Laying a patio need some guidance.

[sambotc]

The time has nearly come for me to lay my paving slabs. After reading loads of differant website walk through's i am now more confused then before due to the differance in opinions!

This is what i intend to do:

The patio is not going to be used for cars, just people.

The area which i intend to pave already has a concrete path up one side which i am unable to remove as it also makes the footings for the boundary wall! The rest is mud, which i have dug down to approx 4". I will then put a membrane down over the soil to stop weed's coming through. Any ideas which one to look out for?

Then i will put 75-100mm of hardcore down and compact using a wacker. On top of this is will put 30mm of sand/cement mix to the ratio of 8-1 dry mix and compact. This should then bring me approx 15mm above the existing concrete path.

I was going to lay the slabs on 15mm of wet mix 3-1 sand and cement to the concrete. Then i was going to pop the slabs directly onto the 8-1 sand mix and tap down with a rubber mallet?

I wanted to butt the slabs up tight and then sprinkle sand into the small gap in between, as i prefer this look to pointed?

Can anyone advise me on this, does this way seem OK or can you recommend me of a better or easier way of doing it?

Also what sand should i use for the mix's?

Cheers in advance, Sam

 

[Thermo]

keep it simple.

firstly there is no purpose to putting a fabric layer down. weeds dont grow through paving slabs.

lay a bed of mot/crushed stone chippings. whacker that down. Bring that up to 30mm below the level of the bottom of the slabs.

lay the slabs on a wet mix of mortar just as you would brickwork. it gives a long lasting and solid result.

you can infill the slab joints with kiln dried sand thats just swept into the joints, to get the effect you want. you will get small weeds growng through them over time. and no a fabric membrane wont stop that either, thats the only place weeds will grow if you lay it as per above.

How many more times can i post this method!!!(sorry but ive had a summer full of saying the same thing over and over again, please do ask away if you have any questions!)

 

[sambotc]

thanks for the quick reply!

whats mot? like 1" to dust?

Should this mot be laid on top of the compacted hardcore?


Cheers again, Sam

 

[marshman]

slabs tend to vary in size by a few mill butting them tight don't always work,
mortar mix. 3 grit 1soft sand 1 cement using addmix or small squirt of washing up liquid.
or 4 & 1 sharp sand, by dry mix I take it you mean just damp and not totally dry,same sands no soft,
you could miss this layer (but that really depends on how course your hardcore is,
(dam good blinding though)) and increase your mortar bed to 30-40mm,
don't lay on spots of mortar rows are better, and lay with a fall away from buildings minimum 6mm a meter,
to be honest I think you had the job well suss.
as for a membrane only on loose ground
we use what I know as "mypecks" (don't quote my spelling) black tight woven nylon
even seen it in Wicks under a different name.

 

[WabbitPoo]

...and that, my friends, is what we call a pile of sh1Te. Even I couldn't be bothered to decode the ramblings of that answer, and I know a thing or two about the subject.

Just do what Thermo said. Period.

 

[Thermo]

thanks for the quick reply!

whats mot? like 1" to dust?

Should this mot be laid on top of the compacted hardcore?


Cheers again, Sam

yes it is, and yes it should

 

[Diyisfun]

...and that, my friends, is what we call a pile of sh1Te. Even I couldn't be bothered to decode the ramblings of that answer, and I know a thing or two about the subject.

Just do what Thermo said. Period.

I think it was the Norfolk accent..

 

[marshman]

perhaps wabbitpoo you should read his post more carefully,
an 8&1 dry mix whackered down would be doing the same job as what you call mot,
I could of said use 1" down, norfolk slang for your mot,
if his hardcore was 2" down or 2" to dust then he would all ready have a good tight surface to bed onto.
he asked what mix to use.