Charcoal block rear courtyard, Gloucester

What was built here?

An enclosed rear courtyard paved in charcoal blocks with a buff border, run between existing fence lines and tied into the existing slab patio. The build-up under it follows the same specification we use on every job: excavate to formation, compacted sub-base, laying course, then the surface itself with edges restrained before any traffic goes on.

How are the edges held?

Every edge is restrained on concrete haunching before the surface is compacted. Edge restraint is the single most common failure point on domestic paving, because once a border can move the field spreads and the joints open.

• Excavation to a firm formation, not just a skim off the topsoil
• Compacted sub-base in layers rather than one deep lift
• Edges haunched and left to cure before trafficking

Where does the water go?

Falls are set away from the building and taken to a channel, soakaway or permeable surface, never toward the house. In Gloucester's clay-influenced ground, getting the fall right matters more than the surface material you choose.