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Nice! Yeah a paddle mixer is more than enough for the bricklaying I need doing, wouldn't dream of using cement mixer, it would end up all going off! I'm assuming the "Brickie" is that laying kit you're using? Saw a review on a YouTube video, however can't justify the spend on it for a garden...

Any advice for laying bricks tomorrow in the "heat" not super hot but hot enough 24 degrees Celsius? I will be mixing small batches, go brick by brick. Will dampen the brick before using. Bricks will be stored in the shade. Should I cover up the work I have already done before starting to keep...

So maybe my mix wasn't the issue for the lower course as had a lot of trouble "beating" it down. Due to lack of experience and as there was basically a lip/wall on one side of the brick guess the excess mortar would compact there preventing/making it harder to get down to level if too much...

So I had another go today at the mortar mix and began bricklaying. Consistency was creamy this time just needed a touch more water! How creamy can I go? As I had a few issues "beating" the brick down low enough, either due to adding too much mortar or mortar still bit too dry? Put a full bed...

I probably mixed the whole mixture for close to 10 minutes? Gradually adding water to see how the consistency changes/improves before adding more guess maybe need longer/more? @all I have attached photos of the sand that I am working with.

Sand in the bag wasn't that wet if at all as has been out in the "sun", based in London. An actual dedicated paddle mixer (attached photo). Yeah I bought the sand from Wickes over a week ago. Will take a photo of the bag tomorrow. It's definitely building sand as I have 2 tonne bags of sharp...

So today I done pointing on a garden brick wall before I lay some additional bricks on it. I wasn't too happy with the consistency of the mortar and wondering whether I'm doing something wrong/maybe made it too dry or could the issue be using a paddler mixer as opposed to mixing by hand? I used...

Hi, I want to build on top of this current retaining wall so the total brick layers are about 6-7 layers. Some of the top bricks (level 3) are cracked so they will all be removed, will keep the first 2 layers as it is a retaining wall after all so don't want a spill out etc. However I want to...

So I finally got around to laying the sub-base for my patio, it is fairly level and happy with how it has turned out. Finished up around 2 weeks ago and was going to crack ahead and lay the slabs on a full bed of mortar. However there was about ~two weeks of downpour here in London with on/off...

Yeah I contemplated on hiring a cement mixer would be around £70 a week where I am. However now its been raining half the week so wouldn't be able to get full use, not to mention I wouldn't be able to fully utilise it anyway as I am taking my time complete beginner. Fair enough, I'm not too...

I own a Erbauer paddle mixer and have previously used it to mix loads of soil cement buckets with small chunks of hardcore and it mixes very well. It has a variable speed setting. I am going to need to mix mortar for a full cement bed for laying my slabs about 25m2 will be doing this across...

So we dug up our old patio which was laid as follows: slabs -> thin layer of sand (10mm?) -> thin concrete base (maybe 20mm?) -> more sand/soil mix (40-50mm) -> thick clay. The patio is pretty well contained with a brick wall at the front and gravel boards (fence) and brick walls on the sides...

I have quite a bit of rubble/chipped slab pieces and old concrete that are solid and want to incorporate into my subbase rather than disposing of. For my subbase I'm basically laying concrete, but wonder whether I should mix this into the mix itself or should they be on the "bottom" whereby...

Had a quick look on Facebook for someone, asking for £1350 for the labour lol. Maybe it's just me but that seems a lot for the ask?

Any ideas on what it would cost/going rate to get someone in to lay slabs? Area is 25m2 for a garden patio. The subbase has been done, have the sharp sand already, will go buy the cement. Just need someone to come mix and lay the slabs down. Will need a little cutting around a manhole otherwise...

I think that the previous owners done this on our patio as there are what looks like cement "blocks" under our flags, the blocks are about 60mm thick and it's pretty hard stuff from the top and strong but if you lift it/break into it sideways it starts to crumble. Thing is there is about 100mm...

So I've seen and heard of dry pouring cement (YouTube in USA mainly) on its own to make things such as small concrete patio etc. Asides of the fact what the right way to do it is/whether structurally it would be as strong etc. Would dry pouring a cement/sharp sand mix work/be the same concept...

Just wanted to update the post, had 2 jumbo bags delivered yesterday into a parking bay. Started shifting it immediately and in the back garden within 3 hours. Saw a parking officer drive by didn't even care.

Yes believe there would be ample space. Can even see a pallet here on Google Maps from March 2024 guess someone had works done around then as well! Harrow area. The parking spots are residential parking permit spots active between 10am-11am only, as there is a underground station few roads...

North West London and yes I do!