Garden path repair, what to do please

[ohdearme]

Hello, Wife is nagging me to repair lose and dropped bricks in the garden. Pics attached.

I have spare bricks and need to know what kind of cement please, how to go about it, how to secure them well etc. Look forward to hearing, nice Easter to you all.

 

[endecotp]

The first couple of pics look like maybe they were laid on sand which has washed away, or something.
You need to first lift the loose / sunken bricks and see what has happened underneath.

 

[ohdearme]

Thank you Endecotp, it seems that it is as you say a bit wishy washy, It may be that the hardcore was not laid efficiently. It was I admit a fairly inexpensive job.

 

[^woody^]

For the step, 3:1 building sand and cement. Chop all that old mortar off first.

For the others it should be just concrete sand. Compact the sand down well with the end of one of those bricks or something to somewhere near the correct level, then a fine layer of sand just the bed the brick on

But just a get a bag of building sand and use that for all, and a bit of cement from somewhere.

 

[ohdearme]

Taking your advice, many thanks and hope you had a pleasant Easter

 

[^woody^]

Taking your advice, many thanks and hope you had a pleasant Easter

Yes thanks, and no DIY!

 

[noseall]

Block paving is the worst thing you can use for steps and its not much better for garden paths either.

If I had to I would frame any raised areas with a built wall and solid blues on top then set the pavers inside the frame. We would also set the pavers on a sand/cement semi-dry screed rather than try and run a compactor over small areas of paving.

 

[^woody^]

Block paving is the worst thing you can use for steps and its not much better for garden paths either.

If I had to I would frame any raised areas with a built wall and solid blues on top then set the pavers inside the frame. We would also set the pavers on a sand/cement semi-dry screed rather than try and run a compactor over small areas of paving.

Is that what you would quote for instead of laying two bricks on a step and re-laying six pavers?

Seems a bit expensive and extreme.

 

[noseall]

Is that what you would quote for instead of laying two bricks on a step and re-laying six pavers?

Seems a bit expensive and extreme.

Not really no. Just an alternative viewpoint and a pointer for anyone reading.

Block paving is notorious for wandering. Steps and paths in particular, that have inadequate restraint are guaranteed to misbehave.

 

[catlad]

Where do you think he get all his money for all these
skiing holiday's from

 

[phil parker]

I'm thinking of doing something similar to cover a 4' wide concrete path with two steps in it. If the bricks forming the top of the steps are laid end on will it be a stronger job?

 

[^woody^]

Where do you think he get all his money for all these
skiing holiday's from

Lol. I was going to ask him to change a chipped brick on my house. Best not now.

 

[^woody^]

I'm thinking of doing something similar to cover a 4' wide concrete path with two steps in it. If the bricks forming the top of the steps are laid end on will it be a stronger job?

No. And they will look awful too.

 

[catlad]

Phil if you already have a concrete path and you wish to
bed block pavers on to make it look a bit better then
no problem with that.

 

[phil parker]

Thanks Catlad . I've seen quite a few where the bricks come loose at the step so thought by laying them the other way it would be stronger. Do I lay a bed of mortar the whole width or do a framework and then use sand in the middle?