Patio jointing

Joined
25 Jul 2011
Messages
33
Reaction score
0
Location
Belfast
Country
United Kingdom
I recently laid a patio of 60 Sq mtrs and have jointed half of it by rubbing cement into the joints. The pavers have a bevelled edge which creates a large joint and this is why I cemented them instead of using sand.

The joints have dried but they are breaking up and becoming loose is there something I am doing wrong? Should I have used plastericiser in the mixer???
 

Attachments

  • 20160409_183228.jpg
    20160409_183228.jpg
    103 KB · Views: 176
  • 20160605_223018.jpg
    20160605_223018.jpg
    138.9 KB · Views: 147
Sponsored Links
Either the paveers are moving cause the joints to break or the mix was wrong or poorly applied.

You should use a damp mix of 4:1 plastering sand : cement. Firmly ironed in with a jointer or trowel. No plasticiser.

What was the paving laid on?
 
paving was liad on 2 to 3 inches of hardcore, 1 inch of dust the 1 to 2 inches of sand. all pavers where tapped down with rubber mallet to insure no movement but as u say may be the mix i used. the mix was pretty dry as i didnt want to mark the pavers!!
 
Sponsored Links
If you want to point flags with mortar they must be laid on a rigid bed of sand and cement. Laying on sand no matter how well laid will always have a slight flex and in the industry is known as a flexible bedding for this reason.

Dont know where the 1 inch of dust idea came from? It shouldnt be in there and will only cause harm, hardcore then bedding layer which should either be coarse grit sand for a flexible pavement like block paving or sand and cement as a rigid layer for flags.

The only exceptions are some small format flags like 400x400s can be laid on a flexible sand bed but then can only be jointed with kiln dried sand like block paving.

The second is large council greys if installed by a skilled paver they can be bedded on a flexible bed and then jointed with mortar. The pointing will never last as long as a rigid bedded flag though.

Its not what you want to hear i'm sure but my advice to you would be to relay on a rigid bed of sand and cement. If you cant face doing that then Point it with a damp mix a bit wetter than what you used.

It is hard to make semi dry mortar for pointing as it doesnt mix well so dry. The best way to do it is make it wetter than you need and then throw it out onto a wooden board and spread it out to dry for a while. This ensure its properly mixed and you just wait until its the right level of dryness for you. You also need to iron it into the joints with a jointing iron or trowel to compact it hard and strike a dense crust to the top
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Back
Top