Patio repointing

[Twofingertyper]

I've previously used Easyjoint for patios, but now I am doing narrow paths as opposed to a large area, I think it'd be better if I used a more standard route (the issue with EasyJoint being that as the paths end up adjoining the garden there's a fair bit of potential for spillover)

The problem is I have never done this before, and am therefore looking for the easiest and most foolproof way to do this - I see suggestions of a wet mixture of sharp sand and cement (4 parts sharp sand to 1 part cement), which appears to make sense and sounds like it's more of a solid base than the brush-in approach I have used (which is great for larger areas).

However, I have seen comments about getting the mix right being tricky, so wondered if there was a pre-mixed product that would meet the needs for small paths (as in, I don't need a huge amount)

Thanks for any pointers

 

[Mike13]

mix the sand and cement dry, making sure the sand is pretty dry before you mix them. then add water to suit keeping it quite stiff so that it does not bleed over onto the patio too much then trowel in. I saw that on the pavement expert website somewhere and it worked for me.

 

[Twofingertyper]

Thanks.

Is there any difference between the brands available or are they all largely similar?

 

[aveatry]

I get good lasting results by adding fibreglass strands to the wet mix of 3 to 1 sharp sand but I sometimes sieve the sharp sand as I find that there can be some bigger stones in there which makes it tricky for the thinner joins. I also use gaffer tape to mask off each side of the slab joint - yes its extreme but then I can wack the wet mortar in there without trying not to get it on the slab face. I use a flat 10mm or 5mm pointing trowel to pack it and smooth it off.
And then I go a step further and add waterproof cream to the join.