Reason's for getting Paving Slabs
Paving slabs have been growing in popularity for many years now and offer a great cheap alternative when it comes to landscaping your front or back garden. There are loads of reason's for this growth in popularity. Cost usually the main reason and these days you can get some pretty cheap paving slabs from B&Q and Wicks
Low price isn't the only reason though. Some of the other benefits to having paving slabs in your garden are:
Durability Paving slabs are very sturdy and once set, and made sure that they are set correctly, they can last for many of years with very little in the way of maintenance.
Great Looking With so much choice out there when it comes to paving slabs you really can put your own stamp on it and get the perfect look for your garden. From paving packs of different sizes and shapes, to brick paving that really make a driveway stand out, even carpet stone paving that offer a different and original take on paving. All of these are at great low prices at B&Q for you to look at.
Easy to Lay Paving slabs can be laid in a matter of a day, or a couple of days if it's a larger than normal area. Once they are set, they are good to be used for whatever you wish. Putting out a patio table and chairs, or a nice fire pit for example.
Versatility Once your paving slabs are down and set there are so many uses for them. They are strong enough to be a driveway, or would look great as a patio with a table and chair set. Or even just as a decorate piece in the middle of your lawn.
Types of Paving Slabs
Your budget pretty much sets out which type of paving slabs you'll be able to have. If you're on a tight budget then really the only ones you'll be able to afford are concrete paving slabs. These can look pretty nice with the modern looking colours that are available these days, but they are not as hard wearing as some of the natural stone paving slabs and have a tendency to crack. If you go for concrete paving slabs of a unique colour, then we would suggest getting a spare pack to be used as replacement paving slabs if, or when damages occur.
Brick paving slabs are a little more expensive than concrete paving slabs, but we feel that they are really nice looking and worth the extra cost. They are more commonly found on driveways and garden footpaths. They are very hardwearing and may only need a power wash once a year to keep them looking like new.
Natural stone paving slabs are the more costly type of paving slab that you can get. The extra cost is mostly down to manufacturing costs as these are more expensive to product. If you go for a mixed shape pattern, then install cost may be higher to as it's not as straight forward to put them down. That being said, if this is in your budget then these are a stunning way to finish your back garden or patio area.
As well as these different types of paving slabs that you can get. With modern paving slabs you can also choose on the type of finish that you would like to. You can get a non slip finish if it's on your back patio for example. These make it good for walking on them barefoot in the wet without the slip hazard. A smooth finish is also available, but these can be very slippery when wet.
How to Measure and Buy Paving Slabs
If you're looking at getting paving slabs then you'll want to be able to start getting some prices together so you know what you'll be able to afford. Many people measure up paving slabs incorrectly and it turns out to be much more expensive than they thought. To know how much coverage you'll need just get the length of the area you'll be laying the paving slabs and times it by the width of the area. This will give you the area in m2. Paving slabs are sold in packs that will tell you how much area they cover. This can change between packs so make sure you look out for this. B&Q website does break the price down for you and tells you how much per m2 a pack costs. This makes it a lot easier to calculate. You can then simply times the cost of a m2, by the amount of m2 of coverage you'll need.
When buying paving slabs it's always a good idea to buy a couple of packs more than you require. This will account for any breakages. If you don't and then the paving slabs you bought have been discontinued when you go to but more, the patio, or the area you've decided to pave will be mis-matched. This is doubly important if you're buying cheap paving slabs from the clearance section for example. These are great places to get some really money off paving slabs, but definitely make sure you've more than you need. Any excess you've got left can always be returned. Both B&Q and Wicks have an excellent returns policy.
We feel both B&Q and Wicks are the best for stocking low cost paving slabs of all types. We mentioned above about clearance sections, by far the best place to look for sales on paving slabs. We've compared the prices of block, brick and concrete paving slabs for you. This is the best and easiest way to make sure that you're getting a really good deal on them.