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Laying a patio

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  • 23-06-2009 12:34pm
    #1
    Parser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭


    I'm laying a patio at the moment, which is made up of big slabs and smaller stones for borders and details.

    I'm laying the smaller stones, rough 4in squares, in trenches we left in concrete at the moment.

    l'm leaving a bit over 1cm gap between the stones. I decided I'd lay them down and let them set before pointing them / filling in the gaps.

    The problem is I seem to be fairly crap at filling the gaps. How to you do it without getting mortar all over the stones which if let dry will stain them? At what stage do I attempt to wash off the mortar on the stones. If I do it too soon the mortar in the gaps is washed away too.

    I'm using a trowel with a rounded edge, I have an older one with a pointed edge too if that would be better.


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    #2
    phenom
    Registered Users Posts: 553 ✭✭✭phenom


    dont put mortar between the slabs, brush in a dry mix of sand and cement and let mother nature take care of the rest.


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    #3
    Parser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭Parser


    phenom wrote: »
    dont put mortar between the slabs, brush in a dry mix of sand and cement and let mother nature take care of the rest.

    Genius. I will definitely do this for the bigger slabs. Will this method work with the smaller stones, even though the gaps are fairly deep and plentiful?

    p1010025czt.jpg


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    #4
    leex
    Registered Users Posts: 1,231 ✭✭✭leex


    Dry mix is definitely the way to go. I had a stonemason building a front wall last year and a dryish mix was the way he done it also. Us non skilled people are too tempted to wet the mix too much. Precautions abviously need to be taken for rain while it's all setting.


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    #5
    phenom
    Registered Users Posts: 553 ✭✭✭phenom


    Parser wrote: »
    Genius. I will definitely do this for the bigger slabs. Will this method work with the smaller stones, even though the gaps are fairly deep and plentiful?

    p1010025czt.jpg


    you can use this method for all the paving. sprinkle the patio with water when you are finished to speed up the process.


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    #6
    Parser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 66 ✭✭Parser


    I'm finally getting around to laying the slabs. They are Indian sandstone and are of varying thickness with a slightly rough finish.

    Should I lay them on a bed of sand or cement them down? Where we bought them they had them laid down for demonstration purposes and they said they had them cemented down.


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