Filling gaps in between my patio slabs?

Babbawah

RS2000. wrote: »

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

Any slab retrospectively pointed will suffer the pointing failing after a very short space of time. It doesn't need any movement that you can perceive !

Pro landscapers like to butter up the slabs as they lay them, in this way the pointing material is consolidated with the slab bed material.

This is something that maybe only those folk who have been there and done that would understand.

roneik

My earlier post using dry mix works and is a technique used by many. You wait for the water on top of the slabs to dry before putting the dry mix into the gaps. Even if you didn't the dry excess would brush away and nothing left would adhere to the slabs.
Tommy Walsh uses this technique he is a builder and lots of patio slab layers use it too. We have to keep up at the back
I worked in the car industry for many years but don't know everything about cars. Things move on . Human beings are clever and are forever improving and finding easier better ways of working and that's why there will never be full employment . Technology and techniques are forever changing.

ceredigion

Somebody will suggest using a polymer based jointing compound soon


[don't ]

tony6403

roneik wrote: »

My earlier post using dry mix works and is a technique used by many. You wait for the water on top of the slabs to dry before putting the dry mix into the gaps. Even if you didn't the dry excess would brush away and nothing left would adhere to the slabs.
Tommy Walsh uses this technique he is a builder and lots of patio slab layers use it too. We have to keep up at the back
I worked in the car industry for many years but don't know everything about cars. Things move on . Human beings are clever and are forever improving and finding easier better ways of working and that's why there will never be full employment . Technology and techniques are forever changing.

A dry mix will not stand the test of time. It does not have the properties of properly mixed mortar.
BTW Tommy Walsh has been "developing and testing" his "DIY Time" brand of tools being flogged at Poundland. I bought some wire brushes which are terrible.

greenface

Rake as much crap out as you can esp. the weeds . brush up and clean everywhere . when on a dry day and your area is clean and dry brush some kiln dried (even playsand) and cement mix in tamp down gently and keep brushing in the moisture underneath and rain above will set your mortar hard in time . be carefull when cleaning and jet washing the first few times .

sillygoose

ceredigion wrote: »

Somebody will suggest using a polymer based jointing compound soon


[don't ]

That is a vicious slur on a wonderful product! mine lasted several weeks before turning a nasty colour and falling out. Not to mention the delightful cloud of noxious fumes over the patio for a couple of weeks while it cured.

SailorSam

The Newbie has it right, you brush a dry mix into the gaps then wet it.

Babbawah

ceredigion wrote: »

Somebody will suggest using a polymer based jointing compound soon


[don't ]

I hope so, because 99% of folk will achieve a much, much better result.

Babbawah

SailorSam wrote: »

The Newbie has it right, you brush a dry mix into the gaps then wet it.

You are both WRONG.

Unless you want your pointing to fail prematurely.

wallbash

The Newbie has it right, you brush a dry mix into the gaps then wet it.

And thereby stain your slabs and have a weak mixture that won't last and should NEVER be power washed!