Laying Patios

Jessij_3

Does anyone know a cheap way of pointing a new patio, please? Neither my husband or I are any good at DIY so wouldn't know where to start with cementing it. Someone told me that you can use something called pea gravel, does anyone know of a relatively cheap and most important of all an easy and not very messy way of pointing a patio? Thanks.

Lorian

There shouldn't really be any gaps to point if it's laid properly.

Gaps would need to be bigger than an inch to filll with pea gravel.

Jessij_3

Its newly laid and there are gaps between the slabs, don't think they are wider than an inch but they're wide enough to get one's high heels stuck in! The slabs were rather expensive york stone effect ones and as they are quite deep the gaps between them are as well of course. It looks lovely but I need to fill these gaps!

EasilyAggravated

mix 1 part cement to 4 parts sand. pour onto the patio and brush into the gaps. make sure you force it down to the bottom of the gaps. this is known as dry pointing and will eventually set. dont try adding water because it will mark your slabs and you wont get it off

tomstickland

We used the above method a few weeks ago and it's the way to do it. Really easy.

Jessij_3

Thanks, however, even this sounds complicated for me (I'm completely hopeless at outdoor things)! I think I would manage to make a great mess even though this is dry pointing! What types of cement and sand (presuming you can get different types!)? I might try this cement thing as a last resort, after trying pea gravel or something that's extremely easy and you don't need to mix, which hopefully someone might be able to suggest.

EasilyAggravated

go to your local builders and get a bag of cement, its all the same so dont worry about the name on the bag as long as its cement. get yourself a bag of coarse sharp sand. get a shovel and use 4 shovels of sand to 1 shovel of cement. mix will and pour into the gaps. it really is that easy. dont forget pea gravel wont set so it will come out of the gaps after time, personally id go with the dry pointing because it will fill the gaps and you wont get your heels stuck in it. if you do make a mess then you're doing it right. just get something to push it into the gaps with.

tomstickland

As above. Even lazier is to buy a bag of sand-cement mix from Wickes or similar. Just use a shovel to mix it up then use a broom to brush it into the gaps.

economiser

Be careful with dry pointing. If you leave any residue on the surface of the slabs in may stain them. Just read this in Marshall's catalogue. They advise against it.