Planning a paving stone patio in Montreal

A paving stone patio carries far less load than a driveway, but it goes through exactly the same freeze-thaw cycle. That is why a patio laid on a few centimetres of sand eventually ripples, while one built on a compacted granular base stays flat season after season.

Start from how you will actually use it

Before choosing a paver, it is worth settling what the patio has to hold. A dining table and chairs need a more even surface than a lounge corner, because a table that rocks is noticed immediately. A hot tub or a fire feature changes things again, since both concentrate real weight on one spot.

• How many people you need to seat comfortably.
• Where a table, hot tub or fire feature will sit.
• How it meets the patio door and the threshold of the house.
• The path through to the yard, shed or pool.

Slope is not optional

A patio always has to fall away from the foundation. A perfectly flat surface holds water against the wall of the house, which is exactly the situation to avoid in Quebec. A gentle slope, invisible to the eye, is enough to move rain and meltwater out toward the lawn or a drainage point.

It is also why a well-built patio dries quickly after a downpour while another holds puddles for two days.

Edge restraints

This is the part you see least and the one that explains most patios coming apart. Without a restraint, the perimeter pavers creep outward, joints open, jointing sand escapes, and the movement works its way toward the middle of the surface. A properly anchored edge keeps the whole assembly tight and makes the real difference over time.

Finishing the joints

Polymeric sand goes in at the end of the job, on a dry surface, then gets compacted and activated with water. Done properly it locks the pavers together, limits weeds and stands up to both a broom and a hose. Done badly it leaves a white haze on the stone or never fully sets.

Meeting the house and the yard

A patio has to tie in cleanly with what surrounds it. The patio door threshold sets a maximum height, and clearance below it has to be preserved so snow and water do not pile against the door. On the yard side, the surface should meet the lawn without creating an abrupt step or a lip that traps water.

These junctions are often where both the perceived quality of the work and the real durability of the whole thing are decided.

Frequently asked questions