Gardens in Swansea face weather that gardens inland never see. Wind and sea air blow in from the bay, and many suburbs sit on slopes. A patio here needs to be laid on a proper base and chosen to cope with the conditions, not just to look good on the day it is finished.
We design and build patios for homes across the city, from the first marking out to the last bit of pointing. Everything is dug, compacted, laid and cleared by us, so you deal with one team from start to finish.
Exposure is the first thing we think about in Swansea. Strong wind and salty air can be hard on garden furniture, planting and some surfaces, so we talk about where a patio will be most comfortable, and whether a bit of shelter from a fence or border would help you enjoy it. If a patio is going to be used mostly in summer, we can also think about where the wind funnels through your garden.
Rain is also a fact of life by the coast, so drainage gets proper attention. The patio is laid with a gentle fall away from the house, which stops water lying on the surface and keeps the paving drier and safer underfoot, whatever the season happens to throw at it. Good drainage also means less standing water in winter, when the surface might otherwise turn green.
Many parts of Swansea rise steeply from the sea, which means gardens that slope. Where that is the case, we cut back to create level ground, add a retaining edge or steps where necessary and build the sub-base in compacted layers so it does not move afterwards. That gives a patio on a hill the same firm footing as one on flat ground, which matters when rain runs downhill after every storm.
We set the slabs on a bed and check levels as we go, so the finished patio is flat to the eye and falls correctly for water. Cuts and edges against walls and borders are finished carefully, and the joints are pointed once everything has settled into place, leaving a tidy surface. We also leave the edges neat so the patio meets lawns and borders cleanly.
Porcelain, sandstone-look slabs and natural stone are all on offer, and we can talk through how each handles damp, wind-blown grit and a bit of coastal grime. We also lay patios in Sketty, the Mumbles, Morriston and Clydach, so wherever your Swansea garden is, we can come and look at it with you. Samples can be shown on site.
A few jobs we have completed. We also work in and around Swansea.
Patio ConstructionWe cleared the old paving at the back of a Bridgend house, compacted the base and stacked new slabs ready for laying.
See the project →Patio ConstructionWe laid new grey paving slabs in a narrow Cardiff garden, with timber-edged gravel beds and a membrane-lined side strip.
See the project →
Patio ConstructionWe replaced the front lawn of a red-brick terraced house in Neath with dark grey paving and a pale border of edging stones.
See the project →We work across South Wales. Pick your town to see how patio construction works locally.
Porcelain offers a consistent, low-maintenance surface, while natural stone brings variation and character, and both depend on a properly built base.
Read the guide →The cost of a patio depends on its size, the paving you choose, the ground beneath it and how easily materials and waste can be moved.
Read the guide →
Tree surgery is priced job by job rather than from a fixed list, so this guide explains what moves the cost up or down and how to get a firm figure.
Read the guide →Paving itself copes well, but salt and damp can leave a film that makes it look grubby. A surface that is easy to brush or wash down helps. We can suggest options that suit exposed coastal gardens and explain how to look after them.
Often we can. We cut a level area, hold the soil back with an edge or low wall if needed and add steps where the levels change. We would see the plot first, so that the plan we give you is a realistic one.
We lay every slab with a slight fall away from the house and build the base so it drains properly. Getting the levels right at the start is what prevents puddles, far more than anything that could be added afterwards.
Tell us what needs doing and where. We will come back to you, or call 07766 919630 if it is urgent.