We have an area within our garden known as the "Chimney Garden", that used to be an adjoining outhouse. It no longer has a roof, and only 4' of the outside walls, but has been turned into a walled garden with a BBQ in the old chimney breast.
The floor in this area used to be untidy concrete, so we lifted it to lay flagstones, only to find the original cobbled floor. It is constructed mainly of flat stones, and angular ones layed on edge to form lines. They would appear to be laid in a clay type material.
We have cleaned them up, and raked between the stones to remove 50 yrs of yuck (technical term!). We now need to re-point them, as the gap between the cobbles is too deep to leave and makes siting in a chair at a table like a balancing act!
I heard about brushing in a dry mix (3 sand:1 cement), but the silver sand I purchased (my wife would like a grey colour) is too wet, and would not brush in. Instead it ended up a dampish mortar, effectively covering the smaller stones, losing a lot of definition and making it a complete mess. It looked like the concrete with some of the stones showing!
Can anyone offer any assistance? I have seen kiln dried yellow (golden) sand, but can you get kiln dried silver sand? Is there another way forward, apart from pointing the stones individually, which would be difficult with some of the space between the stones? Or should I just cut my losses and go for the kiln dried golden sand/cement dry mix option?
Many thanks from a well meaning but very inexperienced amateur.
Renovating a cobbled area
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Tony McC
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If these are cobbles and NOT setts, then they may well have been laid into a bed of clay, lime and horse dung. This was the traditional bedding and jointing material in many parts of the country until we went bloody mad with portland cement.
Re-pointing old cobbles is a nightmare, but some of the grittier polymer jointing materials can be quite effective. In particular, I've have good results using a grey granite-sand product from Germany. Application is very simple and straightforward, and the end result is visually satisfying - or at least it is to me.
The only problem is getting hold of the product. Where in the country are you?
Re-pointing old cobbles is a nightmare, but some of the grittier polymer jointing materials can be quite effective. In particular, I've have good results using a grey granite-sand product from Germany. Application is very simple and straightforward, and the end result is visually satisfying - or at least it is to me.
The only problem is getting hold of the product. Where in the country are you?
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