Paving
Indian Sandstone Paving
Indian sandstone with a riven face grips well when wet, though in shady Merthyr Tydfil corners it will green over unless it is sealed and kept brushed.
Up at the head of the Taff valley, on the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons, Merthyr Tydfil gets more rain than the coast and colder nights than the towns further down. A patio here spends much of the year wet, and some winter mornings it is frosted as well. So the first questions we ask about any paving in Merthyr Tydfil are practical ones: will it grip underfoot, where will the water go, and will it survive repeated freezing and thawing?
Get those right and a patio becomes the most useful part of the garden, somewhere dry to step out onto even when the lawn is sodden. Tony and the team lay patio slabbing and paving across the town, from terraced back gardens on the valley sides to the newer estates. Advice and quotes are free, so send us a message to arrange a visit.
How each of our six materials copes with the wet, the cold and the shade of an upland valley garden.
Indian sandstone with a riven face grips well when wet, though in shady Merthyr Tydfil corners it will green over unless it is sealed and kept brushed.
Textured outdoor porcelain absorbs almost no water, so it copes with frost and resists algae, which makes it a strong choice for a damp Merthyr Tydfil garden if you pick an anti-slip finish.
Natural stone with a rough, split surface gives sure footing on steps and slopes, and suits older Merthyr Tydfil terraces with stone walls already in the garden.
Limestone looks smart, but smoother finishes can be slick in constant rain, so in Merthyr Tydfil we usually suggest a textured or tumbled version and keep it to sunnier spots.
Granite is dense and very hard, so it stands up to frost well, and flamed granite gives a grippy surface for steps that are used in all weathers.
Block paving for a Merthyr Tydfil drive or path can be laid in a permeable form, letting heavy rain soak away through the joints instead of racing down the slope.
On a wet upland site every square metre of paving is a small roof, collecting rain and sending it somewhere. If that somewhere is the back wall of the house, a neighbour’s garden or a low corner with nowhere to drain, you will soon know about it. We decide where the water will end up before we decide on slabs.
Usually that means a steady fall across the patio towards a planted border, a gravel strip or a channel drain, with the paving kept well below the damp course. On heavy ground a soakaway may not work, so we look at the soil on the visit. Our Merthyr Tydfil article on garden drainage solutions goes further into the options.
Slippery paving is the complaint we hear most about older patios in Merthyr Tydfil. Smooth slabs, a north-facing aspect and months of damp let algae build up until the back step feels like ice even when it is not freezing. Choosing a textured surface helps, and so does letting the patio catch whatever sun the garden gets.
Frost is the other enemy. Water that gets into weak joints or a poor base freezes, expands and slowly loosens the slabs. We bed every slab fully on mortar and point the joints properly so there are no hollows for water to collect. Read paving that stays safe in wet Merthyr Tydfil winters and our national guide on how a patio should be laid for the detail.
What T J Landscapes brings to a Merthyr Tydfil paving job.
We work out where every drop of rain goes before choosing materials.
Textured slabs and properly built steps for a garden that is often wet.
Full mortar beds and sound joints so water has nowhere to freeze and lift the slabs.
Tony and the team give free, honest advice on what will last in your garden.
Plenty of Merthyr Tydfil terraces sit on steep ground, and a patio there means cutting into the hill or building a retaining wall to hold a level platform. That work has to be planned with drainage behind the wall, so rain coming down the slope has a way out. Our guide to terracing a steep Merthyr Tydfil garden covers the layouts, and brickwork in Merthyr Tydfil covers the walls.
On the newer estates the ground is often flatter but heavier, and the same rules about falls and a deep base still apply. For a lawn beside the new patio, see turf laying in Merthyr Tydfil.
Real reviews from homeowners across Merthyr Tydfil — 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 Merthyr Tydfil 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.
Textured porcelain, riven sandstone, split natural stone and flamed granite all give good grip in the wet. Smooth or polished finishes are the ones to avoid outdoors in Merthyr Tydfil, especially on steps or in shade.
Give it as much sun and air as the garden allows, brush it regularly, keep gutters and overhanging plants from dripping on it, and clean off algae when it starts. Our patio care guide has a simple routine.
Mortar should not be laid in freezing conditions, so we plan around cold spells. In Merthyr Tydfil that can mean the odd day moved in winter, but paving work can go ahead through most of the year.
Sealing is not essential, but in a shady, damp Merthyr Tydfil garden a good impregnating sealer can slow down staining and the build-up of green growth on sandstone. It needs renewing every few years. Porcelain and granite do not need sealing at all, which is one reason people up here choose them.
The size, the slope and any retaining walls, drainage needs, access to the back garden, the waste to remove and the material chosen. We explain each one in a free quote, and our Merthyr Tydfil landscaping page covers the wider garden.
Tell us about the garden, the slope and any wet spots, and we will arrange a free visit.