Garden Paving

If you have been researching paving online, you may have read supplier blogs from companies such as Infinite Paving. These are useful for understanding products, finishes and trends, but they rarely explain what really matters once paving is installed in a real garden.

At Flourish, we design and install gardens across Surbiton, Kingston and the surrounding Surrey areas, working with clay soils, mature planting, shaded plots and family gardens that are used every day. This guide brings everything together in one place, paving slabs, setts and clay pavers, colours, textures, sizes, laying patterns and construction, and explains how we choose what genuinely lasts.

See our blogs about paving:

Paving blogs

Paving slabs and where they work best

Paving slabs are most effective in main seating areas and terraces where clarity, comfort and furniture placement matter. The right slab choice depends on context rather than fashion.

Natural stone paving slabs

Natural stone such as sandstone or limestone remains popular across Surrey gardens because it sits comfortably alongside planting and older architecture.

Best suited to:

• Traditional and semi-formal gardens
• Properties with mature planting
• Clients who prefer natural variation

Things we factor in:

• Variation in thickness and colour
• Drainage and shading
• How the stone will weather over time

In Kingston and Surbiton gardens with trees and borders close to paving, riven or lightly textured stone is often more forgiving than very smooth finishes.

Suppliers:

• London stone
• Pavestone
• Kebur

Porcelain paving slabs

Porcelain is a dense, manufactured product with consistent sizing and very low porosity.

Best suited to:

• Contemporary garden designs
• Courtyard gardens and shaded plots
• Clients looking for low maintenance

Porcelain performs exceptionally well when installed correctly, with full mortar bedding, accurate falls and an adhesive bond bridge. It is not a shortcut product and demands good ground preparation.

Suppliers:

• London stone
• Mandarin stone

Concrete paving slabs

Concrete slabs can work well in practical areas or where budget is a key driver.

They are most appropriate for:

• Utility spaces
• Simple layouts
• Secondary garden areas

Quality varies widely, so specification matters.

Stone setts and clay pavers, where detail matters

Many of the best gardens we build do not rely on slabs alone. Setts and clay pavers often provide the structure, durability and detailing that slabs alone cannot.

Stone setts

Setts are small rectangular blocks, traditionally used in streets and courtyards, which tells you a lot about their durability.

We commonly use setts for:

• Driveway entrances and edges
• Steps and risers
• Drainage channels
• Thresholds and transitions between materials

Granite setts are extremely hard-wearing and well suited to driveways and high-traffic areas. Sandstone setts feel softer and sit more naturally in planted gardens.

Because setts cope well with curves, slopes and movement, they are particularly useful on sites with level changes or awkward geometry.

Clay pavers and bricks

Clay pavers are fired rather than cast, so colour runs all the way through the material. They age exceptionally well and feel at home in older properties.

We use clay pavers for:

• Garden paths
• Courtyards
• Edging and detailing
• Linking period buildings with new landscaping

Pattern choice matters. Herringbone offers strength, stretcher bond suits paths, and basket weave works well in courtyards.

Suppliers:

• Pavestone
• Kebur

How we choose paving sizes, layouts and laying patterns

We do not start with a fixed preference for slabs, setts or pavers. Each scheme is assessed on its own merits.

Because we design and install, material choice, slab size and laying pattern are considered together from the outset.

Slab sizes and proportion

Large-format slabs can look calm and contemporary, but in smaller Surbiton or Kingston gardens they can feel oversized and visually heavy.

We consider:

• Scale of the space
• Relationship to the house and doors
• Sightlines from inside
• How paving meets planting and edges

Laying patterns are functional as well as visual

Pattern affects strength, movement tolerance and how forgiving paving is over time.

Examples include:

• Random or coursed layouts
• Linear patterns
• Herringbone for structural strength
• Setts used as borders to lock slabs in place

Paving textures, riven, sawn and flamed explained

Texture affects grip, cleaning and how paving looks after several winters.

Riven stone is forgiving and natural.
Sawn stone is clean-lined but less forgiving of dirt.
Flamed stone offers excellent slip resistance and durability.

Paving colours, trends versus what lasts

Current trends favour pale greys and light porcelains, but these show staining quickly in shaded gardens.

Timeless choices include:

• Warm buffs and honey tones
• Mid greys with variation
• Earthy sandstone blends
• Clay reds and brindles

Paving construction details, what sits beneath the surface

Paving performance is determined far more by its construction than by the slab itself.

Porcelain is typically non-permeable.
Sandstone may be permeable or non-permeable.
Clay pavers are often used in permeable systems.

We work in line with BS 7533 and SuDS guidance.

Adhesive bond bridges, why they matter

An adhesive bond bridge is applied to the underside of dense paving such as porcelain and sawn stone.

Without it:

• Slabs rely on gravity
• Micro-movement develops
• Water tracks between layers

With it:

• Full adhesion is achieved
• Longevity improves significantly

Common paving problems, causes and consequences

Rocking slabs, standing water, failed joints and cracking are almost always construction-related rather than material failures.

Diagnosing patio problems, repair or rebuild?

Localised issues can sometimes be repaired. Widespread movement or drainage failure usually requires rebuilding.

What does garden paving cost?

Paving costs vary significantly and are driven by excavation, sub-base, drainage, detailing and access, not just the slab.

Two patios of the same size can have very different costs once ground conditions are factored in.

See about what affects the costs of garden design

A practical note on maintenance

All paving needs some maintenance. Low maintenance is realistic. No maintenance is not.

Suppliers and material quality

Approved installers for: London Stone Pavestone

Also working with: C E L Silverlands Marble Mosaics Mandarin Stone All Green Kebur

Final thoughts

Good paving is not about fashion. It is about materials, construction and design working together.

Let’s create your perfect garden

Get in touch to arrange an initial conversation

Contact us today to arrange a consultation and start transforming your garden into the perfect outdoor space for you and your family.