Another pointing question , textured flags .

[mrpvs]

Hi guys , I've been lurking around the forum for a few month's and finally felt confident enough to take on my 25 sqm project .
I've used wickes buxton concrete textured flags on a full mortar bed .
I've had nightmares with the weather , and had to take a small section back up due to the house and pattern running away slightly ,
all that behind me I have only just discovered after contacting marshalls that I can't use weatherpoint as they say the textured surface will be stained ?
I'm really stuck now as I'm not keen on having to point it all with mortar on my hands and knees , I must also mention they have been down a good week so the bed is set ( I hope this can be worked around)
I've looked at the gftk 840 plus brush in gear , and also the gftk 800 resin , they both appear to be along the same lines as weatherpoint , but in more of a slurry mix , can anyone advise the best course of action please ?

[sy76uk]

You can use weatherpoint or similar.
Brushing it in on textured slabs will be difficult but not impossible just be sure to keep the surface wet.
Alternatively, mix it up in a bucket with water and trowel in and strike.
It will take longer but less chance of getting stuck to the surface of the slab and any excess can be brushed into the joint without fear of mortar staining.
Weatherpoint will always leave a residue from the resin on the surface of the slab but it doesn't last long.

[mrpvs]

Thanks for the quick response , what would your opinion be of the gftk stuff I mentioned ?
they have one that looks nearly the same as weatherpoint , and then a resin version .
very wet slurry mix on the video , am I asking for trouble on textured flags with that stuff ?
or will it be as easy as weatherpoint ?
I just want the strongest joints that will last a decent amount of time , but I don't want to stain my flags doing it .

[mickg]

I pointed this Marshalls Saxon paving what's textured using Marshalls weatherpoint, you have to keep brushing and brushing until every last surplus grain is removed even if it means calling back the following day to give it a final brush off before the resin sets the grains of sand to the surface of the paving

[mrpvs]

Nice job there mate , I'm feeling a bit more confident in using the brush in again , what do you think of the gtfk gear ? It goes in like slurry , is that bad news on textured flags ? or will it wash off with a hose easier than the weatherpoint ?

[mickg]

gftk is good stuff, its exactly the same when jointing only smaller grains of sand than Marshalls Weatherpoint

put it in as a slurry and leave it to dry for about 30 minutes, then start to brush off the surplus with a medium bristle brush what you can buy at any builders merchants, a soft head will also work but take much longer to remove all the surplus grains of jointing product

you will know if its too early to start brushing and the surface is still wet through as it won't make any difference to what you are doing and there will still be loads left on the surface, if so leave it a bit longer to dry

try to brush at a 45 degree angle to the joints otherwise you will remove the jointing product from the joints

[mrpvs]

Thanks for that Mick , gonna give that stuff a go I reckon , will let you know how I get on

[mickg]

cool post a photo of the finished job, I look forward to seeing it

[mrpvs]

I decided to go for the better 2 part resin vdw 800 from NCC Streetscape , I did consider weatherpoint , but so glad I paid the extra for this gear .
With the grains being smaller it saved me a job as it pointed the cobbles aswell .
It worked out about £8 per sqm to point at 10mm x 30mm joints so not the cheapest option .
I called and collected it personally and can't recommend them highly enough . Technical advice was bang on and the product easy enough to work with.
I've had my up's and down's with this job , and sometimes wished I'd never taken it on , the weather has been a pain , and laying the flags on a mortar bed is definitely not as easy as it sounds !
Thanks for the advice .
p.s - 2nd to the last pic the cobble isn't cracked , it's a reflection , I had to go and check !!!!

[lutonlagerlout]

tidy work
very nice!
LLL

[mrpvs]

Not bad for an amateur I suppose , it could of very easily gone pear shaped and nearly did at one point , I was close to getting the sledge hammer out a few times ???
I take my hat off to the guys that do this day in day out , there's definitely easier ways of making a wage ..........

[lemoncurd1702]

Superb stuff, you could easily cut it as a pro.
Scrutinised the pics and can't find a fault.
Do you want a job:)

[mrpvs]

Thanks for the offer , but I will stick to the day job (carpets)
I think it may have given me the edge regarding planning and layout .
I did underestimate how difficult a job it was going to be , I was able to space it out timewise aswell , so no rushing , I'm glad I did it , don't think I would again , at least not for a very long time .
Now onto the rest of the garden , artificial grass and a huge deck , should be fun !

[mickg]

cracking job well done

[mrpvs]

Thanks for the advice Mick and everyone else , it gave me that last bit of confidence , where I could have easily made a mistake and tripped at the final hurdle by using a cheap brush in , or mortar pointing by hand .