New paving path wobble worry - Drymix

[eastender3]

Hello Folks,

Having a new patio and a paving garden path. I've seen some of the new paths in friends garden where slabs wobble. The builder in my garden assured me that after 3 days the slabs will be firm but his previous work in friends garden the path slabs still wobbles.

He did mention about using Drymix solution, not sure what that was, until I searched on the Internet, which seems not favourable.

I won't hand over the full money until few days later to see how the patio slabs and the path slabs have taken root.

Advice needed please.

 

[WabbitPoo]

What is your question? It IS possible to lay on a dry mix but I wouldn't, and I wouldn't want someone to do it for me, to be honest. If they don't wobble after 2 days then you have no choice but to pay and then keep monitoring them. Unless his quote said he'd do it another way.......

 

[eastender3]

What is your question? It IS possible to lay on a dry mix but I wouldn't, and I wouldn't want someone to do it for me, to be honest. If they don't wobble after 2 days then you have no choice but to pay and then keep monitoring them. Unless his quote said he'd do it another way.......

He is going to do the garden paving path and new patio on existing patio with dry mixing. As I don't know the technicalities. What's wrong with dry mix and what's the best way. What way can I ask him to lay? I bet he will say his method is right.

 

[WabbitPoo]

If they are big old corporation slabs then he might succeed. I'd be asking for a full wet mortar bed, but he'll charge more for that. Watch that whatever he does he doesnt do the 5 blobs methd.

What does his WRITTEN quotation say he is going to do? Does he mention the dry bed method? Is he compacting a sand bed and laying on that?

 

[eastender3]

If they are big old corporation slabs then he might succeed. I'd be asking for a full wet mortar bed, but he'll charge more for that. Watch that whatever he does he doesnt do the 5 blobs methd.

What does his WRITTEN quotation say he is going to do? Does he mention the dry bed method? Is he compacting a sand bed and laying on that?

There is no written agreement only verbal. What is the 5 blobs method please. Consumers like myself are not building trade savy, so whatever he says we would have to believe the 'expert'. He already started the job. He bought big square slabs, which are by the way looked stained on them and not grey uniform, he claims rain had affected them. However, when he showed us a sample it was uniform grey colour?

I'll tell him straight and firm, that unless the paving path is solid within hours of laying, not days, then he can leave. I know he'll make a fuss!

 

[kazuya]

Why ask someone who's incorrectly laid slabs for someone else to lay yours?

 

[WabbitPoo]

If they are big old corporation slabs then he might succeed. I'd be asking for a full wet mortar bed, but he'll charge more for that. Watch that whatever he does he doesnt do the 5 blobs methd.

What does his WRITTEN quotation say he is going to do? Does he mention the dry bed method? Is he compacting a sand bed and laying on that?

There is no written agreement only verbal. What is the 5 blobs method please. Consumers like myself are not building trade savy, so whatever he says we would have to believe the 'expert'. He already started the job. He bought big square slabs, which are by the way looked stained on them and not grey uniform, he claims rain had affected them. However, when he showed us a sample it was uniform grey colour?

I'll tell him straight and firm, that unless the paving path is solid within hours of laying, not days, then he can leave. I know he'll make a fuss!

That's a good approach, though having no written quote is a bad one. 5 blobs means putting a lump of whatever he is using under the slabs at each corner and in the centre, not a full coverage bed. This would be a Very Bad Thing.

Try to post pics of progress and we'll feed back more info