What base for a new patio?

[DNgroundworks]

Have you dug that lot out by hand?

[Dave_L]

Have you dug that lot out by hand?

Oh my back is twinging at the thought of it!!!!!

[Triggaaar]

i lay on 40-50mm 5-1 sharp sand/cement wettish mix, i would post some photos of a job were on at the moment of some indian sandstone we have laid that im especially proud of but my internet is cack....maybe another time.

Building sand is for building with, sharp sand is the stuff you want

Thanks, that's re-assuring. I noticed that if doing an unbound base you need sharp sand, but with a bound base you have the choice, and sharp sand seems harder to work with.

There's another thread just posted about a staining problem with black indian sandstone, so I am worried about having the mix too wet, even though it would be easier to lay.

Subbase looks good and i must say i realy like the brick path you have laid, wouldnt mind doing one like that myself!

Thanks Been struggling with the design today, not sure how to finish it off (my design on paper has the path sweeping through the patio, but the bricks are so close together I can't have a bend).

Have you dug that lot out by hand?

I'm afraid so. Not on my own at least, I have a mate helping. Getting a digger round the back is tricky and expensive.

[irishpaving]

Trigg

You need to tidy up and get rid of your spoil. You don't want to be tracking over newly laid paving. Are you going to use an edge course around the patio. When the word "wettish" is used it means wet enough so when you squeese it in your hand it will stay together. Looking good and keep the chin up. The proud moment comes when you have completed and are able to say "i done all that meself"

[irishpaving]

Trigg did you buy the whacker plate or hire... How much was it?

[Triggaaar]

You need to tidy up and get rid of your spoil. You don't want to be tracking over newly laid paving.

Easier said than done. There's a huge amount of soil etc to remove (I didn't realise the garden was higher in the middle than the ends) and I thought it'd be best to get a 20yd skip when I'm ready to fully load it, I didn't want to hire one skip after another. That said, the skip comes on Tuesday and I won't be going over any freshly laid bricks or slabs.

Are you going to use an edge course around the patio.

I don't think so, it's one of the design decisions I've struggled with. If I did I'd simply use the bricks, keeping the mix of materials down, but I think going without is a bit more old school a natural looking.

When the word "wettish" is used it means wet enough so when you squeese it in your hand it will stay together.

I've seen descriptions here on dry (using the moisture that's already in the sand and ground), damp (or moist) and wet. It's just this picture framing I'm concerned about, and I assume that it's more likely to happen with a wetter mix.

Looking good and keep the chin up. The proud moment comes when you have completed and are able to say "i done all that meself"

I can't claim that much, I'm getting help - just cheap help as I couldn't afford professionals.

Trigg did you buy the whacker plate or hire... How much was it?

Hired, £38+ vat for a week, but think I'll need it twice (time to load the skip before starting the second patio).

[DNgroundworks]

Personally trigg i reckon sharp sand is easier to work with, it spreads an levels easier than building/soft sand as it doestnt stick or clump together as bad, and it sets waaay harder imo. Picture framing in my experience only occurs when the mortar is sopping wet and has a high cement content, dont do it dry and dont do it p*ss wet a happy medium somwere in between is required like the others have said.

[Triggaaar]

First slabs down, harder than I'd hoped. I found it hard to level the slabs, they are very uneven (riven). Perhaps I used too dry a mix, and maybe it would have been easier with a wetter mix.

[Triggaaar]

Hi All

As I said above, getting them level without rocking wasn't easy, but the path and patio is all laid now. But over time I'm getting rockers, which I assume is because I'm walking over them without them being jointed yet (either that, or they're just laid badly, but I did my best). So I'm about to try and choose which of the resin systems is most appropriate for me, but in the meantime, here are some pics

By the house:







By the guest house:

[mickg]

thats a very neat job Triggaaar

well done

[Triggaaar]

Thank you Mick. I just need to stop any rockers.

I'm reading the Romex page, and the thread on the forum about Rompox Easy looking rubbish after a year (because it was just brushed in, as per instructions, and it's soaked up dirt and won't clean with a jet wash). I've also spoken to NCC who supply GftK and I think they recommended vdw800.

Can anyone recommend the most suitable of these products (ie, be good enough, but not cost a fortune)?

Thanks

[lutonlagerlout]

i reckon easipoint would do best in your situation trig
as for the rockers ideally take them up and redo now before its too late
you cant rely on pointing to stop rocking 100%
other than that it looks a wonderful job,you should be very proud
LLL

[mickg]

if they are rocking now then they are not going to get any better so i agree with taking up any flags what are rocking and to re bed them, its best to do it now before you point them

[Triggaaar]

Oh yes don't worry, I won't point them while they're rocking, I'll fix them first. But I noticed one today that definitely wasn't rocking before, so I assume it's started rocking because it wasn't pointed and has moved a little. So I'm worried that more and more will start rocking if I don't point them soon.

Who makes easipoint? - ok, so easipoint make it But which one to go for? Tried searching the forum, but only found one other reference.

[Triggaaar]

Ok, so I'm planning to order Easipoint Std today - £272 for a 55sq m patio hurts, but I don't suppose Romex is much/any cheaper.

For my light/medium grey patio, I'm thinking dark grey pointing - any colour advice?