Browse our Marshalls and Stonemarket garden paving range Quarrying, stone cutting and slab manufacturing technology means we can all now buy large smooth paving slabs to create the clean, cool landscaping which complements our contemporary home design. But, we hear you ask, does this look have to cost the earth? If you want a contemporary look to your garden, the Turnbull team can recommend some cheaper patio slab options which will save you £10-15 a metre and hundreds of pounds on a typical patio installation measuring 6 x 4 metres.  We chat to our savvy customers when we are processing orders and deliveries.  They tell us about their projects, and the slabs we feature below have all been used very...

Introducing some exceptionally beautiful garden paving and some cheap patio slabs that’ll get you the look for less! If you are planning your dream garden makeover this season, you’ll be spending some time selecting your garden paving. Looks, colour ranges and textures, as well as durability, really matter, don’t they? A unique paving slab is a great way to bring quality and individuality to your garden design. And like every other design decision we make for our homes, we want something that suits both our budget and personal style. There’s nothing worse than paying for labour, upheaval, and site preparation to be disappointed at the final installation because  the slabs don’t quite have the finish or shade you want. So...

Our top tip: read your manufacturer's paving installation guide. You’ve chosen your paving, sorted your design and layout, and it’s now delivered and waiting for installation. If you haven’t done so already, this is definitely the point you need to check with your paving manufacturer’s recommendations for installation - well, tbh, these are essential if you want your paving to look good and stay fit for purpose. If you’ve booked a landscaper and he’s not interested in reading the technical specifications and guidance, has always done it ‘his way’, then alarm bells should be ringing. Every one of our Marshalls and Stonemarket paving and walling products comes with an installation guide. These guides often run to 3 or 4 pages. Their pics...

Garden paving made by UK companies with you in mind While natural stone always delivers looks and quality, many homeowners have wised up to the wide choice of concrete garden paving products manufactured in the UK. Product development is pretty impressive these days and you’ll find choice of colour and texture in all price ranges. Paving colour charts Marshalls create useful colour charts for their paving products, so you can compare slabs with the same ‘look’. They’ve also grouped them to show similar textures with handy thumbnail images for close comparison. You’ll find these in their latest brochure - free on request and a great resource for helping you choose your paving slab. Or try out their latest Inspire Me...

The Turnbull team help you get up to speed with the professionals with this handy guide. So what’s the deal about Indian sandstone? Well, valued for its quality and pale beauty, sandstone from Rajasthan, India, has been quarried for centuries. The Mughul princes created palaces and beautiful gardens offering enchanting fountains and cool arbours. Visit them today and you’ll see paths and terraces made of glistening sandstone slabs. 'These are the gardens of Eden: enter them to dwell therein eternally' It’s hard not to agree, looking at images of these elegant terraces, which explains why, 25-30 years ago, UK paving manufacturers began to explore ways of obtaining Indian sandstone for garden paving as an alternative to our native sandstone, natural...

Some homeowners don't want to pay out for garden maintenance and design A recent report by AXA Insurance  said that ‘the public underestimates the cost and value of landscape and garden work, and is unwilling to pay a fair rate’. That's a bit surprising when AXA also confirmed that the general public believes a well-kept garden adds about £2K to the value of a home. If the above statistic isn't a good argument for spending out on your garden, here’s what the experts at the Landscape Institute said about the value of good garden design and landscaping. ‘Landscape is a good investment’ Hard-nosed business brains at The Economist Intelligence Unit say it makes sound economic sense to invest in our gardens and...

Slate is still the nation's favourite natural stone paving Wander through the grounds of some of our fabulous historic houses and you can’t fail to notice how slate has been used by architects and garden designers over the centuries.  Slate paving slabs, slate walling, slate terraces and steps - this natural stone brings a rich colour palette to any landscape.  Many of the squares and pavements surrounding some of our most loved historic buildings are, of course, made of slate. Today's homeowners are no different - slate remains a top choice for garden paths and patios. Why choose natural slate? Natural slate makes great garden patio slabs because it’s beautiful and incredibly tough.  Slate paving needs no maintenance and its...

The Turnbull Paving Team answer some technical FAQs to give you peace of mind when buying Indian sandstone. Turnbull sells high quality sandstone paving produced by Marshalls and we’re confident our customers are getting a great product. But don’t just take our word for it! What does the Marshalls ‘Stone Standard Exceeded’ logo mean? All stone supplied by Marshalls exceeds the base technical levels set by British Standards for stone paving products.  So, when you see ‘Stone Standard Exceeded’ logo on a Marshalls product, you know you’re getting paving, walling or driveway blocks that are technically superior and of the highest quality. You won’t find sub-standard sandstone on sale on our website! What is the Marshalls Stone Standard? Marshalls have...

Your patio is the social hub and focal point of your garden and so you’ll want to get its design just right before you spend your cash! The fun bit is, of course, choosing your garden paving, deciding whether to keep to gorgeous traditional riven natural stone flags or to go for new generation vitrified paving slabs in exciting colours and finishes. But before you start looking, here are a few tips we think you’ll find useful:         Garden designers always advise that your patio should be in proportion to your house. You don’t want it to dominate your garden, or to look mean and measly!   A good rule of thumb is to make sure  the patio...

Once you start looking for patio paving, you’ll realise the choice of colours, finishes and patterns are enormous. And design varies as much as price. Like many things in life, you get what you pay for, so super-cheap options might mean low concrete content and lack of strength, or unstable fast-fading colour dyes or inadequate thickness. Whether you’re planning to do it yourself or not, you’ll want something that will last, look good and be an asset to your property. And when you’re adding it all up, remember only 20% of the cost will be paving - a whopping 80% goes on labour and installation. Paying a bit more for the right product will not make a massive difference to...

Many of us in the United Kingdom live in areas that are at risk of flooding. The damage caused by floods has been well documented by the media. The Government reports that we must prepare for further flooding. There’s plenty of information online to help you prepare for a flood. One long-term solution, used extensively in other flood-prone countries, is permeable paving. Your house — and paving system, in particular — may not be as resilient as you think. Permeable paving reduces the risks of flooding by enabling water to drain away in a controlled manner. An Introduction to Permeable Paving Permeable paving is a fairly recent development. While countries like Japan and the US are familiar with the benefits...

Marshalls Paving? Garden Walling? Discover the Garden Trends of 2017 It’s been a hectic year, with significant changes taking place all over the globe. We’re predicting more change in 2017, as design trends make their annual transformation. Your garden paving and landscaping are not exempt, with a host of exciting new trends promising to sweep through your garden. So what can you expect to see in the new year? Turnbull is here with a few predictions about the changes that will affect your backyard retreat. Eco-Friendly Garden Paving and Landscaping With environmental issues high on the public agenda, the garden will become a space to earn your green credentials. The rate of home-grown fruit and vegetables will rise, as consumers...

So many garden slabs, so much choice! Choosing the right paving for your dream garden really matters - you're going to live with it for a long time.  A well-designed and installed garden patio can transform a dull outdoor space into a relaxing place that's a joy to look at and to use. We’ve previously compared the advantages of paving with natural stone or concrete, and we’ve also looked at the best Marshalls paving for your home. However, choosing the right garden paving for your garden patio is a challenge as there is so much choice in different price ranges. Here are some design pointers to help generate ideas for your next project: Think about your garden paving will be used...

Outdoor living spaces are becoming a top priority for renovators and home buyers alike. Gardens can have a dramatic impact on the value of your home and that’s why sellers are investing in new garden paving, installing or upgrading existing patios as well as thinking about the kerb appeal of their front garden . Houses for sale with appealing outdoor space go at premium prices.  A well-designed patio or an inviting garden path to a carefully placed arbour are not just bonuses for you; they will impress potential buyers. Here's how to upgrade your garden, increase the value of your home and secure a sale!   Use garden walling to create order out of chaos  A neglected garden is uninviting...

Yes! Selling Marshalls paving slabs for 25 years! We have now been working with Marshalls for over 25 years, selling their entire range, and so we thought it only right that we share some of our extensive knowledge with you and fill you in on some of the amazing Marshalls paving slabs out there. Paving your outdoor space is becoming increasingly popular and not without good reason. Hard landscaping can have a hugely positive impact on your home. Not only do paving or blocks give your garden or driveway a more organised and clean look, but they also add quality, character and value. We sure you'll want to know just what's available and which paving will suit you and your project. So...

Paving problems avoided and year round maintenance advice courtesy of the Turnbull Paving Team A smart cleaning routine It’s worth having a good yearly maintenance routine for your driveway or paving area – keep a close eye on these areas and they’ll remain an asset to your property, staying attractive and welcoming. Good maintenance keeps the problems away and prolongs the life of paving. You’ll save money in the long run. Spring clean Marshalls and Stonemarket recommend giving your paving the first clean of the year in the spring to remove any build-up of algae, moss, dirt and debris that can happen over the winter months. This is also a good time to check that the joints are still filled, especially...

There’s nothing more satisfying than giving your driveway or garden paving a new lease of life with a good cleaning! First, sweep with a good stiff brush to remove all the dirt and debris that collects at any time of the year. Cleaning with a jet washer Cleaning your paving with a jet washer can be very effective, but we recommend testing the jet on an inconspicuous area of your paving – some power washers can be pretty fierce and can cause surface damage.  Use on a low to medium setting and keep the angle of the spray quite shallow. Try not to direct the spray down on the joints or you’ll end up washing away your jointing compound. Alternatively, check out a patio cleaning...

Driveway planning permission - when do I need it? That’s a good question. If you’re updating your driveway or creating a new one, you may need to apply for planning permission. Why? After the catastrophic floods of 2007, government and environment agencies took a look at the pressure that increasing numbers of domestic driveways and hard landscaping projects were putting on urban drainage systems.  The result was that councils were given certain controls over the number of houses in a street allowed to add driveways. Plus, guidelines were put in place for the type and quantity of paving that could be used on each property without planning permission. So, in brief: You will not need to apply for driveway planning permission If...

The Turnbull paving team apply their wisdom to the issues of horse boxes, paving in the rain, weeds and barbecue stains Foundations for garden pavers need to be at least 150mm deep. If you are putting a patio or pavers next to your house, the surface of your patio must also be 150mm below the damp proof course of the house. The depth of driveway foundations depends entirely on the total weight that will be on the driveway at any one time.As a rule of thumb, pavers under 50mm thickness will NOT be suitable for use in a driveway as there is not enough stone to cope with the weight of a vehicle. Call us on 01529 308839 and...

We have all heard about areas of the UK that have suffered damage from flash floods in recent years. Some blame for this lies with increased building development in urban and suburban areas which has resulted in insufficient areas of vegetation available to absorb rainwater. Hard, impermeable surfaces and structures direct rainwater into surface water drainage systems instead, overloading them, which results in floods. Given that many homeowners over the past 20 years or so have covered over garden grass and beds with hard landscaping, and that driveways are included in most new developments, it’s not surprising that building engineers have been tasked with finding a more efficient and environmentally sustainable alternative to traditional drainage methods. - Permeapave Cutaway Sustainable drainage systems (Suds...

How to lay garden paving: tips from the Turnbull team Laying Marshalls garden paving is a straightforward task if you’re organised. Before you do anything, though, you might want to have a look online at one or two of the many excellent short videos on building patios. They’ll give you a good idea about what’s involved, and how long it will be until you’re ready for your first barbecue. We recommend Marshall’s How to Install Patio Paving & Walling, (see below) but there are plenty of other good ones out there. Make sure you have the tools you need The following will come in handy: Site preparation: Spade, shovel, pick, wheelbarrow, string line, tape measure, sledge hammer and rake...