Garden patio advice please

[Mendy Brendy]

Hi,

I'm hoping that some of you kind experts can assist me; I'd like to know what the definitive advice is for laying 450mm sq precast concrete flags (35mm thick) onto a sub base of MOT and bed of sand please?

I'm asking because my elderly mother has just had a patio laid and I'd like to find out whether it's been done properly or not. The area is approx 22sqm and abutting two walls of the house.

Particularly: Should the MOT have been compacted with a whacker?
Should the sand base have been compacted with a whacker?
Is it reasonable to expect some rocking of flags with a grinding noise as it grinds the sand?
Is it reasonable to accept some unevenness in the level between adjacent flags (up to perhaps 2mm)?
Is it reasonable to accept some misalignment of joins between rows of flags (up to perhaps 4mm)?
Should the flags be bonded or merely brushed with kiln dried sand?
Is it reasonable to accept the flags in the recessed manhole cover to be perhaps 2mm higher than the edge of the cover?

Swift advice will be greatly, greatly appreciated.

Cheers :;):

[lutonlagerlout]

the mere fact you are here mendy says to me all is very much not right
slabs should be laid on a mortar bed (6:1 grit sand:cement) and should be pointed with sand/cement
if you can post a picture it will let us evaluate it much better

ps the answer to your questions is no,no,no,no,no,no and no
LLL

[Mendy Brendy]

Hi LLL,

Thanks for the reply. I don't know how to upload photos here so I've uploaded them to my facebook page; here is the link: http://on.fb.me/19LlYdC

I hope that this is ok.

Cheers

[lutonlagerlout]

harry can you just post a picture of the whole thing please?
LLL

[Mendy Brendy]

I'll see what I can do but they're coming back in the morning to (hopefully) re-lay them properly and at the moment I don't have a photo of the whole patio. I'll see if I can get one tomorrow.

[Mendy Brendy]

I've got my mum to take some photos for me but I can't guarantee they'll be in focus! I'll upload tomorrow.

[lutonlagerlout]

harry from the pictures you posted it looks a botch job
just out of interest what did she pay?
cheers LLL

[r896neo]

I don't see a problem with laying small format flags onto a grit sand bed and jointing with kiln dried sand if its done well.

In fact this is the recommended technique by both of the major players here in northern ireland for 400x400 units.

The rest of your queries i agree with Luton.

[Mendy Brendy]

She's not paid yet but the quote was £895.

[lutonlagerlout]

not doubting you neo
but laying 38mm thick slabs on plain old grit sand is a pure fail in my book
why scrimp on £50 of cement?

I understand laying commercial small units 60-90mm thick on wacked and screeded sand

kds as a jointing material ???

LLL

ps harry £895 is on the cheap end for a proper job,but that doesnt look like a proper job to me

[Mendy Brendy]

Ok, 2 more photos uploaded.

Thanks for your comments.

[lutonlagerlout]

it looks a middling job
not bad but not fantastic
LLL

[dig dug dan]

cannot see the photos. cannot comment except, screeded sand bed is only any good for council greys
You can butt joint some slabs, but not sure why kds should need to be swept in?

[Mendy Brendy]

Sadly, the bully-boys have won. I'm not happy with the work and want them to put it right, however my mum has had enough of the conflict and has agreed to accept and pay. Every time I politely raised issues I was shouted at and threatened with having all the flags lifted and removed. Nice people!

Too many uneven and misaligned flags for my liking.

[lutonlagerlout]

shame on them
£895 is probably too cheap for a proper job ,but what they have done looks shoddy
I lose out on jobs to eejits like this a lot of the time and then get the callback when its all gone wrong
sorry for your mum mendy
LLL