Crazy Paving

All the fashion during the 50s and 60s, crazy paving was a logical method of covering ground as cheaply as possible by utilising broken council paving slabs, laid together – often bedded in soil or sand – to create a kaleidoscope pattern effect. Sometimes, they were laid over concrete foundations and fully pointed using sand and cement to create car parking spaces and driveways.

As concrete crazy paving gradually fell out of favour, sandstone and limestone became more popular, and because they were not as strong as the (50mm) concrete slabs, they were mainly laid over a bed of mortar, and fully pointed with sand and cement. They were the sort of material that could be laid by amateurs, with varying degrees of success.

Due to the fact that the product was stronger than the surrounding mortar, crazy paving was often laid and re-laid on more than one occasion, appearing in reclaimed material yards as a valuable commodity.

Today, some designers include panels of crazy paving – broken slabs dressed to shape and size, forming an attractive detail to larger schemes. Often bounded by brick laid flat or as soldier courses in grid patterns, many types of stone may be used as crazy paving.

To achieve an attractive professional appearance, care should be taken to mirror or match each segment, trying to maintain a reasonably accurate mortar joint, preferably around 25mm wide. Too much mortar spoils the overall impression of a kaleidoscopic pattern. Pointing mortar should be finished slightly lower than the paving surface, to highlight the shape of the stone without creating trip hazards.