How to mark, cut and install curved patio paving slabs

Having spent my life working under the elements designing and creating landscapes with in the counties of Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. Its dawned on me that I've been asked absolutely thousands of questions by thousands of people.

The latter was in the branch of Travis Perkins, Teignmouth, Devon.Martin Davies, the branch manager, was sat at his desk with a customer which is nothing out of the ordinary, he greets me with his eyes as I place the order for my next delivery of hard landscaping material, delivered the next day. I should say at this point the service is excellent (if your reading this Martin my words are not an invitation to sit back and creep my prices up sir), I'm blurbing again!Both Martin and his customer look over and and ask where to purchase stone for walling, Come on lads give me a little more info, "Whats the purpose and what finish is required" I ask.They finally feed me with the information required to answer correctly, based on their landscape requirements and aesthetics.Having given three types of stone as advise, my third recommendation is a high end quality slate, quarried from the South West of Ireland called Valentia Island Slate, in a word stunning. So, having answered them both with my personal views on the subject, the customer then replied, "Your a real garden nerd".What does he mean?So it's official , I'm a nerd, which brings me swiftly to my next piece of nerdiness, all these questions that Ive been asked has got me thinking, what has been the most frequently question asked? Answer: "How do you cut your paving slabs / flags so perfectly in a curve?"Again, this one particular question has me thinking again, How do I help people from asking me this question time and time again.I know, I'll show you with images and indepth explainations in my next two blogs.

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Comments

Jackson's Landscape Design April 3, 2010 at 11:47am

Call me what you will, after all I've lived with a girls name all my life.

The Travis customer is now my potential client, as we are supplying a quote for the supply and installation to 39 sqm length of curved, splayed dry stone walling with a turf capping.

Pays to keep stoom, sometimes!