You may have a natural slope in your garden or just wish to create different levels to add interest, so why not consider building a split level patio?  Here are some things to consider:

1.  Materials

choose your materials carefully, these will naturally be influenced by your style and ease of construction.  You can of course mix and match products, but some classic combinations include stone walling/natural paving, traditional red brick/handmade worn flagstones and wooden sleepers/paving.

2. Position

always consider the amount of sunlight versus shade.  One advantage of a raised split level patio, for those who like the sun, is that you can reduce the amount of shadow and lengthen the time spent in the sun, even if just for half an hour!

3. Construction

the key is firm foundations.  You will need to build retaining walls to hold back the earth and to support the weight of the paving.  All the walls need to built on a traditional hardcore and concrete foundation.  We would always advise that you seek professional help with construction.  A good tip is to build the retaining walls using concrete blocks and then face with the material of your choice for example our Cotswold walling.

4. Drainage

don't forget to allow for good drainage.

5. Lighting

if you would like some low level lighting built into the walls then don't forget to plan this in at an early construction stage.