Indian paving - Can it be laid upside down

[Garypolo]

Can indian paving be laid upside down? does it have a lay this side up only side? I have a customer who has been told we have laid it upside down!

Can it be laid on sharp sand on ground that is likely to settle?

What is the best morta mix/spec to point it with?

[Arbtech]

Indian sandstone only has one side that that should be laid. This is due to the way it is cut; it is hard to describe but the joints should end up like this if you were looking at the side of them: / \. Of course you do also get variations in the stone as well and sometimes it doesn't come like this on all sides.

I would advise a full bed - most people don't use sharp sand other than on block paving. Regarding the mortar you are best using a resin based system for speed and longevity.

Regarding pointing we use Nexus Permeable on our jobs: www.nexusprosystems.co.uk or there is also Romex and GFTK which have good products that you could try.

[lutonlagerlout]

indian stone should be laid like -/ \-
however there is no reason it cant be laid upside down and i have done this on request
it should be laid on a 30-50 mm mortar bed on top of 100Mm of type 1
LLL

[haggistini]

joints look naff that way (when laid upside down i mean) tho LLL ther must be 1,000s of indian sandstone patios layed this way i have ripped up 2 last year :laugh:

[lutonlagerlout]

BTW arbtech
have you got any pictures or feedback of nexus in action?
cheers LLL

[GB_Groundworks]

Yeah the top face as in / \ that way are much smoother and less riven and much easier to point, I had an argument few years ago with a builder who was telling me I was doing it wrong way up as he thought it should be V to make it easier to point. He also advocated the spot bed method but he was a plaster come builder.

Full mortar bed off 6-1 sharp/coarse/washed/plastering sand or dust depending where your are in the country and cement.

But you sound like you could do with getting a brew or a beer and reading the main site once or twice over on laying riven slabs or all the topics if you do that kind of work.

[London Stone Paving]

Sure that I must be missing something here. I can be a bit slow sometimes but at risk of sounding like a complete idiot is it not the wider face on top \ /

[haggistini]

NO! chamferd edge down and especialy when used as copings :p

[London Stone Paving]

Hag

Do you class that as upside down?

http://www.harrisongardens.co.uk/blog....006.jpg

[Mikey_C]

Sure that I must be missing something here. I can be a bit slow sometimes but at risk of sounding like a complete idiot is it not the wider face on top \ /

you have said the right way round and drawn your \\ the other way LSP.

top flag gap
\ / \ /

[London Stone Paving]

Cheers Mikey, knew I had missed something. Thought I was going mad there for a second

[haggistini]

i would say so but cant be sure what the otherside looks like from here dont know about upside down but the grass joint must take a while 2 point or water... :p /\=up \/=wrong way up

[GB_Groundworks]

Hag

Do you class that as upside down?

http://www.harrisongardens.co.uk/blog....006.jpg

Yes

Much tighter neater joint and face when laid the right way hehe





Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1297285098

[London Stone Paving]

Its upside down 100%. Uneven edges and rough surface.

I understand now. The diagrams were refering to cross section of pointing gap and not paver

[haggistini]

:laugh: