Slab rotunda on concrete slab - I want to do this properly!

[The Alien!]

First and foremost; WHAT a site; been lurking here for a couple of years at least and leant a lot but, now its time to DIMyself and its not that straight forward, for me anyhow!

We've had much 'construction' work done in our garden over the years at considerable expense as I worked away and it needed doing. Last week I decided to remove some of a garden path which, turned out to be 14" thick! (2" slab, 6" sandy ants nest/bedding (very soft, powdery and sandy) and the rest concrete (very soft) slab! This is only part of a lot of failing work I'm going to have to fix/ resolve having now semi-retired and wanting to spend every waking moment in the garden getting it right!

This site has confirmed many times that this wasn't perhaps best practice for a pedestrian path, to say the least!

I'm waffling so, to the problem; I have an area that has a 4" thick concrete slab that I want to lay a rotund of concrete/riven style slabs on with some vintage stone manor setts in between the 9 piece kit (couldn't find the right diametre so got all artistic to make it the right size for our needs:-)).
My plan is to set out the slabs and lay them individually then once they're laid and set, bed in the setts (different thicknesses and thinner than the slabs - but really nice!) in the gaps. Following this, I intend to fill all the gaps with a mixture that will give me a nice finish.

If this is the wrong approach, please advise best approach, I'm a bit thick so you'll have to be kind;-)

So, the questions:

Given the slab is sound (I did it myself using the excellent advice hereabouts) and that I want to lay the slabs individually, what would be the best mixture/ combination of materials?

Once laid, how long should I leave it before I start clambering all over it to lay the setts?

What mixture/ combination of materials should I use to lay the sets?

How long should I leave the setts to set, before applying my mortar mixture?

What should me mortar mixture/combination of materials be?

I should add that nothing heavier than an overweight 50 year old DIY'er will be going on this arrangement, hopefully feeling proud!

Other information is that we (like others in this forum) are infested with ants so, whatever we put down must be ant proof as I'm trying to drive the blighters into the neighbours garden;-)

Many thanks indeed!

Alan.

[seanandruby]

welcome alan. all the info you require is on the main site. your post was a little confusing. could you put flags insted of "slabs",, also could you lay, or, place the setts, instead of " set the setts"? as the flags and setts are different thicknesses, you have a difficult job to do, especially as it is "rotund". good luck. :O

[The Alien!]

[quote]

Hi Sean, Whilst I appreciate your comments; once you know I mean flags when I say slabs, I fail to9 see that its confusing and also, I used "set the setts" deliberately as would see them - because they are differing thicknesses - bet "set" in a wet mix which, is why I was asking the question, if you take my point.

As a newby, I'm bound to get some of the terminolgy wrong but, can't see that flags instead of slabs is going to help anybody and also, given I don't know what the setts are to be set, laid on, it seened a good choice of words.

Sorry if you find it confusing, I'd hoped that the time I'd spent ensuring it was written in such a way that those hereabouts could understand, possibly my newbieness has caused confusion; would you like me to write it all again using the terms you suggest, would it help?

Thanks.

[seanandruby]

I apologise Alan, i didn't intend to put you down m8. of course i understood what you meant, i just had to do a double take on it. your mixture should help to alleviate the ant problem. when you say lay a "slab" and fill in the gap, i imagine you lay a row then lay setts etc. or are you completing the "rotunda" then infilling? what size are the setts? because time is money i would complete the job as i went. As you are semi retired and have the time you can maybe do flags and give them a day or two to go off. Photies speak a thousand words, although i haven't mastered the art of loading them on to the site. Don't be put off m8 and please continue to post Q's on here. good luck.

[The Alien!]

Hi again Sean,

I have a pretty good picture of what I'm writing about which would easily display - as you rightly say - what I'm doing without the lengthy explanation.....

On looking I think I need to have the picture on a WWW site somewhere to allow people to view but, without a web site I'm a bit stuffed.

Anybody confirm that's the case please or let me email them the pic so they can host it perhaps?

Thanks Sean.

[IanMelb]

Hi again Sean,

On looking I think I need to have the picture on a WWW site somewhere to allow people to view but, without a web site I'm a bit stuffed.

Anybody confirm that's the case please or let me email them the pic so they can host it perhaps?

Hi Alan

For a web site to host your pictures, try flickr.

You can upload your photos and organise them how you will. If you go to 'My Pictures' on the site you can click on the one you want, Select 'All Sizes', chose the size you want to display and then copy the web address from the box at the bottom of the page.

HTH, Ian

PS If you have a problem, email me your picture and I'll upload it for you, I've PM'd you my address

[The Alien!]

I thought I'd posted a reply to this but it doesn't seem to be here so:

Thanks for the pointer Ian, much appreciated and very useful, and quite easy too!

OK, for those that are interested, the pictures can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8158244@N07/487963557/

Just cut and paste the url into your browser.

Thanks again Ian, much appreciated!

Alan

[bobhughes]

I would lay the centre slab first, then the setts round it. Then lay the outer flags and last the setts between.

If you use the semi dry mix then that gives you the chance to make adjustments.

Are you planning to leave the area raised? I would have thought it was a bit of a trip hazard - not to mention the appearance.

[The Alien!]

Thanks for your input Bob.

No it wont be raised and left, as mentioned elsewhere we have matching 6-10mm stones to infill all around to level it all up so that there's no trip or unsightly areas, when the new path goes in - this side of that area, everything will be level with the edging stones to a flush finish.

I was thinking that the order should be centre stone, then the outer stones, leave to 'go off' then put the setts in afterwards as keeping all the setts neat and not impacting on the outer stones going in later?

If I take my time and do it properly, I would have thought the gaps all around for the setts would have set nicely for me to position and finish?

With regard to the semi dry, what combination of materials?

Thanks again,

[The Alien!]

Responses seem to have dried up, probably the wrong mix so, where should I go to get these answers please or should I forget the explanation and just ask questions or is there a one stop spot around here that I can look at please?

Thanks,

Alan

[Tony McC]

I thought Bob did a good job of answering your key questions, and the "one spot stop" for answers is the main website, where ALL of your questions are dealt with.

[The Alien!]

I'll go and find the mixtures then but, didn't get a response to what I thought was a perfectly reasonable and logical response to the order of laying; given all the information provided.

It would have been nice to 'discuss' it a bit more but, never mind.

Alan.

[bobhughes]

Every discussion board has its own ethos. This one is an adjunct to the most comprehensive web site on hard landscaping in the world.

We all try to help anyone who raises a query but it is irritating to be asked questions like “With regard to the semi dry, what combination of materials?� when the answer is readily found on the main web site.

I said how I would do the job and you replied that you had a different method in mind. What more is there to say?

Before you start work I strongly suggest that you study the appropriate sections in the main site and then make your own decisions.

[lutonlagerlout]

your not a retired engineer by any chance are you Alan?
regards LLL

[bobhughes]

Judging by the waffle he works for the council:)