Concrete base for steps - Can't find the answer.

[the lost]

I'm currently using up some of my hard earned holiday on a little landscaping in the back garden. Specifically I'm building a small set of steps to the conservatory using the previously mentioned wetherdale paving slabs.

My construction is 150mm slab (although it's not really big enough to call a slab, more of an overgrown strip footing), maximum five courses of bricks to support paving flags, hollows in brick construction to be filled with 'ballast' (tamped down) to support centre of flags (I broke too many flags laying the patio to trust them to hold my weight without central support).

I've two questions that I can't find appropriate answers to:

1) Now the slab's been laid, how long does it need to cure before I can start brick laying? I'm trying to keep the 'programme' as short as possible (domestic reasons) ???

2) Can I use ballast supplied for mixing concrete as the 'ballast' in the centre of the construction, or should I be looking at a different aggregate?

Simple enough questions that appear to be so simple that I can't find answers easily.

[seanandruby]

You can lay bricks as soon as you can walk on the slab without marking it ( usually 24 hours ). you can use the ballast to make wet concrete to lay flags on, or, infill steps, then use mortar to bed them on.

[the lost]

Thanks Sean, I'm planning the latter for bedding the slabs, so it's good to know I'm not too far off track.

[lutonlagerlout]

not sure if i have picked this up right
but what i usually do is concrete a slab (as you have done)
then work out the height from the slab to the finished slab height
lets say this is 1m
so this leaves 5 steps of 200mm
which is 2 course of bricks then a slab
then 2 courses of bricks again then andother slab etcetc
as i build the 2 course of brickwork (always in 9" or 225mm) i infill this with leanmix
i then bed the slab onto a thin bed or grit sand mortar,tap it down with a mallet then build the next 2 course of brickkwork
ad infinitum
risers should be no more than 225mm and should all be even
treads should be even too but in garden i always try and allow at least 450 mm to walk on as long as the site permits it
hope this helps
cheers LLL
BTW your in early sean ?? rained off?
LLL

[seanandruby]

I had assumed lost boy had his steps worked out. We never ever get weathered off. had my op last week ( bone taken out of thumb ). should be off 8 / 10 weeks. I'm going back next week tho I'm bored already. took the advice off the brew cabin regulars and selling a bit on eBay. my arse is killing me more than my hand, don't know how office bods do it. as tony said on his blog " monging out" :laugh:

[Dave_L]

Same here, we never get rained off!

[the lost]

Thanks for the advice LLL.

I have got the steps already worked out. The distance between the where the top of the steps needs to be and the ground level varies between 230mm and 250mm, so I've taken a nominal figure of 240mm. Too big for one riser, so I'm going for two risers of 120mm each (nice shallow steps... in case we have 'joyful' news and for when I'm an old bugger) with a 440mm tread depth. This is of course going to cause me all sorts of problems (although I have a plan) because 120mm doesn't break down to a nice number of courses of bricks, but the alternative was uneven risers which would have meant I'd have fallen over every time I went into the garden.

I am quite intrigued by the idea of using a lean mix for filling (mainly because I get to turn the cement mixer on again - as a desk pilot it's a novelty).

Thanks for the advice.

[lutonlagerlout]

120mm works fine mate

75mm standard brick and bed of mortar
then a 38 mm slab on a 7mm bed!

et voila!

good luck with your thumb sean,and remember
"dont gaze out of the window in the morning,or you will have faff all to do in the afternoon"

old office saying

cheers LLL

[the lost]

Thanks for everyone's input on this. I've now almost finished (just pointing left to do).



I'm fairly happy with the result as it's my first attempt at laying concrete, bricklaying and laying slabs on a mortar bed.

[seanandruby]

Good job for a beginner. are you going to put a patio area, because you will have a lot of cutting and digging out. that tarp doesnt run under the steps does it?

[the lost]

The tarp doesn't run under the stairs! :laugh: It's got a great big pile of muck on it that's going to be taken to the tip next weekend.

The plan for next spring is to have two flowerbeds either side of the steps (that's a job for the weekend after next once the muck's gone) and grass laid to the front edge of the steps.

[lutonlagerlout]

very nice lost
every time you step on them, you will think of the work that went into them
LLL

[seanandruby]

youll be needing stepping stones then, or, the wife will slaughter you when you tread grass on her carpet. :laugh: