer before laying onto your Sand or Cement mortar bed. Place your first paving slab at the highest point of the patio, working from one corner to another; this is the step you'll want to take the most time on to ensure you get the angle and position right. Use a Rubber Mallet to tap your paving slabs down into place.

REMEMBER: You must leave at least a 3 - 6mm gap between each slab for Porcelain Paving and a 10 -12mm gap for Sandstone and Limestone Paving to allow for the jointing in between. Also, keep in mind that you should seal the back of sawn products to avoid mirroring.

Allow the Sharp Sand/ Cement to dry. It is important that it dries slowly, if rain is forecasted, use a large plastic sheet to protect it.

Step 5 - Grout your Paving

If your mortar bed is dry - it's now time to start jointing your paving slabs together. This step ideally requires two people, and a hose pipe. We have many different options when it comes to Paving Jointing Compounds; for Porcelain Paving, we would recommend Azpects EasyJoint Select and for Natural Stone Paving, we would recommend Azpects EasyJoint Compound. If you'd like to make your own mortar mix; it’s simply 4-part sand to 1 part cement.

Follow the instructions given on your selected Jointing Compound; these are both brush-in compounds so it's important you use a clean brush or squeegee. Use your hose pipe to wet the compound and start filling in the gaps with this compound. Once the gaps are filled, use a finer pointing tool to finish the area off nicely. Allow the joints to dry properly over night and then check the next day that they are completely level. 

Buy With Confidence

• Our paving can be purchased in quantities of 5 square metres.
• Please enter the amount of 5 sqm you need (for example 20sqm would be 4 x 5sqm). 
• All of our paving comes in crates which can be easily placed into a van or into a garden using a hiab lorry.
• You can choose a free collection from one of our Depots or fuss-free, home delivery.

A Service You Can Rely On

• Our trustworthy service offers prompt delivery to any area in the UK
• Stone Zone is a family-run business that has been well-established since 1998
• Our knowledgeable customer advisors can help you with your purchase
• We pride ourselves on offering a range of affordable garden supplies 

Sample slabs are available in-store, please ask a customer advisor.