New Patio am I being unreasonable?

SteveVy

noitsnotme said:

So they’ve just laid the slabs on top of sand?  Wow!  

I’ve just had 2 patios laid by a fantastic team of guys. They properly prepared and compacted a thick hardcore base and then bedded the slabs in a thick bed of mortar, using levels and rubber mallets to adjust the slabs to the correct height.

My patios will last for years, yours is likely to look like it’s been hit by an earthquake in no time at all and you’ll be plagued with weeds coming up between the slabs.

I did question this but then I saw this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8G0RjpLU1c

Ballymoney

What was the total price for the job? £1250 + materials?

I sympathise with the OP, the quality is extremely poor. As someone who has had a patio laid in the last few years, and paid considerably more for it, I can tell you that you have been quoted for a cheap job and got exactly that. It's probably not what you want to hear but there's no point sugar coating the issue.

The sub base is extremely inadequate (non existent?) and, even if they left you with an even finish now it won't last. I wouldn't be surprised if the dot & dab method was used when laying the stones too instead of a 50mm bed of mortar.

Sorry OP, but I'd pay the £1000 and write this off as a bad job (and experience).

noitsnotme

SteveVy said:

noitsnotme said:

So they’ve just laid the slabs on top of sand?  Wow!  

I’ve just had 2 patios laid by a fantastic team of guys. They properly prepared and compacted a thick hardcore base and then bedded the slabs in a thick bed of mortar, using levels and rubber mallets to adjust the slabs to the correct height.

My patios will last for years, yours is likely to look like it’s been hit by an earthquake in no time at all and you’ll be plagued with weeds coming up between the slabs.

I did question this but then I saw this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8G0RjpLU1c

It’s a nice easy way of doing it DIY but not if you want it to last.  The comment your builder made of “you won’t get any better anywhere else” is laughable!  Real professionals will do it properly which is NOT the way they’ve done yours.

For example - https://blog.primethorpepaving.co.uk/can-you-lay-paving-slabs-on-building-sand

“This is not a guide on how to lay paving slabs on sand, because long story short, you shouldn't!”

Even B&Qs ‘how to’ shows how to do it properly - https://www.diy.com/ideas-advice/how-to-lay-a-patio/PROD_npcart_100439.art

noitsnotme

Ballymoney said:

The sub base is extremely inadequate (non existent?) and, even if they left you with an even finish now it won't last. I wouldn't be surprised if the dot & dab method was used when laying the stones too instead of a 50mm bed of mortar.

From the pictures it doesn’t even look like they’ve dot and dabbed.  It looks like the slabs have been laid straight on top of the sand.

GN2020

Personally, I wouldn’t pay for shoddy work and I would most certainly be contacting the police about the racist threats. 

No way would I pay for cr*p work and don’t let them bully/threaten you into it either. 

Why should you spend your own money on substandard work, regardless of whether anyone else thinks because it’s cheap you get what you pay for. Just because it’s cheap(er) doesn’t mean you have to accept the fact it’s sh*te and certainly not the abuse you got either. 

I’d name and shame the company on here as well so no-one else uses them. 

SteveVy

Thanks for all the comments, when I was getting previous quotes I was told the patio would cost £1,250 and funnily enough this is how much I currently owe to the company....I don't want to get in a dispute with them but how much do you think I should pay if anything?

From the previous comments I can confirm I am pretty sure the slabs were laid directly on to the sand...this also sort of shows why they are moving so much when walking on....

I've already paid for all materials as this was part of a larger job (£3,250 total) which was done to just about an acceptable standard.

I've not yet gone to the police I am still contemplating what to do...I've got the video recording saved.

Ballymoney

What's important here is what exactly was in your quote?

It may be too late for the OP but for anyone considering having a new patio laid you MUST get the firm to quote for a proper job. By that I mean excavation (300-350mm), a proper sub base (min. 100mm MOT1) and bed of mortar (min. 50mm) and have it itemised in the quote! If your quote is just to have 'a patio laid' then they can get away with a shoddy job.

FreeBear

Ballymoney said: ... you MUST get the firm to quote for a proper job. By that I mean excavation (300-350mm), a proper sub base (min. 100mm MOT1) and bed of mortar (min. 50mm)

For a domestic patio that is unlikely to see heavy loads, you can get away with 75mm of hardcore. Depending on the thickness of the slabs, 25mm of bedding mortar is plenty. The mortar is there to fill in any humps & hollows and to ensure the slab has support across the whole area without any voids.

Bedding slabs on to plain sand - meh... OK with small pavers that are being whacked down and the edges are constrained by concrete or walls, but not 450x450 slabs.

SteveVy

Thanks all any ideas on how much I should be paying to get this repaired? (more than likely relaid again)

The area is just under 30sqm2 , I've had one quote over the phone of £3K...to do the work.

I've got a few more quotes booked in for next week.

TELLIT01

Mojisola said:

SteveVy said:

I do have full video and audio recording of the threats, luckily the threats were made in front of my video door bell!

In that case I would contact your local policing team and show it to them.

Agreed.....