Installation Guide & Patterns:

Installation Instructions:

Installing Paving Slabs

Below we keep the same sequence you supplied, noting where porcelain and natural stone diverge (PSD 2025 guides • BS 7533-102).

• Good planning & drainage: surface ≥ 150 mm below any DPC; fall 1 : 60 (≈ 17 mm / m).
• Utilities check: mark cables, gas & water before digging.
• Patios/paths: dig for 100 mm Type 1 + 30-40 mm mortar + slab thickness (≈ 150 mm).
• Driveways / wet ground: allow 200 mm for the sub-base.
• Over-cut 150-200 mm for working room; lay & compact the sub-base.
• Poor soils: non-woven membrane, then Type 1 in ≤ 70 mm lifts (5 plate-compactor passes each lift).
• Set concrete-haunched edge restraints before bedding.

Prepare the full-bed mortar (laying course)

• Prime the slabs: Porcelain: 2-3 mm bonding slurry on back just before laying. Natural stone: SBR primer / SBR-slurry for adhesion & moisture control.
• Lay the slabs: Tap home with a rubber mallet. Joint width — Porcelain 5 mm spacers; Natural stone 10-15 mm. Check levels often; BS 7533 lipping < 2 mm.
• Clean as you go: wipe fresh mortar with clean water – never acid cleaners.
• Curing: foot traffic 24 h; heavy loads 48 h.
• Jointing / Grouting Bed must firm first; joints ≥ 20 mm deep. Use resin/polymeric compound; respect manufacturer’s limits.
• Circles & Insets: start at centre; set circles first if part of a larger patio.

Quick reference – key differences

Laying Block Paving

Sequence mirrors BS 7533 good-practice. Notes highlight where porcelain and natural-stone blocks differ (both 50 mm thick).

• Plan & set-out: finish ≥ 150 mm below any DPC; design falls 1 : 60 (~17 mm / m).
• Excavate: 200–250 mm below finished level for domestic driveways, plus 150–200 mm beyond edges for restraints.
• Sub-base: 100–150 mm MOT Type 1 (crushed hardcore) laid beyond the block line; compact in ≤ 75 mm lifts with a vibrating plate.
• Edge restraints: install kerbs/blocks on a concrete bed to create a rigid border before bedding the paving.

Bedding layer

• Lay the blocks: Porcelain: bed onto mortar, keep 5 mm joints, align with string lines. Natural stone: place blocks tight-jointed (no gaps), stagger bonds for strength.
• Joint & compact: Porcelain: fill 5 mm joints with flowable grout or resin; compact using a roller or plate fitted with a rubber mat. Natural stone: sweep kiln-dried sand into joints, vibrate with a rubber-matted plate, top-up and re-vibrate until joints stay full.
• Cleaning & after-care Sweep regularly; rinse surface dirt with clean water. Avoid acid-based cleaners: they can bleach natural stone, attack cement joints and strip porcelain’s vitrified surface. Use pH-neutral patio cleaners or manufacturer-approved products instead.

Quick reference – key differences

These guide lines are informative only and not comprehensive. For more detailed information please visit www.pavingexpert.com and www.paving.org.uk