Patios and New Gardens

As well as tree services Helyers can help you design your perfect garden from natural sandstone patios, to advice on suitable planting and sleeper retaining walls, we can help create your perfect garden. Please call us for a free estimate and advise.

Flag Stones

There are two acceptable methods of laying flags - individual bedded and screed bedded. There is a third method, spot-bedding, but this is not considered suitable for a professional paving project. The choice of laying methods depends on the personal preference of the contractor/specifier, the type of beddingthat is chosen, and the types of flags being used.

When stone flags are laid to town centre footpaths and other areas that are open to the general public, the rigid laying methodis used increasingly. While this method is not radically different to that outlined below, it is important enought to warrant its own page where the methodology is illustrated in more detail.

This method relies on each flag having a bed prepared for it individually. A bed is prepared, the flag is laid and then the next bed prepared and so on. See How. This method is more common used with larger flags, where handling and manoeuvrability is a major concern, with natural stone flags, where there can be significant difference in flag thickness between adjacent units, and for many of the mould cast riven or decorative flags, which tend to have a variable thickness ranging 15mm on individual units - this being a result of the mould not being perfectly level when the wet-cast concrete is allowed to set.