Extending patio

staceysteve

Hi,
When we moved into our brand new house the patio seemed tiny so we've decided to extend it and we got given the slabs by the developers as they had some leftover.
Need to do this as inexpensively as possible...can we mix cement ourselves without getting a cement mixer??
Or are there other options for laying the slabs?

wallbash

Wickes use to sell something called Slab Mate

Mixture of sand /cement

Advantage that you layed it dry , take as long as you like to get it flat ( or if required sloped) then water with a watering can
Then place slabs on top . The slabs are then flat and level .

Worked out cost . made sense , if you have to include cost of hiring a mixer.

Result was a success.

ormus

if the ground is compact enough there is no need for any cement or concrete.
use sharp sand if required. i used nothing at all on my front garden slabs.
they havent moved an inch in 5 yrs.

bobhawke

What type of slab are they / how thick are they? If they are thin then you will want to lay them on mortar, if they are thick then sharp sand or a sharp sand and cement dry mix is fine. You can mix mortar by hand but it is very hard work. 0.25m³ of fresh, unset concrete weighs in at around two-thirds of a tonne, and that two-thirds of a tonne will need to be turned over at least 5 times to ensure all the ingredients, the sand, cement, gravel and water, are thoroughly mixed. Two-thirds of a tonne lifted and turned 5 times comes in at over 3 tonnes. If you are going to lay them yourself on mortar then you are probably better hiring a cement mixer for a week, unless you really want to save money in which case you cancel your gym membership and mix everything by hand.

staceysteve

Just plain grey concrete ones, quite large though I'd say say at least 80cm by 60cm and then at least 5-6cm deep.

staceysteve

I'd say the ground is very compact, they are going to relay the turf next week as there is so much rumble underneath and it isn't draining well so very hard.

bobhawke

3 feet by 2 feet and 2 inches thick sound right? If that is the case and it is only foot traffic then laying them on sharp sand is fine. Get a couple of lengths of something that is fairly smooth and perfectly straight, roughly an inch thick to use as a screed rail. Put them on / in the ground to the required height, use your spirit level to allow for a slight run for drainage, dump your sand in between / around your screed rails, rest a length of straight wood on your rails and drag it along the rails to spread the sand evenly. Lay your slabs.