patio slabs gaps

[imamartian]

oh well it must be right then you do it your way and any cowboy paver that wants to do it can do it that way as well

Hi guys thank you for your pieces of advice. I have filled the gaps with dry mix and watered with watering can but unfortunately is crumbling and not working. Thermo when you say wet mix 1) how wet should that be..............2) what proportion of sharp sand and cement (3:1 is ok?) 3) how do i clean the slabs? 4) do i need several applications of that or just once is enough? Thank you very much for your time.

what do you mean it's crumbling? it's not even dry yet.... give it chance....lol... your mix must've been wrong... lol..

i only quoted many a text book i've referred to in the past...

Thermos advice is sound... although i still suggest a gap of lass than 5mm is difficult to fill with a wet mix.... but that said, i respect Thermo's professionalism... and he does tend to be right... (as for GD.. he's rubbish )

 

[dotto]

well, i brushed in the gaps 3:1 sharp sand and cement on Saturday and watered it with a watering can on Sat evening and Sunday morning and today it has not hardened yet, it is still quite crumble. I thought that after 24 hours it would have hardened and ready to walk on!! ....and in a few gaps the mix has flown off.............should i reapply it a few times or have i done something wrong?? A friend of mine has told me that 3:1 sharp and cement is too lean and should go for 2 of cement and 1 of sand, what is your advice?? Thank you

 

[Thermo]

so you didnt follow my advice then!

it needs to be a damp mix. just wet enough that you can form it into a ball in your hand and no water comes out. it then needs to be pushed into the gaps with a pointing trowel till it is full. A 1:3 or 1:4 mix is fine. 1:2 is too strong.

the reason your stuff failed is that it dried out from the heat of the slabs and the air and the cement cant be reactivated once gone.

 

[Thermo]

Thermos advice is sound... although i still suggest a gap of lass than 5mm is difficult to fill with a wet mix.... but that said, i respect Thermo's professionalism... and he does tend to be right... (as for GD.. he's rubbish )

appreciated

 

[dotto]

Hi Thermo and thanks for the reply. How would i wipe off the slabs if they get all dirty with the mix and how long shall i allow before i can walk on them? Thanks for the reply.

 

[WabbitPoo]

They wont et dirty if the mix is not too damp. You can walk on them straight away - the pointing is not used to give stability to the slabs (or, it shouldnt)

 

[dotto]

thank you