Patio repairs required, best way forward needed

[Mike13]

Hi everyone,

I have a patio recently been "Professionally" laid, I would like your opinions on how to go forward with what has been done.

Riven Indian Sandstone, mixed packs from 600x900 down to 300x300 nominal.

There has been about 25m2 or so laid. I have had to redo 7 slabs so far as they were rocking/sounding hollow.
Two of those seven were pulled up by hand with no bolster required to loosen them!
There are still a few more suspect ones I need to address, but first things first.

If I use a 600mm spirit level the fall away from the property varies from -4mm per metre to +12mm per metre.
If I use an 1800mm spirit level the fall varies from 0 to +10mm per metre.

Is this likely to last? My thoughts are that I need to get on with other jobs around the house, and he is too psycho to ask back to the property.

What would any of you suggest?

How much sand cement would I need to re-lay with the expected fall of 15-25mm per metre?

about 10m along house and goes from a path at one end and extends to about 4m away from house at other end.

 

[lonner]

Sounds like your professional was in name only.

I'm guessing dry bed and probably sanded joints or a very poor mix.
These sandstone slabs need a wet bed of mortar and ideally a wet pointed joint.
Some use geofix pointing which is fine if done properly as it avoids any mess.

I think you know how this job will hold up to time.
As for the fall, that is not going to clear water very well.

I guess the professional has hitched up his caravan and fooked off by now.
If he lives in a house I'd look at legal action if he cant put it right, which he wont as he has already shown his abilities.


Personally I'd bite the bullet and get it done again by a paving specialist and not a twonk.

A few pics would help?

If you going over the bed that's been laid?
If all new, usually about a ton per 15m2 but you may have a thick bed or a very thin one.
Your probably going to need about a ton bag of building sand to achieve the fall.
Dont buy small bags as you will need about 30-40..
Any left over can be used in the garden.

I'd use a 5:1 mix at least

 

[Mike13]

Hi,

it was laid on a bed of mortar, but it seems quite a weak mix he used, also 5 dabs under each slab, some were only 20% contact!
I am with you in thinking he is a spritual caravan dweller. Joint width varies from 5mm to 30mm in one or two places, and as laid the slab mortar would have given a joint depth of 3-15mm.
Also gap between slab and house varies from 12mm at one end and down to 0-2mm at the other end, I dont know how I am going to grout the skinny end/

He does live in a property, so is it likely to be easy to win in the small claims court?

Also the nearby supplier of materials (Kebur) told me that the single part sand mixes dont like wet feet, they soften up and fall out, so I am thinking about pushing in a stiff 4:1 mix to grout without messing up the slab surfaces.

DSC_3159-smaller

• Mike13
• 16 Nov 2019

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• Mike13
• 16 Nov 2019

DSC_3314-smaller

• Mike13
• 16 Nov 2019

DSC_2920-smaller

• Mike13
• 16 Nov 2019

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• Mike13
• 16 Nov 2019

In the last two pics the corner at the back is about 4-5mm lower than the front of the step!

 

[Mike13]

Latest update, I have been cleaning out the grooves between stones to lay sand cement grout, and current total is 10 loose slabs, 6 of which could be lifted with office hardened pinkies and no bolster required, the "gripping" surface, what there was of is was mostly brown where spilt soil had been washed off and under.

Is it worth the small claims court, or would it be a lot of hassle, especially as I am very unkeen to let him and his team back on the property. I sent an email saying I was unhappy with the wide gap he had laid, ended up with him firing off a 3 am angry email, and knocking loudly on the door at 5:50 am, I slept through that, and at about 7:30 when I stirred I got an angry tirade about him knowing best and that the stones have such variable sizes he thought it looked better like that. I thought he was going to start a fight several times during his outbreak/explanation, jaw flexing eyes bulging etc. would want a security guard on site if judge says he should do the job...

 

[lonner]

Id tell him to collect his materials or pay him for them.
Get it re done.

Tell him you're informing the police and trading standards etc

Typical cowboy builder. Tossers

 

[Mike13]

DSC_3474-smaller

• Mike13
• 18 Nov 2019

If you look there was only adhesion in the smaller dab at the top of the picture, all the rest was making no contact as earth stains are showing across the whole surface.
I also had some brick wall done, and about a week later I thought that I would check how well his brick laying had been done, I could remove 15 bricks by hand! We had a falling out and a discount was negotiated on the basis of work done to that date, but as the workmanship is so poor I will have to sue, trouble is I have to be prepared to ask him back to complete what he did, but I cannot trust his work at all.

One of todays discoveries shown above, I think I will contact Trading standards about the landscape person. I will not name him on here yet, but could well do so after any court case is won.

 

[lonner]

These slabs look like Slate

If they are he should have added PVA to the mix as they dont bond well to just mortar.

You're doing the right thing