Garden Repavement.
Refresh, repair or rebuild?

The three options, plainly

1. Refresh — when the foundations are still sound

If the base of your patio is fine and only the surface looks tired, you don't need to rip it up. A refresh covers:

• Cleaning off algae, moss and lichen (low-pressure wash, sometimes a biocide on shaded sides)
• Re-jointing — re-sanding kiln-dried sand or re-pointing mortar lines
• Replacing a few cracked or stained slabs that broke the look
• Resealing if the material is porous and worth protecting

Done well, a refresh adds another five to ten years to a patio that wasn't actually broken — just dirty.

When it's enough: cosmetic decline only. Surface dirt, moss in the joints, a couple of stained or chipped slabs, no movement underfoot.

2. Repair — when sections have failed but most is still good

If part of the patio has dropped, lifted, or cracked along a line, you don't need to lose the rest of it. A section repair means:

• Lifting the failed area carefully
• Investigating what caused the failure (drainage, tree root, base settling)
• Fixing the underlying cause — not just relaying over the same problem
• Relaying that section on a corrected base, blending into the rest

When it's right: localised problems. One corner sinking, frost damage along one edge, a tree root lifting a single line, a section where outdoor furniture has hammered it down over years.

What we won't do is patch over the symptom without sorting the cause. If a corner has sunk because the base wasn't right, relaying the same slabs on the same bad base just gives you a tidy-looking patio that sinks again next winter.

3. Rebuild — when the foundations are gone

When the base under the paving has failed or was never right to begin with, no amount of slab-swapping fixes it. A rebuild means:

• Full takedown of the existing paving
• Excavation back to firm ground
• New sub-base (Type 1 hardcore, compacted in layers)
• Drainage installed or upgraded — fall away from the house, soak-away if needed
• Bedding layer and fresh paving laid properly

The result is another twenty-plus years out of the area — assuming the new work is done right. The new base is what does the work; the paving on top is just the finish.

When it's needed: multiple areas sinking at different rates, water pooling in the middle of the patio, slabs cracked along multiple lines, slabs that rock when you walk on them, a base that was clearly under-spec when laid.

How to tell which one you need

You can usually tell from a walk around the patio:

• Single slab cracked, all else flat and stable — refresh with a slab swap.
• Surface looks tired but everything's level — refresh only.
• One corner has dropped 20mm+ — repair that section.
• Middle of the patio holds water after rain — rebuild. The fall is wrong; cleaning won't fix that.
• Slabs rocking under your weight — the base is gone. Rebuild.
• Multiple areas sinking at different rates — rebuild. Spot repairs will keep failing.

Irish weather issues that catch people out

Frost heave. The Dublin winter freeze-thaw cycle pushes slabs upward, especially with poor drainage underneath. Common on patios laid before standards tightened — sand-only beds over loose soil were the norm for a long time and they don't survive twenty winters.

Tree roots. Silver birch, mature sycamore, even apple trees can lift paving over a decade. We can repair around healthy trees you want to keep. If the tree is the cause and you want it gone, that's a tree services job first, then paving second.

Drainage against the house wall. The most serious one — water pooling against the house is a structural risk, not just a patio issue. Damp can wick into walls. A rebuild with proper falls and a soak-away or gully is worth doing properly when you spot this.

Settling base. Older patios laid on sand over loose subsoil sink in heavy-traffic areas — typically under tables, BBQs, planters. Over a decade you'll see it.

Questions worth asking any landscaper

Before any contractor starts a repavement, ask these:

• "What's wrong with the base, not just the surface?"
• "Where does the water go after rain?"
• "How are you handling the fall away from the house?"
• "Will the new work blend with the existing area, or are you doing the whole patio?"
• "What's the workmanship guarantee?"

If the answers feel vague, it's worth getting a second opinion. Repavement is one of those jobs where the difference between a good crew and a bad one shows up two winters later, not on the day they finish.

What we won't do

• Patch over a known drainage problem to avoid digging
• Relay over a base we know is bad — we'd rather be honest about what's needed
• Full driveway installs (different specialism — refer to a driveway firm)
• Commercial-scale paving work

Common Questions

Can you reuse my old slabs?

Sometimes. If they lift cleanly and are still in good condition, yes. If they're cracked, stained, or have lost their finish, replacement is often the better call. We'll tell you straight during the site visit.

How long does a repavement take?

Refresh: a day or two. Section repair: 2–4 days. Full rebuild: typically a week or two depending on size and access.

Can it be done in winter?

Yes, but heavy frost or sustained rain slow things down — concrete and mortar don't set well in extreme cold or wet. We flag bad weather windows and rebook around them.

What about driveway paving?

Small driveway repairs as part of garden work, yes. Full driveway installs are a separate specialism — different traffic loads, gradients, edging — and we'd refer you to a driveway firm.

Will it drain properly?

Yes, drainage is part of the work. If existing drainage is what failed, we redesign it during the rebuild. We won't lay over a known drainage problem.

Related Services

• Paving — patios, garden pathways, steps and small driveway repairs.
• Garden Revival — when the patio is one part of a wider garden reset.
• Tree Services — tree removal when roots are the underlying cause.