Filling gaps in between my patio slabs?

ClarkeKent

After a few years of neglect, we have some small and other sizeable gaps between our patio flags. Just need some tips on the best way to sort it out.

Do I need grit sand mixed with concrete to fill them back in?

Should I leave the pebbles, rocks that have accumulated at the bottom of the gaps(probably old broken bits) in to act as a bit of a base?

Do you recommend a 3 part sand, 1 part concrete mix?

Thankyou in advance

RS2000.

Building sand and cement 4:1 will do it.

You may want to do the whole patio depending on the size.

ClarkeKent

Like knock all the good bits out with a chisel? 75% is fine, although a little darker than the new stuff would be.

Should I leave the stones, bits in the bottom as a foundation? It is 2 inches at its deepest

wallbash

When making up the 'muck' , should be wet enough to hold its shape when squeezed, but not wet enough to stain your hands........thats fairly dry.

ClarkeKent

Does it need to be a gritsand mix with concrete or will builders sand do it?

wallbash

I was taught to use a mixture of soft and sharp sand, but that causes more problems on a big job. Had to measure each with a fair degree of accuracy, so that the final result was always constant, colour wise!

So it was a level bucket and a childs sandcastle bucket. But I can't remember which was which, it was many years ago.

Also when 're-pointing' slabs, use a small pointing trowel and REALLY force the mixture into the gap, use a chopping motion, then a gentle smooth off.
The result will resist a powerwash for many years. I did my mothers crazy paving over twenty years ago, and I can honestly say the pointing is as good as it was on day one.

roneik

With a watering can water well the gaps in between slabs
If you make up a dry mix of 4 sand to 1 cement and brush into the gaps, then with a piece of tubing or wood press into the gap lightly. Sweep excess with brush and next day the mix will be as pointing but without the mess. Also very quick to do in comparison to troweling it in.

Babbawah

What really pee's me off . . . and forms the basis of what I do here . . . is this sort of nonsense ranks high on the search engines when a 'GENUINE' person seeks to sort out their patio.

wallbash

With a watering can water well the gaps in between slabs

But you will get surface of the slabs wet , or are you so clever that you can 'wet' using a watering can without the slab surface becoming wet??

So now we have a wet slab and you suggest we brush over the sand/ cement mix. AND you now telling us that there won't be a cement stain on the slab ??


Ps don't bother asking me for a reference.

Babbawah

If you need to retrospectively point your slabs/flags, then the absolute worst thing you can do is backfill with any kind of mortar.

What you are doing by this method is basically creating a 10mm X 20mm strip of mortar and expecting it to not crumble and break up when you start walking all over it.

RS2000.

Babbawah wrote: »

If you need to retrospectively point your slabs/flags, then the absolute worst thing you can do is backfill with any kind of mortar.

What you are doing by this method is basically creating a 10mm X 20mm strip of mortar and expecting it to not crumble and break up when you start walking all over it.

Why should the pointing break if there's no movement in the slabs?