Can You Build a Patio Over Existing Ground?

Can You Build a Patio Over Existing Ground? If you're planning a new patio, you might assume the first thing that needs to happen is excavation.

Dig out the existing ground. Remove the soil. Bring in tonnes of aggregate. Compact the sub-base. Add a mortar bed. Then finally lay the porcelain or paving.

That's the traditional approach, and when it's properly designed and installed, it can produce an excellent patio.

But is it always necessary?

Can you build a patio over existing ground?

In certain situations, yes.

At Garden Ezee, we've spent more than 25 years landscaping gardens using traditional construction methods. Today, we also have the option of creating patios using an engineered steel framework above the existing ground.

And for the right project, that can completely change how a patio is built.

Why Do Traditional Patios Need Excavation?

A conventional patio needs a stable foundation.

You can't simply lay porcelain or paving directly onto soil and expect it to remain level.

Ground moves. Soil becomes wet. Clay can expand and contract. Soft areas can settle.

Traditional patio construction deals with this by excavating the area and creating a properly prepared sub-base underneath the paving.

There's nothing wrong with this approach.

The question we ask is slightly different:

Does the entire surface need to be supported by a solid construction, or can the patio be supported structurally instead?

Building a Patio Above the Ground

This is where the iGarden iFrame system gives Garden Ezee another option.

Instead of relying on a continuous traditional sub-base underneath the whole patio, iFrame uses a precision-engineered galvanised steel structure to support the finished surface.

The modular steel frames are connected together to create a free-standing platform.

The supporting points beneath the structure are properly prepared and levelled, while the existing ground can remain largely undisturbed between them.

Porcelain can then be dry laid onto the framework.

So rather than the existing ground supporting every square metre of the patio, the engineered frame becomes the structure supporting the finished surface.

Does That Mean You Can Put iFrame Straight onto a Lawn?

No.

Building above existing ground doesn't mean ignoring the ground underneath.

The site still needs to be assessed and prepared correctly.

We need to consider:

• Ground conditions

• Existing levels

• Drainage

• Soft or unstable areas

• The required finished patio height

• Support locations

• Existing drains and services

• The relationship with the house

The difference is that the ground preparation can be focused around the requirements of the structure rather than automatically excavating the entire patio footprint.

At Garden Ezee, our standard iFrame installations typically use prepared support points and padstones beneath the structure.

The steel frame then spans between those supporting locations.

Why Would You Want to Reduce Excavation?

There are plenty of situations where digging out a patio is straightforward.

There are also gardens where it really isn't.

Imagine a rear garden with no side access.

Everything removed from the garden has to travel through the house.

Excavated soil comes out through the house.

Then aggregates, sand, cement and other construction materials have to travel back through it.

Reducing the amount of excavation can therefore dramatically reduce disruption.

It's one of the reasons framed patio construction can be particularly useful for difficult-access properties.

What About Sloping Ground?

A sloping garden is another situation where building above the existing ground can make sense.

With traditional construction, creating a level patio on a slope can involve substantial excavation, retaining walls or filling areas to create the required level.

An engineered structure approaches the problem differently.

The iFrame can be installed to create the required finished patio level while the natural ground continues underneath.

The support heights change to accommodate the difference in ground level.

Instead of making the ground level first and then building the patio, we make the patio level independently of much of the ground beneath it.

This can be particularly useful when creating raised or split-level terraces.

Can You Build Over an Existing Patio?

Potentially, yes.

An existing concrete or paved area doesn't automatically have to be removed simply because you want a new porcelain finish.

The first question is whether the existing construction is suitable to remain.

If it is stable and the levels allow it, a framed system may potentially be installed above it.

This avoids breaking up perfectly solid material simply to replace it with another construction.

However, every site needs to be assessed individually.

Existing drainage, door thresholds, damp-proof courses and the additional finished height all need to be considered before deciding whether building over an existing patio is appropriate.

Can You Build Over Old Concrete?

Again, sometimes.

If there's an existing concrete slab that's structurally suitable and in an appropriate location, removing it can involve a considerable amount of unnecessary work and waste.

Rather than automatically breaking it out, we can assess whether it could form part of the area beneath the new framed patio.

This is a good example of our general approach at Garden Ezee:

Don't remove something simply because that's what normally happens. First ask whether it actually needs removing.

What About Old Timber Decking?

Replacing decking is another ideal example.

A timber deck may sit 300mm, 500mm or considerably more above the actual ground.

Remove the timber and suddenly you're left with a large void.

If you want to replace that deck with a conventional porcelain patio, you then have to work out how to recreate the missing height.

A steel-framed porcelain patio allows us to retain the principle of a raised structure.

The deteriorating timber structure is removed and replaced with an engineered galvanised steel framework.

Porcelain can then replace the decking as the finished surface.

You don't necessarily have to fill the entire space underneath.

What Happens to Grass and Vegetation Underneath?

Existing vegetation needs to be considered as part of the preparation.

The objective isn't to create a hidden jungle underneath the patio.

The ground can be prepared and managed appropriately before the frame is installed, depending on the site conditions and proposed construction.

We also consider how the area beneath the patio will deal with water over the long term.

Just because you can't see underneath the finished porcelain doesn't mean what happens underneath doesn't matter.

How Does the Patio Drain?

This is another important difference between a traditional patio and an iFrame-supported porcelain patio.

With a conventional pointed patio, surface water generally needs to travel across the paving towards a suitable drainage location.

With iFrame, the porcelain is dry laid with small, consistent open joints between the tiles.

Rainwater can pass through these joints into the space beneath.

The underlying ground and drainage strategy still need to be suitable for receiving and managing that water.

But the patio surface itself is free draining through the joints.

What About Drains and Manholes?

One of the benefits of building above existing ground is that we can often work around features already in the garden.

Drainage pipes, inspection chambers and manholes don't necessarily have to be buried permanently beneath a new solid patio construction.

The iFrame can be designed around existing features where appropriate.

And because the porcelain tiles are dry laid rather than permanently bonded to mortar, individual tiles can be lifted with suitable equipment if access beneath the patio is required.

This can make future maintenance considerably easier.

Can You Build Around Established Trees?

Potentially, and this is another situation where minimising excavation can be valuable.

Traditional excavation around mature trees can interfere with root systems.

A framed patio gives us the opportunity to consider constructing around or above areas of existing ground rather than automatically digging through the whole footprint.

That doesn't mean tree roots can simply be ignored.

Important trees, Tree Preservation Orders and root protection areas may require specialist arboricultural advice and careful design.

But an engineered structure gives us another construction option when preserving existing landscaping is important.

Can You Create a Raised Patio This Way?

Absolutely.

In fact, this is where structural patio construction really comes into its own.

As the difference between the existing ground and proposed patio level increases, traditional construction can require increasingly substantial retaining structures and quantities of infill.

A steel frame creates the height structurally instead.

For higher terraces, additional structural components can be incorporated, along with steps, cladding and suitable balustrades where required.

The result can be a substantial raised porcelain terrace without creating a completely solid structure underneath the entire area.

Less Concrete Doesn't Mean Less Engineering

This is an important distinction.

A patio constructed with less excavation, hardcore and concrete shouldn't mean taking shortcuts.

It means transferring the job of supporting the patio from one type of construction to another.

With traditional paving, the prepared ground and sub-base provide the support.

With iFrame, the engineered steel structure provides the support, transferring loads through its supporting points into the ground below.

The frame, supports, levels and ground conditions therefore all need to be properly considered.

It's not about doing less.

It's about building differently.

Is Building Over Existing Ground Always the Best Option?

No.

And that's important.

There are gardens where traditional excavation and patio construction are absolutely the right solution.

There are also situations where existing ground needs to be removed because its unsuitable, drainage needs major alteration or the finished levels simply don't allow a framed system to be used effectively.

Garden Ezee isn't about replacing every traditional landscaping method with steel.

Our advantage is that we understand both.

After more than 25 years in landscaping, we can look at a project from a traditional construction perspective and also consider whether an engineered system offers a better alternative.

Sometimes the answer is traditional paving.

Sometimes it's iFrame.

And increasingly, some of the best garden transformations use a combination of both.

Before You Dig Up Your Garden, Ask One Question

If you're planning a new patio, particularly in a garden with difficult access, changing levels, existing concrete, old decking, drains or mature landscaping, don't automatically assume everything needs to come out.

Ask:

“Does this actually need to be excavated?”

Sometimes the answer will be yes.

But sometimes there may be a much smarter way of creating the finished patio above what's already there.

If you'd like Garden Ezee to take a look, send us a few photographs of the garden along with approximate measurements and the height you'd like the finished patio to achieve.

We can look at the existing ground, access and levels and advise on the most appropriate approach.

Because sometimes transforming a garden isn't about digging everything up. It's about finding a better way to build above it.