Short Blocks Wood at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

If you lay rectangular or hexagonal blocks, you will need half-sizes for the perimeter. Some manufacturers produce half-size blocks, but you may have to cut others to fit, using a heavy hammer and bolster chisel. Measure the offcut, and score the line with the chisel using a straight-edged length of wood as a guide. Then, resting the block on the length of wood, chop sharply with the hammer and chisel to break along the line. Lay all the whole blocks first, then cut and fit the ones for the edges.

A large area of paving blocks likely to receive considerable traffic should be bedded on mortar on a prepared foundation. Start to lay the blocks in one corner of the patio and work diagonally across the surface. This makes it easier to ensure that they are laid consistently flat. Place i/zin thick offcuts of wood between the blocks as consistent joint spaces, or simply butt up the blocks for finer joints. As you work across the surface, kneel on a piece of board to distribute your weight.

Parquet adds a world of detail to a floor, its short blocks wood blocks of wood laid in alternating directions creating more interest and movement than simple floorboards. Parquet tends to be dark and often highly polished. It's readily available today but some homes, particularly from the Twenties and Thirties, still have the original thing.