Patio Relaying & Repairs in Darlington

What goes wrong with patios

Most of the patios we're asked to look at in Darlington have the same handful of problems:

Sunken areas or uneven slabs, with lips you can catch a foot on.
Rocking slabs that clunk when you walk across them.
Cracked slabs, often near drain covers, downpipes or where a heavy planter has stood.
Puddles that sit for days, or water running back towards the house.
Open joints with weeds and moss in them.

Almost all of these come from what's under the slabs rather than the slabs themselves.

Sunken or uneven slabs

Much of Darlington is on heavy clay, which swells in a wet winter and shrinks in a dry summer. A patio laid straight onto soil, or on sand with no compacted stone beneath, moves with it. Dips also appear where the ground was dug for a drain or an extension and never properly firmed up. Lifting the sunken area, putting in a firm base and laying it again is what stops it happening a second time.

Rocking and cracked slabs

When a slab rocks, the mortar underneath has usually broken up, or it was laid on a few spots of mortar instead of a full bed. We lift it, take out the old bedding and lay it back on full mortar. Cracked slabs are replaced, matched to the originals where they're still available. With older riven slabs that are no longer made, we'll talk through the nearest match or moving a sound slab from somewhere less visible.

Lifting and re-bedding on a proper sub-base

For a lasting repair, we:

Lift the slabs with care and keep the sound ones to re-use.
Dig out the old bedding and any soft ground.
Put down a crushed-stone sub-base and compact it in layers.
Re-bed every slab on full mortar, using a primer on porcelain and natural stone where needed.
Joint the patio with a mortar or compound that suits the slab.

Example image: riven slabs being laid on a full mortar bed over a compacted sub-base — Example image: a patio being laid

Drainage and falls

A lot of the original patios behind the 1960s to 1990s semis in Mowden, Hummersknott and Harrowgate Hill slope the wrong way, towards the back door. When we relay, we set a fall of a little per metre to carry water away to the garden or a drain, and keep the finished level well below the damp-proof course, ideally two brick courses. Where there's nowhere for water to go, a channel drain or soakaway may be part of the job.

Repointing as part of a repair

If the joints have opened up or crumbled, we rake them out and repoint once the slabs are sound and level, so rain can't get underneath. Repointing on its own won't fix a patio that's sinking, but it's an important last step in a proper repair.

When relaying beats replacing

Relaying is usually the better option when the slabs are in good shape and you're happy with how they look. Natural sandstone and good riven slabs, common in the older parts of town, are well worth keeping. It also makes sense when only one section has moved. If most slabs are broken, if no match can be found, or if you'd like a bigger patio or a different material, a new patio may be the better spend. Take a look at Indian sandstone or porcelain if you're weighing it up.

What affects the quote

How much of the patio needs lifting and relaying.
What's caused the problem: bedding, sub-base, drainage, roots or old drain runs.
The number of broken slabs, and whether matches can still be found.
Access to the back garden for materials and waste.
Any extra work at the same time, such as a drain, a step or new edging.
Waste removal of old bedding and broken slabs.

We'll go through it on site and give you a written quote. There's more on what affects patio prices.

Questions people ask

Do I need the whole patio relaying?

Not always. If the problem is limited to one area, we can lift and relay just that part on a proper base. We'll give you an honest view on whether the rest is likely to stay put.

Can you re-use my old slabs?

In most cases, yes, if they're sound. A few may break when they're lifted, so any spares you've kept will come in handy.

My patio slopes towards the house. Can that be fixed?

Yes. Relaying lets us reset the fall so water runs away from the house, and lower the level if it's too close to the damp-proof course.

Will new slabs stand out?

Replacement slabs can look a little brighter to begin with, and usually tone in as they weather. Relaid originals will match. We'll show you options before anything goes down.

What do I need to do beforehand?

Move pots and furniture off the patio if you can, and tell us about any drains, cables or pipes you know of. We'll do the rest and take the waste away.