Paving questions

[rsw]

Hi,

We've had a couple of quotes for doing some paving in our garden, and it is looking a lot more money than we want to spend, so I am looking at doing it myself.

This is the layout we have in mind - Layout

As i'll be doing it myself I've tried to keep it simple.

We're intending using 450mm x 450mm slabs (something like these)

The summer house and playhouse will be timber (fancy sheds essentially)

If I am reading correctly I will need 100mm compacted type 1, and 50mm mortar bed. The layout gives approx 22m² (rounded up to 25m²) and using the calulators here I reckon I need 5000kg type 1, 1900kg sand and 189kg cement.

Having not done this before it seems a lot of material for approx 110 slabs?

What would you suggest for jointing - I was thinking dry sand jointing?

Does the above sound OK? Just want to double check before I price up properly and order.

Thanks

[lutonlagerlout]

if you want it done right the above is correct
dry sand jointing?
what is that
the type of slabs you want to use you could just butt them but cavaet emptor
LLL

[DempseyLiverpool]

That is the correct amount of gear. If you factor in excavation, muck away and labour maybe your quotes where not as much as you thought.

Do your have use of tools, mixer, wacker , petrol saw etc ?

[DempseyLiverpool]

Id choose another flag too

[lemoncurd1702]

As budget slabs go they're a good choice as are hard wearing.
£19/m is too much though, you can get decent sandstone for that.

[rsw]

Thanks for the replies, thought the amount of material was probably right, but thought it would be a good idea to double check.

Dempsey - you may be right about the quotes, but still more than I want to pay. Tools wise I'm intending hiring a wacker and borrowing a mixer. What would I need a petrol saw for? I expect to only have a few slabs to cut, and will try to do these by hand.

Dempsey / Lemoncurd - We haven't made a final decision on a slab yet so if you have any suggestions / suppliers then that would be great (B&Q is probably not the best place to get them anyway)

Thanks

Richard

[lutonlagerlout]

when you say by hand do you mean karate style?
LLL ???

[rsw]

I suppose I could try karate, or perhaps I could try biting lumps off with my teeth... using hand tools may be a little easier though

[lutonlagerlout]

you will not have a lot of luck cutting those slabs with a hammer and pitcher
we dont call them biscuits for nothing
angle grinder is bare minimum mate
LLL

[rsw]

Ok, fair enough, I'll see if I can borrow an angle grinder as well.