Sandstone mortar moisture - Sandstone mortar moisture

MrsJ · Post: # 109118Post **MrsJ** Sun May 15, 2016 12:12 pm

We have had some beautiful sandstone paving laid in our rear garden. The paving has been down for around 3 weeks now. I have researched the problem we are having & it seems that we are a victim of the paving being spot bedded & the moisture keeps coming through the paving.

What I want to ask is will it dry out eventually or are we stuck with the unsightly marks?

https://plus.google.com/1006175....gk-2eZQ

London Stone Paving · Mon May 16, 2016 2:41 pm

That is real shame. The stone does look lovely and apart from the spots, looks to have been laid well.

Time will tell but in my experience the spot marks will stay. They will fade but never completely.

Have you raised the issue with the installer? Are they likely to put it right?

Mon May 16, 2016 7:14 pm

shame, as installation wise it looks pretty good
as steve says the marks will stay or come and go in 1 form or another
I know blokes who still lay like this,and claim it is correct
what will happen over time water will ingress into the voids and then the real fun starts
LLL

MrsJ · Post: # 109130Post **MrsJ** Tue May 17, 2016 6:05 am

Yes I have spoken with installer who says they should dry out with warm weather. He then advises sealing straightaway to prevent further moisture penetrating?

r896neo · Post: # 109133Post **r896neo** Tue May 17, 2016 10:28 am

His answer is pretty evasive, the flags do not need to 'dry out', this will happen everytime you have rain and then as they dry unevenly the spots will show.

Sealing alone may help a little but certainly not fix it. Sealing with a colour enhancer might hide it but as said it is a shame.

MrsJ · Post: # 109134Post **MrsJ** Tue May 17, 2016 10:33 am

Is the only remedy to relay them...I'm not sure if that's even possible?

MrsJ · Post: # 109136Post **MrsJ** Tue May 17, 2016 3:01 pm

Also - what colour enhancer would you recommend if we were to go down that route?

r896neo · Post: # 109163Post **r896neo** Thu May 19, 2016 7:20 pm

i cant personally recommend an enhancer it was just an idea and i'm not sure it would solve it but they darken the appearance of slabs so in theory should mask it a little and make the contrast less obvious.

There is a similar thread titled 'advice needed on new patio' which comes to a similar conclusion, relaying should solve the problem but its quite a big undertaking. Unfortunately for you sawn stone often shows this kin of problem up more severely.

Did the contractor say in his quote how they would be laid?

If he quoted for laying on a full bed and then did not do that it may be time to confront him. If however he didnt specify then i can't imagine he is going to be keen to relay it.

As the others have said it looks neatly laid and is surprising someone this capable is laying on spot or framed beds.

DempseyLiverpool · Thu May 19, 2016 8:14 pm

As others have said the marks will stay only way to remedy is to relay them on a full bed.

sy76uk · Post: # 109183Post **sy76uk** Fri May 20, 2016 8:29 pm

I don't think sealing would be a good idea.
Because of the bedding the joints tend to fail quicker than they would when laid on a full bed and if that's the case you'll have paid a lot of money sealing them and will probably want them relaid rather than re pointed.