Garden Patio Case Study
Episode 2: Sleepers on the Job

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In March 2006, the North West Paving Centre commissioned a team of specialists to lay the patio.

Working away in the winter weather wasn't easy - there was snow over much of the site, and there was another problem - the existing patio was at a much higher level than the 'grassy knoll' which garden owners John & Annabel hoped could become part of the new patio.

Fortunately, Building Manager Gavin Schute had an idea. Rather than go to the additional time and expense of building a wall, he suggested that giant railway sleepers be used to create area into which the hardcore for the grassy knoll part of the patio could be installed.

Not only did this idea work, it also meant the patio retained a gentle slope away from the house to ensure rain drained away to the garden side of the patio.

"Gavin's railway sleepers idea was just what we needed - and we preferred the look of them to walling anyway," commented John.

Hard core was delivered by crane and Gavin's team set about assembling the railway sleepers and setting the hardcore with concrete.

"The lawn looked like a building site - we were a bit worried that it might be affected by the amount of work going on and the mass of materials all over the place," explained Annabel.

She added: "Gavin's team were very careful though. They ensured that tarpualin was used to protect the lawn and, as we found out after the work had been completed, I needn't have worried - our garden looks as if nothing had happened!"