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 1/
Dig down about 6 inches below patio level. Here a trenching
spade is being used on particularly difficult soil. Check the level of
this using a spirit level and wooden pegs. It is not important that it is
completely flat, but a bump of soil will mean less hardcore and a less
stable foundation.
Soil that is removed will have to be
disposed of. Sometimes it is possible to do this in the same garden,
filling a low area, building up beds, going towards a rockery or raised
bed etc. More often it will need to removed in a skip.
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 2/
Hardcore
is then laid and leveled before being compacted with a wacca plate.
Unless you are laying the patio over a
short time period (and remember it takes the professionals a few days from
start to finish) it might be a good idea to order heavy materials as and
when they are needed. Hardcore first, then sand and cement and slabs
later.
The alternative is that you may not be able
to use your garage for a while as there's a few tons of building materials
on the driveway- or half your front lawn gets killed while the materials
sit there for an extended period.
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 3/ Lay slabs
on a dry mortar mixture (1 part cement to 5 parts sand) using builders lines for reference at the edge of
the patio.
The first slab down is the most important as the others
are all referenced from this. Make sure it is the right height and at the top
of the 1" in 6ft slope. If the patio is adjoining the house, this is
where you should begin.
Make sure the slabs are below the
level of the damp proof course
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 4/
A
rubber hammer is used to bed the slabs down and get them level. Fine
adjustments can be made thanks to the mortar layer.
When placing slabs, take care not to stand them on edge
and then lay them down, this will disturb the mortar layer unduly.
Always work from the mortar / hardcore side of the work,
don't tread on slabs that you have already laid.
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 5/ Use a
spirit level with each slab, and double check! Mistakes are not easy to
rectify.
Remember the slope 1" in 6ft - away from the house. When
all slabs have been laid, brush a dry mix of mortar into the joints
between them.
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 6/ Slabs are big heavy things!
Take care in lifting and carrying them
Use a wheelbarrow wherever possible
Wear gloves when handling slabs (not like Sid here!)
Stack them on end leaning against each other
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 7/
Accurate measurement and laying out of guide lines is vital
as a small error is soon magnified when the patio is several metres
across. Don't walk on the patio for a few days until the mortar mix has
hardened.
When all slabs are laid brush a dry mortar mix between
the gaps
If laid properly, you won't get any growth between the
slabs and you will have extended your effective living area quite
considerably.
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