Redoing a bad job - Five-blob-job rework advice sought

[Jonah]

Hi,

We've been in this house for just over a year and I'm redoing the crappy DIY jobs the previous occupants had done badly in the past. One of which is a patio and paved area at the rear of the house.

They've layed a load of slabs on a base of builders sand and used five blobs of cement on the base of each slab (I know, I know ...) As you can imagine, the wobbly slab count has used all my fingers and toes to count them on. I want to replace the nasty B&Q slabs and do the job properly.

The trouble is, I don't really want to remove several tonnes of builders sand and replace it with sharp unless I have to. I was thinking of lifting the existing slabs, adding some cement to the builders sand and laying the new slabs on top.

Would this be a viable solution, or should I just get rid of the builders sand and use sharp? I suppose I'm trying to save myself a load of work and some money by reusing the old sand.

Thanks!

[Tony McC]

What's beneath the Building Sand? If there's a sub-base, I'd probably turn a blind eye to mixing cement in with the existing sand and using that as a laying course, seeing as it's a patio, but if it's just earth, then best to get shut of the sand, and consider starting again from scratch.

If a job's worth doing....

[Jonah]

Thanks for the reply.

Upon closer inspection (I've just lifted a couple of slabs) the builders sand is most likely spoil from when the house was built (2000) and earth mixed together as the paving is next to the house. They've just blobbed on some mortar and put them onto a semi level ground.

Could I lift the slabs and a couple of inches of the sand/earth mix off the top and then lay new slabs on a sharp/concrete mix then?

Thanks.

[James.Q]

read main site regarding levels 150mm below dpc . like the man said if a jobs worth doing

[surreyhillslandscapes.com]

You could, but it would only be making a bad job slightly better, as Tony said "If a jobs worth doin.."

[Jonah]

The current slabs have been laid pretty much dead on 150mm below the DPC and there's approx 100mm of clean gravel between the edge of the slabs and the wall itself.

So if I take the height of the replacement slabs from the current height of the existing slabs, take off 50mm for bedding and a bit more for luck and dig down to that level, I'll be onto a winner!?

As you can see from the photie, there's gravel either side of the existing paving. Is that just lazy paving, or a good idea to leave the gravel between the hard standing and the house wall? I think it'd look neater with slabs butted up to the wall. What do you think?

Thanks.

[surreyhillslandscapes.com]

There is no real need to have it if your 150 below damp with a good fall away from the building,As the lawn level is higher than the patio I guess it's to help with the drainage.

[Jonah]

Ok, thanks for the clarification.

In your reply: "You could, but it would only be making a bad job slightly better", can you advise what else I would need to do in order to make a bad job a good one?

[seanandruby]

.....Read main index :;):

[Rich H]

The point is that the last fella did a quick and dirty job, and if you're going to go to the trouble of doing it right, you might as well do it right. Get a skip in, dig down as described on the main site, put a sub base in, lay decent slabs and lay them properly.

[Jonah]

Thanks Rich for the straightforward reply.

[matt h]

agree with rich. remember its your house and its worth that little bit extra. You'll appreciate it when its' all done