Pointing a sloping patio

[matm]

Wondering if there's any tips on repointing a patio that is sloping and not level

I was hoping can use the brush in resin pointing ive seen.

I would consider trying to relay the patio but it seems like its a big job since it goes all the way around the side of the house + it seems was put in at a slope? so would requires a lot more digging out than if its just sunk a bit?

We are planning for an extension in a couple years time so we dont want to do anything thats too costly but do want to try and clean it up and make nice

 

[sircerebus666]

I would lift and re-lay using sharp sand

To just point that would be like putting lipstick on a pig.

Some of those joints look too large to use brush in and it would work out quite expensive too

If you really don't want to re-lay , I would use a mortar mix , much more work but much cheaper especially as you will only be doing it temporarily

A jet wash , removal of the old mortar and fresh mortar certainly would improve it

 

[matm]

Thanks for the reply sircerebus666. I would prefer to re-lay but im worried it might be a bigger job than it looks? Especially as it would be my first patio job

Ive highlighted some areas that makes me not so sure.

Can see the patio is sloped against the wall of the house


Sloped against the step and then it drops off even more. Also not sure about the bits that are


Even with the slopes it lines up with the grass and theres no step out so would the grass need leveling as well? Also the big near the fence would need raising quite a bit?


I would definitely prefer to relay and make nice. the highlighted areas im not sure how to deal with........or am I just over thinking everything and making it sound harder than it is? Would I just do the sand and retain the slopes but in a more uniform way?

 

[sircerebus666]

I see what you mean , that I'm afraid to say is a big job.

The falls are all wrong , the fall should be away from the house for drainage unless you fit a drain channel against the house ( with the current fall and if you re-mortar every time it rains the rain will run off the patio and hit the wall causing damp)

And of course you can't put the fall the other way cause if you do you will be left with a big step up to your grassed area.

To do a proper job you would have to, like you say re-lay your entire garden

Not sure there's much point as you're planning to redo your garden in a couple of years anyway.

I would stick to jet wash and repoint , maybe moving the flags to lose the massive gaps

 

[matm]

The current general slope seems to be from left to right. From the wooden fences to the grey plastic fence. The slope gets a bit steeper by the conservatory side. Would it be worth trying to re-lay keeping that slope? Wouldn't be ideal but should still be better than it is now?

..maybe ill just repoint with mortar then. So you don't think there's any type of brush in product that would work? What sort of cost would the brush in stuff be for this size?

 

[matm]

Quick update.

We have spent the last 2 days with an sds drill taking out all the old mortar. Its looks quite nice now actually!



Giving it another look over and im thinking maybe it would be ok to take it up and re lay it level. I lifted a couple of slabs and it seems to be just really soft crumbly mortar. There seems to be a lot of soil as well in the gaps and under the slabs.



The main areas are the path next to the conservatory. I think its not part of the original patio, it was added on later, which is why its so sloped/ This would need to be raised quite a bit. The other is the corner by the fence and the planting bed (where the black rubble bags are). For whatever reason that corner seems to be raised.

We are thinking of getting rid of the planting area. which would mean the patio can go down to meet the grass which should get the slope back to the grass and help level it out...

Like I said originally. we are planning on having an extension in the next few years. We are doing up the garden and patio to enjoy now but not to make anything too permanent / costly.

If I was to re-lay it to make it level would I need to dig it all out, lay hardcore down, bed os sand and then a mortar bed? or is there some other way I can improve it?

Or should I just repoint it and be done with it for now? ( I have a bag of white cement and about 6 bags of sand (3 building and 3 fine sharp sand)

 

[Tigercubrider]

I am not 100% certain but believe my patio (similar stones to yours) is just laid on sand?
It was done many years ago by a landscaper

Certainly I filled in a triangular area that probably goes from one metre wide to a point over about 8 metres and used sand. It's not high traffic and is held in by a concrete path and concrete gravel boards but is flat and level after about 10 years

 

[matm]

Just had a peak under a few more slabs.

It looks like main area is laid on a bed of sand / really thin mortar. The side path looks to be put down with 5 dabs of mortar which seems to be just put on top of the mud!? Lots of roots and soil there. According to our neighbor the previous owner used to have a row of rose bushes along the fence. Which is think is where the side return part of the patio now lays

I think I would need to raise the low side by about 2 inches and lower the high side by about 2 - 3 inches...

Not sure how I would raise the base by that much? I keep feeling like I should stop and just re point the gaps and leave it. then I look at it and think it needs to be re layed and leveled! Cant decided what to do..

Can I just dig out the high points and put the slabs back down as it is?



Is it ok to leave the patio as it is right now with the pointing removed for some days while I decide what to do or should I get it repointed asap?