*This is a collaborative post.
Do you ever get the urge to start sprucing up your outdoors as soon as there is a little bit of sun outside? I don’t know what it is… feels like a little bug inside of me that tells me to take advantage of the smallest ray of sunshine. It’s probably because the sun is something we don’t get often in England.
So, as soon as I see the weather is starting to improve, I start making changes to my outdoor space. This year, I’ve been thinking about creating a little patio to create an outdoor dining area. I’ve seen thousands of beautiful patios online and offline over the years, and this year is my year to create my own beautiful patio. However, I wasn’t going to do it willy-nilly.
Before I jump into it, I thought of speaking to the professionals. I spoke to Mainland Aggregates, a family-run aggregates supplier in the UK. They explained that aggregates are a top choice when making patios and highlighted the importance of having a good garden paving foundation, including a good sub-base material, such as MOT Type 1.
What is MOT Type 1?
MOT Type 1 from Mainland Aggregates is the material used to create the sub-base for patios, footpaths and roads. A sub-base helps evenly spread the load of traffic, and thus, is an essential part of any paving. “This layer provides support and evenly spreads the load of traffic. A good sub-base will reduce settlement, distortion and damage.” further explains Buckets of Tea.
In addition to a good sub-base, it is also important to have a layer between the sub-base and the subgrade to act as filtration and/or as a separation layer. These products are vital to having a good patio construction (one which will stay put for many years to come!).
As this article on the Society of Garden Designers mentions, “If the sub-base isn’t correct, a beautifully laid terrace may well become useless in a relatively short space of time. Failed paving construction can very often be put down to the sub-base being the wrong material, an insufficient depth or being poorly installed.”
This type of sub-base is the most widely used approved sub-base in the construction industry. It can be made from a variety of aggregates. A Mum Reviews comments that “Mot Type 1 can be made from limestone, granite or clean crushed concrete.”
