Paving
Indian Sandstone Paving
Indian sandstone is a popular like-for-like upgrade on a Cwmbran estate, replacing flat grey slabs with warmer colour and texture without looking out of place next door.
Cwmbran was laid out as a new town after the Second World War, and plenty of its gardens still carry the original paving: a narrow row of grey slabs by the back door and a concrete path round the side. After decades of use those slabs have usually cracked, tipped or turned green, and they were never big enough for a family table in the first place.
Most of the patio paving we lay in Cwmbran is about fixing that. A wider, properly drained patio at the back, a new path, and often a paved parking space at the front where an open-plan lawn used to be. We are just up the road in Pontypool, so a free visit and quote is easy to arrange. Get in touch and tell us what you are after.
Estate semis, town centre flats with small yards and the older village houses all suit different finishes. This is how each of our six materials usually fits in Cwmbran.
Indian sandstone is a popular like-for-like upgrade on a Cwmbran estate, replacing flat grey slabs with warmer colour and texture without looking out of place next door.
Many Cwmbran families choose porcelain for the back patio because it cleans easily after barbecues, muddy boots and spilled drinks, and suits the cleaner lines of a refurbished house.
In the older villages absorbed into Cwmbran, natural stone paving matches the stone cottages and chapels far better than a modern slab.
Limestone gives a quiet, even finish that works on a small modern Cwmbran garden where you want the paving to feel calm rather than busy.
Granite setts and slabs make hard-wearing edging, steps and paths, and a granite border can smarten a new front drive.
Block paving is the usual answer when a Cwmbran household wants to park off the road, and permeable blocks can help rainwater soak away instead of running onto the pavement.
The new town planners gave many Cwmbran homes an open front lawn running straight to the pavement. Now that most households have more than one car, that lawn is often the first thing people want paved. It can be done neatly, but there are rules to check before any digging starts.
We are landscapers rather than planners, so we point you to the council for the final word. Our Cwmbran guide to adding off-road parking to a front garden and the block paving driveway checklist go further.
Behind a typical Cwmbran semi the garden is a fenced rectangle, fairly flat, with a small slab area and a lawn. That makes it straightforward to extend the patio. The question is how far. We usually suggest sizing the paving around a real table with chairs pulled out, plus space to walk round them, then leaving enough lawn for children to play on.
Ideas that work well on these plots include a patio stretched the full width of the house, a second paved spot at the end of the garden that catches the evening sun, and a path linking the two so nobody walks across wet grass. There are more ideas in our patio extension ideas for Cwmbran semis article. If the fences around the garden are also tired, we can replace the Cwmbran fencing at the same time, and new turf can finish the job.
What you get when T J Landscapes lays your paving.
We work from Pontypool, next door to Cwmbran, so visits and deliveries are easy to fit in.
One team for the back patio, the paths and the parking space, so the materials and levels match.
We flag dropped kerb and drainage questions early and tell you to check with the council.
Lifting, digging out and removing the tired estate slabs is part of the job, not left for you.
Old estate paving was often laid on sand or a few spots of mortar over whatever was there. Lifting it tends to reveal thin bases, roots and old rubble. We take all of that away, dig down to firm ground and put in a compacted crushed stone base before anything new goes down. The new slabs sit on a full mortar bed with a gentle fall away from the back door.
That preparation is the part you never see, and it is why a new Cwmbran patio should stay level rather than following the old one into dips and puddles. Our guide on how a patio should be laid covers the layers, and choosing between porcelain, sandstone and concrete helps with the surface.
Real reviews from homeowners across Cwmbran — rated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 69 reviews and 10/10 on Checkatrade.
“Had my patio done by the company and could not be happier. Top quality work done and quickly too.”
“I was pleased to find Tony and his lads were absolutely great! Tony responded quickly & was very polite.”
“We were delighted with the work and materials, which were of very high quality. Tony and team helped us.”
Local and practical guides to help you plan the work.
One team for the whole garden, so a single visit can price everything you have in mind.
We cover Cwmbran and the towns around it. Choose another area below.
T J Landscapes South Wales
24 Conway Road, Pontypool
Torfaen, NP4 6HL
We cover homes right across South Wales, from Cardiff and the coast up to the valleys and the Brecon Beacons.
Yes, and it is one of the jobs we are asked about most in Cwmbran. We can extend the existing paving if it is sound, but old estate slabs often have a weak base, so relaying the whole area is usually the better choice. We will say which after a free look.
It depends on the size, the surface and where the rainwater goes, and a dropped kerb usually needs the council’s agreement too. Rules can change, so please check with Torfaen council before you commit. We can design the paving so water drains into the garden rather than onto the road.
The area, the material, how much old paving and soil has to come out, the depth of base needed, drainage and edging. A drive needs a deeper base than a patio. Everything is itemised in a free quote.
Usually a thin or soft base, a leaking drain or old soil settling under the slabs. Patching the corner rarely lasts if the cause is still there. Our article on why patios sink, crack or lift explains the common faults, and we can look at yours for free.
Regular sweeping, clear drains and an occasional gentle wash will do most of it. Our guide to cleaning and looking after a new patio has more, and our Cwmbran landscaping page covers the rest of the garden.
Tell us whether it is the back patio, the front drive or both, and we will arrange a free visit.