In most landscaping designs, there will be walkways so that those who own the garden and those who use it, such as their family, have a clear and safe means of traversing it. Within many landscape designs, the walkways will be some form of paving rather than decking, for example. Where space allows, paved patios are also an extremely sought-after landscaping feature.
Thankfully, there is no shortage of options when it comes to paving choices. Intreeg Landscapes in Sydney advise both the type of paving materials and the patterns that can be created within walkways and patios. Anyone considering walkways or a patio for their garden should seek advice from their landscapers. Still, we have outlined some of the more popular paving options below to get you started.
Paving Types
Your options for paving types will be influenced by several things such as your budget, the available space, what the paving is to be used for, and the aesthetic goals you have for the appearance of your garden. Here are some of the most popular paving types:
- Stone: If you use stone for paving, you are guaranteed that the sizes and shapes of those stones will be unique. There will also be variations in textures and colours too. However, if you prefer uniformity then you can request cut stones whereby the sizes and shapes should be alike.
- Bricks: For a simple and inexpensive option for patios and walkways, few paving options fit the bill more than bricks. You can even source second-hand bricks if you want to save even more money. Bricks can be coloured to suit your needs, and the laying pattern can fit in with your garden’s aesthetics.
- Concrete Pavers: If you want to go big and bold with your paving, then concrete pavers are the choice you should make. The sizes range from 250 mm squared to a massive 1000 mm squared. Just be aware that larger concrete pavers are more prone to cracking and needing to be replaced.
- Slate: Another paving option that offers unique appearances and textures is slate, although just like stone, you can opt to have slate paving that has been cut to regular shapes. However, the irregular slate appearance is undoubtedly the most popular for residential landscape designs.
- Poured Concrete: This provides a stable and rigid base for walkways and patios that should be hard-wearing and long-lasting. Your options include having the concrete coloured to suit your preferences, and it can also be stencilled or polished, for example, to enhance its appearance.
Paving Patterns
As well as the above choices concerning paving types for walkways and patios, you also have numerous options for the patterns that will be created as your paving is laid out within your garden. Here are three of the top paving pattern options:
- Basket Weave: A particular favourite for those using bricks, the basket weave helps to make areas appear larger than they are and provides sufficient texture to create a sound underfoot surface.
- Herringbone: Used with bricks, or more decoratively, with cut stone, a herringbone pattern involves setting two ricks or stones in an L-shape and continuing to the outer edges of the area being paved. Larger stones can also be laid in a herringbone pattern.
- Stretcher Bond: The quintessential brick pattern that you will have seen in brick walls, it is also ideal for walkways and patios that are to be formed using bricks. Some variations can be created in the brick pattern which your landscapers can advise you on.
It is also possible to combine different paving patterns for effect, and again your landscape designers will explain how, should you wish to consider them.