Slate porcelain courtyard with gravel margins, Gloucester
An enclosed rear courtyard paved wall to wall would trap water and lock the fence posts in. Here the porcelain field stops short and gravel margins run to the fence, giving a soakaway strip and room to replace a post without lifting slabs.
Key facts
- Town
- Gloucester
- Year
- 2024
- Surface
- Slate-effect porcelain with gravel margins
- Layout
- Paved field with gravel margins to two boundaries
Why leave a gravel margin against a fence?
Two reasons: it lets rain soak away instead of pooling in the corner, and it keeps fence posts out of solid paving so a post can be replaced later without breaking the patio up.
How is a small enclosed courtyard drained?
Falls are set to the open margins and a channel picks up the run along the house, so water leaves the courtyard rather than sitting in it. Enclosed spaces have nowhere else for water to go.
- Falls set to the gravel margins
- Channel drain along the house elevation
- Margins kept free-draining, not sealed
Does porcelain suit a shaded courtyard?
Yes — it is non-porous, so shaded, damp corners do not stain or take up algae the way porous stone does. An occasional wash keeps it clean.
Photographs from this job
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Resin bound side return
A narrow side return between two houses surfaced in gold resin bound aggregate, taken tight to the brickwork on both sides.
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Recessed manhole cover in resin bound
An inspection chamber dressed with a recessed tray cover and filled with the same gold aggregate, so the surface reads as continuous.
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Porcelain patio in progress
Mid-build: grey porcelain being laid on a full mortar bed with a recessed cover dressed in cut slab so it vanishes into the pattern.
Frequently asked
Can the gravel margin be planted later?
Yes. The margin is loose-laid, so it can be turned into a planting strip without touching the paving.
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