Garden slab patio - what do you have inbetween the slabs?

youth_leader

Hello, my neighbour has just had a patio laid in her garden.  I was surprised to see it's just yellow sand in between the slabs - have they used this for drainage? Won't it get all weedy? 

koalakoala

This is very normal. What were you expecting to see?

FreeBear

Are you sure it is pure sand ?

Traditionally, a weak dry mix of sand & cement is brushed in to the gaps and tamped down. On block paving, kiln dried sand without any cement is the norm. Yes, weeds will take root in the sand, but a quick squirt of weedkiller soon knocks them back.

stuart45

There are a number of different methods of doing the joints. Polymeric sand is quite popular now. Sand/cement mortar mixed up to form a ball in your hand was often used. Brushing in a dry mix was a bit hit and miss in quality. Mortar joints need a solid base, sand can be used in a flexible one.

youth_leader

Thank you everyone, I'm not sure if it's just pure sand FreeBear.  It is quite yellow.  My neighbour has a problem with water in her garden, I thought they'd put fine gravel.

DB1904

youth_leader said:

Thank you everyone, I'm not sure if it's just pure sand FreeBear.  It is quite yellow.  My neighbour has a problem with water in her garden, I thought they'd put fine gravel.

Can't get much finer than sand. 

Bendy_House

The last time I did myself a paving slab patio, I left large 'grout' gaps - a half inch or so - and poured in a fine decorative gravel, which was effectively a continuation of the wider gravel strip against the house wall.

Did this for a few reasons - I thought it looked good, it allowed fast drainage, it was FAR less hassle, and - the main reason - it wouldn't crack or crumble with movement. Which would have been inevitable...

prowla

Ants......

Bendy_House

Weeds and ants should be pretty easy to deal with, I think?

clive0510

when I layed the patio I have out the back, didn't really know what I was doing. there was a solid concrete hard standing there where a shed had once stood and a coal bunker. so had someone drill up the hardstanding and take it away. then I didn't know what to do. so I dug down about 6 inches, ended up with a huge pile of soil, which was also taken away. then I filled the hole I had made with some hardcore like they use on the roads. smashed it all down hard, and then on top of that I put 2'' of sand all over it. then I laid my slabs on top of that. 83 slabs 18inch sqaure. that patio is still there, and still very solid. I get weeds every year. and all I do is spray them with weed killer. 

FreeBear

clive0510 said:

when I layed the patio I have out the back, didn't really know what I was doing. there was a solid concrete hard standing there where a shed had once stood and a coal bunker. so had someone drill up the hardstanding and take it away. then I didn't know what to do. so I dug down about 6 inches, ended up with a huge pile of soil, which was also taken away. then I filled the hole I had made with some hardcore like they use on the roads. smashed it all down hard, and then on top of that I put 2'' of sand all over it. then I laid my slabs on top of that. 83 slabs 18inch sqaure. that patio is still there, and still very solid. I get weeds every year. and all I do is spray them with weed killer. 

Despite not "really knowing", you were pretty much spot on with the preparation and base - If anything, you could have gotten away  just 25mm of sand rather than a 50mm layer.