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Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:52 pm
by composthappens
Hi I am new here. I am making a footpath for my front garden, I am using blockeys clay pavers and want to make the path look old, not like a driveway. I have left slight gaps between the pavers so they look like bricks laid on the ground. I have used sharp sand and cement to lay them on straight onto clay soil (2"thick) and used a dry mix 3:1, then to grout the pavers I have used 2 parts soft sand, 1 part sharp sand, and 1 part cement. I haven't finished the path yet, but I want to do more to make the pavors more solid. It rained heavy the day after I laid them and the mortar is hard but I wonder if it will stay that way, I need to grout them again as little gaps have appeared although I did try really hard to fill in all the spaces initially. My question is, can I use something over the pavers and pointing to make it more solid and weather proof? and also I think I need to make an edge with something around the path itself to stop any pavers from coming loose, any ideas what I could use? I thought of some thin pieces of wood as a retainer? the front garden gets flooded in one part so I am avoiding putting pavers down there even though it does drain away quickly. how do I upload a photo? thanks.
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:44 pm
by lutonlagerlout
hmmm
hate to say it but sounds like a total botch job
i would say rip it out and start again but do it correctly
the rigid technique you aspired to has the blocks buttered like bricks as you go then laid onto 100mm of fresh leanmix
then pointed at the end of the day
sorry
LLL
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 8:44 am
by composthappens
What do you mean a botch job? I am not a cowboy contractor! I think that is quite rude to be so blunt, I am a girlie doing this on my own, following youtube and this website, so if anyone has anything constructive to say it would be welcomed, not "sounds like a botch job". At least I am trying!
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:23 am
by lutonlagerlout
The time to look for advice is before you get it wrong
Rude maybe? Realistic yes
Would you rather we told you what a wonderful job you had done for it to fail in 6 months time?
Can you tell me , did you grout the paviors with a dry mix?
Cheers LLL
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:30 am
by composthappens
yes, I used a dry mix of soft sand a bit of sharp sand and cement, like the bloke at B&Q told me to do 
I used 2 parts soft sand 1 part sharp sand and 1 part cement. and I am gutted if it is wrong, how can I show you a photo? I was so proud of it too.
to bed the bricks on I used 3 parts soft sand and 1 part cement as per tommy walsh (don't laf) please tell me how to upload a photo
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:31 am
by composthappens
correction, to bed the bricks on I used 3 parts sharp sand and 1 part cement sorry.
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 5:01 pm
by lutonlagerlout
sorry CH B and Q and tommy walsh are not paving experts
your bedding material may work if the clay is not too bad
putting dry pointing material in nearly always fails
the path should have had some kind of sub base either hardcore wacked down or type 1 wacked down
but lets assume the path is ok
next you need to upload a picture
need a photobucket account with these settings
or PM your email address and send them to me
pointing generally has to be moist enough to set properly but not too wet
cheers LLL
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 8:53 pm
by lutonlagerlout
compost happens path
LLL
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 9:34 pm
by composthappens
hi LLL, ok, please advise what to do? If I have to dig it up again what mix do I use to bed on, and to point,and how deep should the bedding mix be please.?
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2014 11:45 pm
by lutonlagerlout
CH if you were looking for a rustic look then you have it
if a professional had done that they would get slaughtered on here but as a DIY job its ok
i would say carry on as before but you really need to do your cuts as you go
are you using a hammer and bolster?
if so make a little pile of sand,place the block on the sand to be cut and give a sharp hit with the hammer and bolster (eye protection needed)
your planting will have a big effect on the edges
try and get the plants to cover the edges a little
cheers LLL 
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 8:34 am
by composthappens
ohhh, its not finished yet and I haven't cut any blocks, it will be pretty much square, now LLL do I need to dig it up and put some mot1 underneath to lay it on? Do I carry on using a dry mix of sharp sand and cement to bed the bricks down on? 3:1 mix? How thick should the base be?
I am worried that there is no mot1 underneath, I didn't know I had to have this for a foot path.
What about the pointing? what recipe would I use for that?
Maybe I should have bigger gaps between the bricks with more compo inbetween? so many questions! thanks LLL
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 3:27 pm
by sy76uk
As Tony said, If your looking for a rustic look and your happy with how it looks then carry on with it they way your doing it already.
They problems I can see are,
1, your laying from edgings that are not in a straight line and that is effecting the lines and levels of your paving.
2, your bedding layers are not correct. As Tony said above, they really need to be laid on concrete and buttered with your 3/1 wetmix for pointing as you go along.
3, you really could do with a step.
If you were to start again I'd build a step.
Put in a new row of edgings on the opposite side.
Make sure they are straight.
run your stretcher bond the opposite way.
Use a spacer or a string line to keep your joints the same width throughout.
Use a straight edge from one edging to the other to ensure your blocks are the correct level.
What ever you decide, good luck.
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 4:18 pm
by composthappens
Hi there, thank you for your input. I think I will continue with the path, but for the rest of it, I will use a wet mix. I have shaved a bit of the topsoil off making the ground slightly lower, allowing for a thicker mix for the base. this area had crazy paving before, and there is something like a gravel base underneath.
Would a wet mix be ok for the rest of it? And yes, I do need a step, but how I will do it god only knows! I didn't want my stretcher bond going the other way tho.
so, can I continue with a wet mix then? 3:1 as before? But make it thicker.?
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 4:20 pm
by sy76uk
Bedding mortar should be a maximum of 50mm thick. Anything over needs to be concrete.
Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2014 6:41 pm
by composthappens
ok thank you, and what would that mix be please? sharp sand, cement, anything else? what ratio?