Don’t always believe the builder!

Alison has finally persuaded me to venture into the blog-o-sphere and publish my first blog post.  Let’s just say this is seriously outside my comfort zone!

I’m John Hill, and head up ALDA’s garden construction team – I & my team are responsible for constructing all the gardens you see featured here on the ALDA website.

Here’s the story.

Builders are not always aware of the choices available to clients when it comes to the hard landscaping. As a result, builders have in the past advised our clients incorrectly.

A case in point was a client whose design plan was to make the most of her new extension by creating the outside patio flush with the floor where it leads to bifolding doors.

Her builder said that the only option was to go for decking, and that it was not possible to build above the damp course.

Patios, Damp Proofing & Drainage

Actually, it is entirely possible to build a patio above the level of the damp course.

With the correct approach -damp proofing the house wall, and installing proper drainage -building a patio that reaches right up to the threshold of the door is indeed a feasible option.

This means that the client has a choice of various finishes in terms of the patio floor surface – black slate, Indian sandstone, limestone, concrete etc etc.

And the moral of the story…

Don’t always believe the builder!  Or rather, in all seriousness, always ask the right expert for the problem in hand – if you’re thinking about redesigning your patio, ask a landscaper not a builder.

Bonus moral to the story?  If you try hard enough, you might just get a garden construction expert to write a blog post.  Maybe.

Until next time…