Flags/slabs - questions - General questions from an amatuer

[tomsdad09]

Hello everyone

Firstly let me say that I am not a Landscaper of any description (as you're about to find out) I come here in my capacity of Joe Public. My old Mum has requested that No1 son “puts down a few slabs� for her in order to create a patio. She originally had a patio but took it out some time ago when decking became fashionable, she’s changed her mind now though (bless her) and wants the patio back.

She’s looking to use Indian Sandstone or, if she can find them, traditional Flags. The thickness is unknown at the moment but from what I can gather, I need a ’bound’ base with a mix of around 5-1, wet enough to work with, but not so wet as it slumps (I think I know what that means)

The questions I’m a bit stuck on are as follows (and I have searched so apologies if I didn’t do a good enough job)

No1 - I understand the bit about the base, but what about the stuff under the base material? The Earth onto which I’ll be laying the bound base. Is there anything I need to do to that? Is it simply a question of digging a bit out, whacking down the bound base and laying the slabs or do I need anything else? This is a patio, not a driveway, so won’t have anything more than a few people on it occasionally.

No2 - the Damp proof course. Do I need to dig down lower than the DPC and ensure that the top of the slab/flags is level with the bottom of the DPC or doesn’t it matter? (writing that makes me feel dirty as I’m sure I already know the answer but just need to check)

No3 - pointing - which is the best method to use? I’ve been reading about ’buttering’ and I’ve also been told (not by this site) about brushing a dry-mix into the gaps, what do you blokes suggest as the way to go and do you have any tips for a chap who’s not done it before and who is trying to avoid getting a smack in the mouth from his mum?

No4 - As a last resort, my Mum looked into employing a professional to do the job but was quoted £140 per metre, would this be a reasonable figure (i know it's tough to know without knowing everything about the job, but a general idea would be good) - presumably this is a per square metre figure? It seems very expensive given that it's "+ materials" - i'm thinking of getting a couple of other guys in to quote but as it's her job, and as she's now set on me doing it, even though i've never done it before, it's proving tough to convince her, she's not keen on 'strangers' and watches an awful lot of 'rogue trader' type progs so she's perhaps a little over-cautious, any advice on this or any of the other issues gratefully received.

Thanks in advance chaps.

[lutonlagerlout]

£140 a metre is top end pricing

normal indian stone figure around £100 all in
top of patio should be 150mm below dpc
assuming flags are 25mm thick you then have approx 50mm of 5:1 grit sand /cement
then 100 mm of mot type 1 that has been compacted
best to do it right once
any more questions ask away
LLL

[mickg]

£140 per metre for labour plus materials is very expensive for Indian stone, are you sure its Indian stone and not Marshalls fairstone paving or something similar ?

what size patio does you mum require to be constructed ?

[tomsdad09]

Brilliant, thanks guys!

With regard to the price, I thought that was too much tbh. I'd had a good read on here earlier and saw £100pm mentioned but obviously didn't know if there is such a thing as a 'ballpark' for these things, i know everyone has differing overheads etc. but there's generally a figure that people work off of and £140 sounded a bit steep. The choice of what to use hasn't been made yet, she's still umming and ahhing about it, so the £140 would be plus slabs/flags and plus vat.

Size wise, it's just shy of 6m x 10m, since she's gotten older she's wanted less and less to do so now fills the patio with pots instead of growing stuff in the garden, i think she's eventually planning on binning anything even remotely green at some point.

Finally, LLL, is the 50mm of sand/cement the bound base (hark at me using terms i've no idea about!) or is that a dry-mix onto which the bound base is set down onto? In other words, 4" of Type 1, 2" of S&C and then the bound base followed by the slabs, or am i being a gonk?

Thanks ever so much chaps, i'm semi-useful at most things but my big book of how to do stuff doesn't really do this type of thing much justice and i'd sooner do it right, or hire someone who can, and save myself loads of earache, needless to say my own missus is watching these developments like a hawk, if i'm not careful i'll be adding a new patio at my house too!

[lutonlagerlout]

we have done 60m2 indian stone patios last year and they worked out at circa £6 k all in
so you need to dig down 300-350 below dpc
put in 120mm of type 1 then wack (if the ground is bad use terram or similar)
then knock up your bedding material in the mixer 5/6/7:1
spread this a flag at a time and lay the flags
£140 per metre labour is a liberty
I would walk on my hands to Nottingham to lay them for that
LLL

[Kuts]

£140m2 + materials! :0

[local patios and driveway]

Wait, we dont know the size of the patio. If its only 5sqm them 140pm is cheap

[local patios and driveway]

Oh just read that its 60.... thats a 6k job from me.

[tomsdad09]

Lol thanks again chaps, the next question is, who is near Nottingham? I'm off to see her this morning with a view to convincing her to get more quotes as i think this is beyond me and i'd sooner use a professional who knows what they're doing.

If anyone is local enough and wants to drop me a PM with details and the roughest price they can manage (inc materials which will be traditional flags if we can source them) to do this work then please do so.

Obviously I'm aware than any price offered will be subject to change once you've seen the site but if i can get a ballpark figure i'll be able to show my Mum that she's found a very expensive bloke and that there are alternatives out there. I don't expect anyone to work for free and i'm not asking for rock bottom prices, just a fair one, i know you guys need to make a living and i'm self employed myself so appreciate that you have overheads and expenses.

So pleased i found this site, brilliantness!

[hondacrm]

Hi LLL, i need to have the frontage of my house re-paved this year (south Nottingham suburb) so if you are up this way and would like to call in to discuss the job???

Seriously though, I want the job to go ahead and if there Brew Cabin members who would want to consider looking at the job please let me know (currently favouring setts/cubes).

(this may not be the right part of the forum to discuss this matter so please delete/move as appropriate)

[GB_Groundworks]

for setts / cubes cookie is your man but if it's only a frontage, im not sure which regulars are rd nottingham??

http://www.pavingexpert.com/contractor_list.htm



Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1360019327

[cookiewales]

Hi LLL, i need to have the frontage of my house re-paved this year (south Nottingham suburb) so if you are up this way and would like to call in to discuss the job???

Seriously though, I want the job to go ahead and if there Brew Cabin members who would want to consider looking at the job please let me know (currently favouring setts/cubes).

(this may not be the right part of the forum to discuss this matter so please delete/move as appropriate)

i would be happy to price it up for you regards cookie