Patio... where do I start laying slabs ??.

[trowelandhawk]

My patio is nearly ready to start laying slabs on. I have to finish scraping back a few high spots and then whacker plate it down and then put some mot down then whack it again. The front wall is parallel to the house but rear wall and sides are parallel to the fences, creating the angles.
The front slabs will have 80mm holes cut for uplights very 4ft or so and cable has been laid and ready for this.
Quite simply where would I lay the first slabs and go from there ??.
Many thanks in advance.

 

[footprints]

Only my opinion, but I would arrange a full slab to run down the door side of the shed base and start that run from the edge of the plot leaving cut slabs at the raised wall end and the plain side of the shed.

 

[jasonzyx]

You don't want silly little pieces along the edges. Ideally the edge pieces would be of similar size.
Mark the center of the section, both ways. lay some temporary slabs in all four directions along those center lines to identify the best layout.
Then once the layout is determined, start along those center lines, working outwards.
You could have the center of the slabs lying along the center line, but I'd aim for an edge to lay along each center line.

 

[trowelandhawk]

By the sound of it, do a dry run am I right ?.

 

[jasonzyx]

Only for the center line of slabs (in both directions) to ascertain where your edge slabs will fall to avoid slithers of slabs along the edges.
Once the overall layout can be ascertained, you can adjust your 'center lines', if need be, to achieve the best aesthetic effect.

 

[trowelandhawk]

Thankyou people.... once again a helpful result. I will post the results(standby for a happy or painful post !.)
Now gotta suss out how I’m gonna ge the recessed walkover lights in the edge slabs. The swa has been run so I have to do it now

 

[jasonzyx]

Use a core drill, in a suitable large piece of slab, you don't want the hole too near the edge of the slab.
Possibly position a flower pot of suitable size under the hole to accommodate the light.

 

[trowelandhawk]

Thankyou mate. Much appreciated. Just spent the last few evenings lugging up 170 450x450 slabs. Only 100 more to go now !.

 

[footprints]

I bought a slab lifter just a cheap siverline one from Amazon sooo easy to place slabs flat without dipping one corner on the base and messing up the base!

 

[trowelandhawk]

we’ll, that’s a third of the patio covered with MOt. I’ll crack on again in the morning !.