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Uses&Types HowtoLay
Sizes&Coverage LayingRiven
Patterns&Designs LayingDriveways
Maintenance CelticKnotCircle
Pros&Cons
PlainFlags
PriceGuide
PatioFlags
XSectionDrawing
StonePaving
CrazyPaving
DIYPatios

BeddingMaterials
LayingPatterns
RandomLayouts
Pointing

Specification
BritishStandards

Screeding
Cutting
Mortars

Uses and Types

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Terminology
Anotherexampleofregionalterminology.InNWEngland,theyarereferredtoas'Flags',inother
partstheyareknownas'Slabs'.Bothtermsrefertoexactlythesameitem,thatis,sectionsof
precastconcrete,normallyrectangularinplanbutalsoavailableinothergeometricshapes.The
term'flag'willbeusedintheremainderofthispage,whichdealswiththoseflagsdesignedtobe
usedforlightweightapplications,suchaspatios,gardenpathsandthelike.

Thethicker,heavier,strongerBSflags usedforpublicareasandfootpathsaredealtwithona
separatepage,asarestoneflags andthevariousmethodsoflaying .Thereisalsoa
separatepagewhichconsidersflagsusedforpavingdriveways .

Types and Groups of Flags/Slabs

Therearethreetypesofmaterialscommonlyusedforpatioflags:

WetcastConcrete
HydraulicallyPressedConcrete
NaturalStone

Followthelinksforfurtherexpanationofeachtype.

Thereareprosandconstoeach,butbetweenthem,theyprovidesuchaphenomenallywide
rangeofchoicethatit'salmostimpossiblenottofindsomethingthatappeals!

Aswillbeexplainedbelow,patioflagscanbecategorisedintothreemaingroupsRiven,
TexturedorDecorative.Theprinciplesinvolvedinlayingeachtypearebasicallythesame,
althoughtheexactnatureoftheflagwilldeterminehowtheymaybejointed,mortarpointing ,
polymericjointing ordrysandjointing beingthemostpopularmethods.

Widelyusedforpathsandpatios,theseflagsaredesignedtobe'different',butattractive,and
whenchosencorrectly,willenhanceanytypeorageofproperty.Manyarenotsuitablefor
vehiculartrafficalthoughsomeofthebetterqualityproductswillbesatisfactorywhenlaidona
fullconcretebed .

RiveneffectPaving

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Riveneffectisthenamegiventothosepatio
flagsmanufacturedfromcastconcretethat
mimictheappearanceofthetraditionalold
stoneflags.Thereisavastrangeavailable,and
anequallymassiverangeofqualitytosuit,from
cheap'n'cheerful99pbudgetflagssoldbythe
DIYchains,totopquality,highlyaccurate
copiesthatcaneasilypassasgenuinestoneto
theuntrainedeye.Thebetterqualityranges
comeinawideselectionofplansizestoenable
traditionalrandomlayoutstobelaidreferto
RandomLayouts pageformoreinformation.

Whilethebudgetflags,suchas
theseshownopposite,have
theiruses,theyreallyaren't
veryauthentic.Theyareoften
knockedoutbytheDIYsheds
withamazingclaimsthat"you
toocanbuildthisstunning
patioforunder100".Ifyou're
lookingforrealism,you're
goingtohavetopayalot
more!

Generallyspeaking,yougetwhatyoupayfor
withalloftheserivenflags.The
cheap'n'cheerfulusuallyhavealowcement
content,areworryinglythin,downto20mmin
someexamples,andwithpoordyesthatfadein
UVlight.Theyalsotendtocomeinjustonesize,
450x450mm.

Thequalityproductsfromthebigmanufacturers
tendtohavebetterdyes,ahighercement

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content,andaregenerallythatbitthicker.To
emphasisethequality,theyusuallycomeina
widerrangeofsizes,oftenbasedona150mm
module,sopatternformulationisfairly
straightforward.

Manyrivenflagscomeinarangeofmodularsizes

Givesomethoughttothesurfaceoftheseflags.Whilesome
haveareasonablysmoothfinish,othersareexceptionally
'bumpy',makingthemdifficultforthoseunsteadyontheirfeet,
youngchildreninpedalcarsandthelike,and,insomecases,it
canbealmostimpossibletostopthepatiotablefromrocking.

Obviously,theaestheticswilloftendrivethechoiceof
flagstone,andwhileheavilytexturedriveneffectpavingmight
seemtobetheidealchoiceforacountrycottage,theamenity
oruseabilityoftheflagsshouldbeconsidered.BackinYeOlden
Dayesthepropertyownersdidn'tchooseroughtextured
flagstonesbecausetheylookedpretty:theywerechosen
becausetherewasnothingelse!
Roughrivensurfaceonmidpricepatio
flag

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450mmflagsinchequerboardpattern Realorcopy?
Circlefeaturewithcornerinfills

Mostrivenflagsrequiremortarjoints drysandjoints willnotholdtheminplace,asthe

unevenedgesoftheseunitsleadstovariablejointwidths,nearlyalwaysinexcessof10mm.

Someofthecheaperunitshave
'square'edges(arisses)thatare
smoothandobviouslymanufactured,
whereasthemoreexpensivetypes
tendtohave'fettled'edges,thatis,
theedgeshavetheroughriven
appearanceofthesurface.

Fettlededges Squareedges

Ifyouareplanningtousethistypeofflaginasituationwheretheedge(s)maybeexposed,such
asthetreadsforsteps ,thenmakesureyouarehappywiththeappearanceoftheedgebefore
buying.

TexturedPaving
Texturedflagsarethosewithasurfacethathasbeenalteredinsomeway.Theseincludea
coarsetexturedfinish,thesmoothgroundorpolishedtypes,andtheexposedaggregateranges.
Mostofthesetypesofflagsaremanufacturedbywetpressmethods,ratherthancastingina
mouldastherivensanddecorativestendtobe,andwegenerallyfindthemtobesomewhat
stronger.

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Thereisagoodrangeofshapes,sizesandcolours
availabletosuiteveryapplication.Theexposed
aggregateflagscanlookstunningwhenused
sympatheticallywiththeimmediatearea,andthe
smoothgroundtypesareourpersonalfavourite.Wefind
thatthecoarsetexturedflagsveryrapidlybecomea
havenformossesandlichensinuntrafficked,shady
spotsalthoughtheysometimescanbesuccessfully
cleanedwithapowerwasher ,ifthejointingissound
andthepavingiscompetentandintact.

Wefindthatdrysand/cementjointing usuallyhaslimitedsuccesswiththesetypesofflagsif
theyarelaidclosejointedwithnomortar.Althoughitminimisestheriskofstaining,some
clientspreferthemoretraditionalmortarjoints .

Coarsetextured SmoothPolished Exposedaggregate

DecorativePaving
Decorativesincludesalltheotherflagsthatdon'tfitintoone
oftheabovecategories.Thereareflagsmimickingcobbles,
setts,oldbricksandevenwoodendeckingandrailway
sleepers,aswellasflagsmakingaprettypoorattemptto
looklikeblockpaving,andsomereallyatrociousstuffwith

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leavesorcheesywildlifeimagesstampedintothesurface,
generallysoldtothegullibleviagardencentres.

Stablepavers

Thereisavastrangeavailable,althoughsomeproductsarespecifictolocalmanufacturers,and
thelargerBuilder'sMerchantstendonlytostocktheproductsofthebig,nationalmanufacturers.
Onceagain,itseemsfairtosaythatyougenerallygetwhatyoupayfor.Somewillbesoft'fence
post'concrete,whileothersarequalityproducts.Attheendoftheday,it'samatterofpersonal
taste.Itisyouthathastolivewiththechosenflag,notthecontractor.

Imitationsetts/cobbles OldeBrickes Deckinglikewhy?

Sizes and Coverage

Thereisamassiverangeofsizesavailable.Thecommonestsize
forpatioflagsis450x450x35mm,althoughsmallerandlarger
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examplesareavailable,enablingcomplexorrandomlooking
patternstobecreated.Therearealsoradialunits,usedtoform
circlesandarcs,alongwithhexagons,trapezoidsandumpteen
othergeometricshapes.

Someofthepatioflagsonthemarketareavailableinthicker
sizes,50and65/70mmthickunits,whichenablesachosenpaving
looktobeextendedbeyondthegarden/patiotodrivewayuse.The
typical450x450x35mmflag,ataround20Kg,ismoresuitedto
handlingbythehomehandyman,thanthecommonlyavailable
50mmthickflags.

Nr. approx.
Area
Dimensions per weight
(m)
(mm) m (Kg)

900x600x50(BSSizeD50) 0.54 1.85 64

750x600x50(BSSizeC50) 0.45 2.22 53

600x600x50(BSSizeB50) 0.36 2.78 43

450x600x35 0.27 3.7 23

300x600x35 0.18 5.56 15

300x300x35 0.09 11.1 8

450x450x35 0.20 4.94 20

400mmflatedgex35mmhexagonal 0.14 7.2 11

200x100x50mmConcreteBlockPavers 0.02 50 2.3

Coverageratesandapproximateweights

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Patterns and Designs

Therearemanytechniquestomaketheseflagslookevenmoreglamorous.Theycanbe
combinedwithpavingbrickstocreatebordersorpanelsofcontrast(seedrawings)andtheyare
availableinavarietyofcolours,ofwhichwefindtheredsandbuffstobethemostuseful,other
colourstendingtolookwishywashyafterafewseasonsoutintheBritishorIrishclimate.

Themodularsizeoftheflagsandblocksallowsalmostinfinitedesignpossibilities,afewof
whichareshownbelow.PlayaroundwithgraphpaperoraCADsystemtocreateadesignthat
suitsyourapplication,orhelpyourselftooneofourdesignsbelow,andtailorittoyourneeds.

450x450mm
flagslaidin
stretcher
bond
pattern
with,onthe
left,aolde
450x450mmflagslaidinachequerboard worlde
patternwith,onthelefta200mmwide blockpaver
blockpaveredging,andontheright,a edging,and
100mmwideblockpaveredging. ontheright,
a160mm
wideedging
formedfrom
2rowsof
80x80mm
clay
cobbles.

450x450mmflagslaidina3.0x3.0m Arandom
chequerboardpatternwitha2.4m layout
diametercircularfeature. created
from5
different
sizesof
flags.This
pattern
looksbest
whenused
withriven
typepaving.

Click
here for
other
random
patterns

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suitablefor
rivenpaving

Diamond
pattern
created
using
Sweepsandcurvescreatedusingradial 450x450mm
sections,inabackgroundpanelof400mm flagswith
hexagonswithfloralmotif 100mm
widebrick
edging
between
eachflag.

ReadmoreaboutFlagstoneLayingPatterns

Maintenance
Mediumlevelmaintenancerequiredoncelaid.Sweepoccasionallytoremovedustand
detritus.

Ifyoufindgreenalgaebuildinguponthem,itcanberemovedusingbleach ,or,weare
told,byswillingtheareawithJeyes'Fluidtokillthealgae,whichcanthenbesweptaway
afteracoupleofdays.Thisproblemwithalgalbuildupseemstoparticularlyaffectthe
coarsetexturedtypeofflag.Usingapressurewasher shouldbealastresort.

Mortarpointingseemspronetocrackingandvegetationitcanbecutoutandrepointedif
required.Someoftheflagsavailablearebettersuitedtodryjointing .

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Pros and Cons

Vastrangeofprices,fromverycheaptoquiteexpensive.LargeDIYchainsoftensell
450x450mmflagsfor99pincludingVAT,whiletheverybestrivencopiescancost46forthat
sizeofflag.

VeryeasytoobtainastheyarecarriedbymostBuildersMerchants.Mostmanufacturerspublish
freebrochuresdetailingtherangetheysupply.Askyourlocalbuildersmerchantforacopy,or
checkouttheLinks pagefordetailsonthelargermanufacturersandhowtocontactthem.If
youseeadecorativeflagatagardencentre,trytofindthenameoftheflagandits
manufacturer,andgetabuildersmerchanttoquoteyouapricetheyareoftenupto20%
cheaperthangardencentres!

IncreasinglysoldasProjectorPatioPacks

Mustbeproperlydrainedtogulliesorothersuitabledrainagepoints.

Price Guide
Thesepricesareforguidanceonly.DuetothewidevariationinpricesacrossBritainandIreland,
youshouldconsultlocalsuppliers.Thepricesstatedaretoconstructa30mresidentialpatioin
variousflagtypes.Theguidepriceincludesskipstoremoveexcavatedmaterial,beddingsand,
flagsasdescribedandmortartopointthejoints.AllpricesincludeVATatUKrate.

Pricefor Equivalent
TypeofPaving Supply&Fix Rateperm MaterialsOnly
450x450mmunit priceperm

'Budget'pricedflags 1.20 6 1,670.00 55.60 640

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Midpricerangeflags 4.00 20 2,200 73.50 1,100

Upperpricerangeflags 7.50 32 2,900 97 1,660

IndianSandstoneflags 4.75 24 2,350 78.50 1,200

LastupdatedJune2011

Clickhere toopentheExcelspreadsheetusedtocalculatetheabovepricesforresidential
patiopavingprojects.

Price Checker
Useoneofthehandycalculatorsbelowtocalculatethecostpersquaremetre/yardtobuyany
patioflag.Simplyentertheflagdimensions,thepriceperflagandpressthebuttontofindthecost
perunitarea.

Clickhere Clickhere
toopenPrice toopenPrice
Calculatorforuse Calculatorforuse
OtherCalculators withimperialflags withmetricflags

Construction Diagram

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Other Flags/Slabs pages on this site

NaturalStonePaving
Imported/IndianSandstone
CalibratedPaving
ProjectPacks
SlatePaving
BlackLimestone

LayingFlags
Techniquesforflagsatafreeedge

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LayingRivenFlags
Rigidlayingofflagstonesforstreetscapes
FlaggedDriveways

CalibratedPaving
ProjectPacks

PreCastConcreteFlags
PatioPaving
CrazyPaving

BeddingMaterials
JointingStonePavements
Pointing

CuttingFlags
LayingPatterns
CreatingRandomLayouts
CustomRandomLayouts
CreatingRegularJointsWidthsinRandomLayouts

Tools

WrittenSpecificationforBSFlags
BritishStandardsforFlags

Inquiry For Concrete

Concrete Batch Plant? Contact
Batching Plant NFLG Now

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