How a 67-Year-Old Built a Dream Patio with a Sandstone Circle
- Introduction
- A Gorgeous Spot In The Corner
- Why Choose Indian Sandstone Circles?
- The County Sligo Transformation: Local Materials Make Good!
- Kandla grey indian sandstone paving circle
- 804 hardcore stone, sand and cement
- Tobermore tegula slate paving blocks
- Joint-It simple dark grey (20kg)
- White and black 10mm stone chips
- Vuba easyhold Rocks resin
- Timber
- Sikkens cetol filter 7 from homeland sligo
- Two 50W ‘up-down’ lights
- Rathmore rattan table-and-chair set
- Kandla grey stepping stones
- How to lay a circular Indian sandstone patio: Michael’s step-by-step guide
- Conclusion - Create Your Own Dream Patio with Sandstone Circle
- Why Tile Merchant?
Introduction
When it comes to transforming a garden into a stunning outdoor retreat, age is no barrier – and Michael's story proves it! At 67 years young, Michael Durney in Co. Sligo, tackled an ambitious summer project to create the perfect patio using a sandstone paving circle as the centerpiece. With months of careful planning, hard work, and a vision for the ultimate garden design, he brought his dream to life using our Kandla Grey Indian Sandstone Circle.
Michael’s journey is a testament to the beauty and versatility of natural stone circles, as well as the satisfaction that comes with taking on a DIY challenge. His project not only highlights the timeless elegance of sandstone paving but also serves as an inspiration for anyone looking for creative natural stone circle ideas for their outdoor space.
In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at Michael’s amazing project, including his step-by-step process and the stunning final result. Get ready to be inspired by his story – and discover how you can create your own dream patio with sandstone circles!

A Gorgeous Spot In The Corner
There was a gorgeous spot in the corner of Michael’s back garden, you see, which he described as a “sun trap”, but which wasn’t being used as much as he’d have liked.
It needed something special in order to get the most out of it—some furniture maybe, a pergola for shade. Michael did some digging online and finally came across the perfect thing to tie it all together: a gorgeous Indian sandstone paving circle from Tile Merchant.
Michael couldn’t have been more complimentary of the quality of both the product and service he enjoyed at Tile Merchant, nor prouder of his own achievement in creating such a picture-perfect spot to soak in the sun in summers to come.
Of course, his garden transformation wouldn’t have been complete without a host of other excellent products from a range of other Irish-owned businesses in Sligo and further afield.
Let’s take a look at what Michael was able to achieve with some round slabs, a little elbow grease, and the creativity to pursue his natural stone circles ideas.

Why Choose Indian Sandstone Circles?
First things first, why did Michael settle on a sandstone circle project, rather than a more traditional patio design or another material like limestone or porcelain?
We’ve put together a list of some of the top benefits of both Indian sandstone and stone circles to give you a better idea.
Top Benefits Of Indian Sandstone
- Sandstone is ethically eco-friendly and sourced from some of the most globally recognised sandstone quarries in India.
- Sandstone has naturally low water absorption, meaning it is ideally suited to the often wet conditions of Ireland’s climate.
- Sandstone paving slabs are also some of the more affordable types of slabs or outdoor tiles you can use to renovate your garden.
- Sandstone round slabs are also available in a diverse range of colours and hues, with each pack of stone circles or paving slabs carrying completely unique patterns and colourations—thanks to the natural formation of the rock over millions of years.
Top Benefits Of Paving Circles
- In smaller outdoor spaces, paving circles can be a space-saving solution which adds the illusion of width and depth to your garden.
- Circles are a powerful shape. Though subtle, they strike the eye and hold our attention, imbued with plenty of powerful symbolism by almost every culture that’s ever existed!
- Natural stone circles from Tile Merchant come as a ready-made pack, with all the round slabs and sandstone pavers you’ll need to complete your garden makeover right out of the box.
- Indian sandstone circles act like a bullseye on a target, drawing your and your guests’ attention toward your favourite part of the garden—like, in Michael’s case, the sun trap in the corner!

The County Sligo Transformation: Local Materials Make Good!
You can see for yourself in the photographs Michael sent the Tile Merchant team just how magnificent his paving circle idea was, and how aesthetically impactful it’s been.
We’re sure Michael and all of our other happy sandstone circle customers will have many years of backyard enjoyment now that the hard graft is done.
But how was this paving circle transformation achieved?
The answer is: with some top-quality, well-sourced materials and some carefully planned DIY work from the homeowner. Let’s start by looking at the materials Michael used to improve his garden.
Kandla grey indian sandstone paving circle
The central piece in Michael’s garden renovation was of course his Kandla Grey Indian paving circle in natural sandstone from Tile Merchant.
Michael said that our paving circle stood out a mile from the rest in terms of “design, quality, price and ease of delivery.” He also said that he was “delighted with the patio circle [and its] two spare pieces when it arrived mid-June.”
804 hardcore stone, sand and cement
As a foundation for the pavers, our DIY enthusiast used a mixture of 804 hardcore stone, sand and cement to create a breathable, drainable yet sturdy base for the paving circle to sit atop.
DO YOU LIVE IN IRELAND? Order free samples of materials for your outdoor space today!
Tobermore tegula slate paving blocks
Michael customised his Tile Merchant natural stone paving circle by adding a frame to edge the circle. For this, he selected Tobermore Tegula Tumbled Slate, which he felt matched the rich natural greys of his Indian sandstone pavers perfectly.


Joint-It simple dark grey (20kg)
To grout the paving stones, Michael selected Joint-It Simple in a complimentary dark grey, which he found easy to brush into the cracks between slabs and compress with a trowel.
White and black 10mm stone chips
To the rear of the paving circle, 10mm stone chippings were used to add texture and contrasting colour in a mixture of mostly white with some black chips for variation.
Vuba easyhold Rocks resin
Vuba Easyhold spray was used to keep the stone chippings in place.
Timber
To crown Michael’s gorgeous new stone circle patio, he purchased timber from John McHale Timber Supplies in Hazelwood, Sligo and used this to build his very own pergola—affording him both shade in the summer and cover in the winter.
Sikkens cetol filter 7 from homeland sligo
Michael’s custom-made pergola was then treated and waterproofed with Sikkens Cetol Filter 7 from Homeland depot in Sligo.
Two 50W ‘up-down’ lights
For some added ambience, two 50-watt up-down lights were installed by the patio. ‘Up-down’ means that the bulbs shine in both vertical directions.
Rathmore rattan table-and-chair set
Currently on order, Michael’s looking forward to completing his garden transformation with a set of Rattan table and chairs to sit atop the stone paving circle and underneath the protection of the pergola.

Kandla grey stepping stones
Last but not least, Michael completed the incredible finished look of his sandstone circular patio and pergola installation with four matching Kandla Grey stepping stones, leading across the grass to the new paving circle.
How to lay a circular Indian sandstone patio: Michael’s step-by-step guide
Michael set out to prove that even at 67-years-old, and without any prior installation experience, a keen amateur DIYer could install one of Tile Merchant’s popular sandstone paving circles and be proud of the result. He did just that, and here’s how he did it!
Step 1) Order your supplies and measure the area
Prior preparation prevents poor performance, which is why the first thing Michael did when he received his speedy delivery of Kandla Grey sandstone paving circle slabs was to lay them out on his driveway, make sure everything was there (which it was!) and measure them. With this measurement in hand, he knew exactly what size of area to prepare in his sunny garden spot.
Step 2) Prepare the ground for laying the slabs
The hardest part of the entire process, according to Michael, was digging out the foundations for his sandstone circle installation—not least because it was a particularly wet Irish summer! Around two tonnes of soil and rock were dug out, by hand, from the measured area. This is critical as natural stone patios require a better foundation than mud and grass.


Step 3) Put down a solid substrate foundation for strength and drainage
Once the foundations were dug, Michael had to ensure that there was adequate drainage in place to cope with the rainwater runoff from the finished patio. He installed drainage pipes below ground level toward the rear of where the finished patio circle would lie.
Next, he filled his foundations back in with two tonnes of 804 hardcore stone, which he then compacted down. Lastly, he lay a two-inch layer of sand and cement, which he would use to ‘bed in’ the paving slabs before the mixture set. The foundation was now ready for the stone circle tiles!
Step 4) Lay the stone circle patio slabs taking care with spacing and levelling
According to Michael, laying the sandstone stone circle slabs was fairly straightforward, since the pieces were pre-cut and prepared by Tile Merchant for their installation. One of the most important parts to get right, he said, was ensuring that the spacing between slabs was even and that each of the slabs was laid evenly—for which he used a spirit level and rubber mallet.
In addition, Michael knew he needed to lay the patio slabs on a very slight gradient, in order to create a ‘run off’ or ‘fall’—essentially an imperceptible slope in the patio to stop rainwater pooling on the stones.
Let’s get technical.
Using the 1:80 industry standard ratio, you can calculate the slope needed for your patio by creating 1 unit of drop for every 80 units of patio length. In this example, Michael’s Kandla Grey Sandstone Circle measures 2.7m in diameter. To determine the slope, Michael had to divide 2.7m (or 2700mm) by 80 to provide him the 1 unit of drop needed across the patio.
2700mm / 80 = 33.75mm or 3.375cm
When laying and levelling his slabs, Michael had to ensure that from the front (house-facing) side of the patio to the back (drainage-facing) side, there was 3.375cm of drop, or fall, to create the rainwater runoff he needed to complete his patio drainage.
Step 5) Edge the circle and grout the slabs
With the slabs laid, he next edged the circle with his chosen tumbled slate, making sure once again to get the spacing and levels right! Finally, it was time to set the stone in place permanently and securely with some top-quality grout, chosen both for its strength and for its complimentary grey colour.
Michael wet the slabs as instructed by his chosen grout, then used a brush to spread the compound easily and evenly into the cracks between his tiles. Finally, he compressed the grout compound with a narrow trowel, and repeated the process until the stone paving circle installation was complete!
Follow these steps yourself and you, too, could be enjoying the sun next summer from the beauty and comfort of your own Indian sandstone circle patio.
Conclusion - Create Your Own Dream Patio with Sandstone Circle
We were absolutely delighted to have been contacted with Michael and to see what a wonderful job he did in improving his garden with our Kandla Grey circular stone pavers.
We hope that Michael’s County Sligo garden renovation has given you some ideas for your own outdoor transformations. For more inspiration, take a browse through the Tile Merchant website today, or pop in to see us at one of our showrooms—we’re always here and happy to help you pick out the perfect materials to make your dream designs come to life.
Don’t forget, we even have a Free Sample Service to help you choose the right product before spending any cash! Thanks for reading, we’ll see you soon!
Why Tile Merchant?
We offer extremely competitive pricing on our entire range of tiles and likewise. We stock a huge range of wall and floor tiles and our prices are competitive for retail and trade. Our stock is widely available in our tile stores in Ireland which are open 7 days a week.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer to shop our tiles online, we can supply you with samples delivered for free.

Article written by Calum
Cal Bannerman is a freelance writer, editor, podcaster and voice actor from the Scottish Borders. He runs the storytelling podcast "Stories from the Hearth" and lives in a wee Glasgow Flat with his partner and their cat".