Back garden - new paving and raising levels to DPC? What paving would you recommend

[Buffman]

Hi all,

I have attached pictures of my current back patio area. It currently has 3 seperate sections which consist of decking, gravel and a small section of paving + a veg patch. I'd like to get this one singular material (probably paving) and looking at paving and something low /no maintenance.

I bought the house this way (extension ~10years old) and the pic of the decking is from a couple years ago when I cleaned it.

Would I be able to raise the level at the singular door close to the damp proof course (DPC) and grade it down towards the edges nearest the plants?

E.g. If I put shingle or a threshold drain near the door? Could I have similar done at the bifolds?

Ideally I'd make it all level or higher access near the doors and grade it suitably downwards (e.g. 1:60 or have it steeper near the doors. Not sure if the smarter idea would be 75mm (i.e 1 brick) off DPC rather than 0mm.

As I understand it building regs wants 150mm minimum to the damp proof course, but understand mitigation measures can be put in place e.g what's indicated here

Threshold Drainage Solutions

A look at some of the paving design solutions used at thresholds to comply with the driveway installation planning requirements and the requirements of Document M of the Building Regulations

www.pavingexpert.com

Main issue I'm going to have is that the access to my back garden is poor, I'm going to have to carry everything through the house as it's built on all sides (I'm thinking 25kg builders buckets and get 1 tonne bags of mot etc to the front)


Paving type
What type of paving would you recommend? I have a lot of trees in the area, an apple tree from next door above and I prefer the paving with a less flat and more ridged type surface. Also being "diy friendly" to fit is good as I might /likely to do this myself. I've done tiling before and happy for porcelain paving but don't want it to look too "flat"

I previously posted about sorting my decking out below. Whilst it's held up and not slippery some areas are rotting /bowing

Extremely Slippery decking - can it be rejuvenated?

Hi all, Move into my new house end of this month (finally exchanged). One thing I know for sure is that the decking outside of the house is extremely slippy and a complete fall trap. I know it was installed in circa 2013 but possibly hasn't been well maintained since then. There are lots of...

forums.overclockers.co.uk

Pictures

To give an indication that the garden is long below

 

[Lean]

If you are going for a finish height for the paving to be around the threshold of the doors, could you get it to fall into the garden passed the gravel? They recommend 13mm but 10mm per linear metre gets a nice bubble. (Bifolds to lawn 7-8 metres?)

Whatever way you go thats a lot of type 1 to be carrying through the house in buckets. I'm estimating 10+ 800kg bags, depending on digging out. Then sand and cement. It doesnt matter how careful you are there will be mess and the odd knocked door frame.

Have you go access on the front for a crane to lift the materials over? If you get your order of work sorted out they could lift your waste back over for the skip. Or if you do go porcelain how about laying them on a concrete base. You could get the mix boomed over or possibly pumped through the house straight into your formwork then tile. Its tricky with no access.

 

[Buffman]

If you are going for a finish height for the paving to be around the threshold of the doors, could you get it to fall into the garden passed the gravel? They recommend 13mm but 10mm per linear metre gets a nice bubble. (Bifolds to lawn 7-8 metres?)

Whatever way you go thats a lot of type 1 to be carrying through the house in buckets. I'm estimating 10+ 800kg bags, depending on digging out. Then sand and cement. It doesnt matter how careful you are there will be mess and the odd knocked door frame.

Have you go access on the front for a crane to lift the materials over? If you get your order of work sorted out they could lift your waste back over for the skip. Or if you do go porcelain how about laying them on a concrete base. You could get the mix boomed over or possibly pumped through the house straight into your formwork then tile. Its tricky with no access.

Hah massive thread bump for this one, but yes I would be aiming for the fall all towards the garden on this one.

Ive reasssed this one and I'm going to:
DIY it all in summer (I might try pay my nephew labourer money )
I will carry it all in and buy 25kg bags (of MOT etc) to make it a bit quicker. I think there's a bit of a premium but hey. I think you are right in that it will be literally hundreds of bags.

Crane access seems unnecessary, I'd rather carry bags thru.

I'm also now thinking I dont really "need" level access and keeping the paving at a level similar to the decking (two bricks below) is fine.

Could all the drainage fall towards the grass side then?

And I presume if my grass area is higher than the end of the paving I'll need to dig out the grass /soil so it's slightly lower and "taper" it back into the rest of the ground.

I presume making a soakaway etc isn't necessary but to be honest I could make all that stuff afterwards if it's nearer the grassed side.