gaps and cracks in garden path/walkway

terrysdelight · 29 Apr 2013

Hi

Grateful for some advice please. My father has some gaps and cracks in the pathway but there are thick clumps of grass growing out of them. He's pulled it all out before but it grows back. I'm not sure how to describe the path but its probably a sand and balast mix.

I'm thinking the best way to deal with this is to dig deep down to get the roots of the grass/weeds out. Get some lime sand and sprinkle it in to kill off any remaining roots. Then mix up some more sand and balast and fill the gaps.

Does this sound the best way to do it? My father suggested we should make the gaps a bit wider to get the mixture in but I'm not sure this makes sense.

Many thanks

Mursal · 29 Apr 2013

Just spray the grass when it is growing well with glyphosate (trade names like Roundup or Clinic etc). So don't cut or pull the grass, it must be growing strongly for the weedkiller to work. Its safe (dry) in about 30 minutes. Takes about 10 to 14 days to die, you can do what you like then.

If you want to see how long it takes for weeds to reestablish, before doing anymore?

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Roundup-Toug...rden_Plants_Fertiliser_CV&hash=item27d1ea3ef5

r896neo · 29 Apr 2013

Your father is probably right about widening the gaps.

To fill a gap successfully with sand and cement it would need to be about 10mm wide.

You are best trying to hoke out as much grass and dirt as possible in order to fill the cracks. any holes wider than 30mm fill with concrete.

3:2:1

10mm stone : sand : cement

Any gaps smaller than 30mm wide fill with mortar.

4:1

building or plastering sand : cement

If you just want to tidy it up then spray with round-up as mursal says and then chop off any mounds proud of the surface with a sharp spade or a strimmer if they are not too chunky.

terrysdelight · 29 Apr 2013

Sorry, I'm going to sound silly here, mortar - that's the ready mixed stuff that goes between bricks?

The pathway is sort of smallish stones set in some type of concrete - I thought it's called sand and ballast.

Should I be mixing some small stones into the mix or do I buy bags of it ready mixed. This is 100% not my thing!

Also, I want to fill the wholes as soon as they've been dug out - if I wait 14 days, more stuff will have dropped into the gaps and will start growing.

Many thanks.

Mursal · 30 Apr 2013

Mortar, sand and cement mix as above, if you want after the weedkiller?

r896neo · 30 Apr 2013

It sounds like you have exposed aggregate concrete which is normal concrete but has the surface washed as its setting and then it looks like lots of pebbles stuck into concrete.

To match this decoratively is hard to do even for a pro.

If your happy enough to fill the gaps and not worry about the final appearance then as above.

If you want it to blend in seemlessly then you may need more help.

terrysdelight · 30 Apr 2013

r896neo said:
It sounds like you have exposed aggregate concrete which is normal concrete but has the surface washed as its setting and then it looks like lots of pebbles stuck into concrete.

To match this decoratively is hard to do even for a pro.

If your happy enough to fill the gaps and not worry about the final appearance then as above.

If you want it to blend in seemlessly then you may need more help.

No, not too worried about the looks, its a pathway along the side of a bungalow.

Thanks everyone.

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gaps and cracks in garden path/walkway

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