Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 10:24 am
The cheapest quote I’ve had for laying a 4x5mtr patio over clean hard clay raises a couple of questions. The contractor says that a couple of inches of “hardcore�, as he puts it, will be compacted using a hand tamper, not a machine; and says he will lay the one-size slabs on sand only (no cement), with concrete around the edges to keep it all together, then pointed. Presumably the sand bed will also be compacted by hand. No membrane is mentioned.
Can hand tamping do the job ok? Is it acceptable to lay slabs on sand only? Thanks.
PS – As ants can be a problem under patios in this area, does that automatically call for a sand/cement base?
Can hand tamping do the job ok? Is it acceptable to lay slabs on sand only? Thanks.
PS – As ants can be a problem under patios in this area, does that automatically call for a sand/cement base?
