About 3 months ago we got a new patio laid by a builder at quite a hefty cost due to the size of space, about 60 square metres. We used sandstone slabs, 4 different sizes. All looked lovely when finished.
At the time I admit I was puzzled with the pointing, it was a dry sand/cement mix and not the older way of wet cement pointing. I was assured this was the "new" way to do this and it would set in time to form a hardish, although not solid, pointing.
We live in Kent and in the past 6 weeks have received a lot of snow as has much of the UK - anyway, I digress, but today I went out on the patio and I can feel movement in some slabs, only a little bit, but certainly movement. Also the slabs around the edge have started to come up and a lot of the pointing is now soft to touch and can be brushed out using only my finger.
My question is, is this method of Sand/cement dry mix the best way to point this type of patio? I want to talk to the builder to get him back to do it as not happy but wants some thoughts on alternative pointing methods.
Also, the slabs around the edge are not flush with the walls, apparantly you no have to leave a 2 inch gap for expansion - is this true?
Thanks for reading this essay and look forward to your thoughts and comments.
Dan
At the time I admit I was puzzled with the pointing, it was a dry sand/cement mix and not the older way of wet cement pointing. I was assured this was the "new" way to do this and it would set in time to form a hardish, although not solid, pointing.
We live in Kent and in the past 6 weeks have received a lot of snow as has much of the UK - anyway, I digress, but today I went out on the patio and I can feel movement in some slabs, only a little bit, but certainly movement. Also the slabs around the edge have started to come up and a lot of the pointing is now soft to touch and can be brushed out using only my finger.
My question is, is this method of Sand/cement dry mix the best way to point this type of patio? I want to talk to the builder to get him back to do it as not happy but wants some thoughts on alternative pointing methods.
Also, the slabs around the edge are not flush with the walls, apparantly you no have to leave a 2 inch gap for expansion - is this true?
Thanks for reading this essay and look forward to your thoughts and comments.
Dan