Laying Porcelain Patio

Fogle1980

Hi, we have done the groundworks in preparation for laying a new patio with a Type 1 sub base with the intention of laying the tiles too. However, due to time constraints we’ve had a quote to lay 20m2 tiles which involves levelling, using a whacker and laying the tiles. We’ve been quoted 2K.

Does this seem reasonable or do you think we should persist and do the job ourselves which would probably cost us £300 max to finish. My husband has laid decking, normal paving etc and is a competent DIYer but has never laid porcelain before.

FreeBear

Has the MOT1 been compacted with a whacker plate ?

I've laid slabs for my patio - It isn't too difficult to do, but you do need to pay attention to the falls and make sure it slopes away from the house.

Porcelain is best laid on a 50mm thick bed of mortar - It needs to be a full bed, not five dollops that some bodgers recommend. For 20m² @ 50mm thick, you'll need 1.5 tonnes of sand and 300Kg (12 bags) of cement. That is a lot to mix by hand, so if you can get hold of a cement mixer, that will speed things up. Or you could mix smaller quantities by hand - Do it in a wheelbarrow and use a rake to mix the sand/cement before adding water.

Well worth reading https://www.pavingexpert.com/porcelain-paving

twopenny

How much experience does the builder have with porcelain slabs?

We've had a couple of threads on here where things didn't go well. Could be worth reading also.

EssexExile

twopenny said:

How much experience does the builder have with porcelain slabs?

We've had a couple of threads on here where things didn't go well. Could be worth reading also.

A neighbour had a specialist in to do his porcelain patio, all of it from the ground up, it still looks great a few years later. The other neighbour had a general builder lay his porcelain patio and it didn't last long before cracks appeared and water was pooling from the start.

Personally I wouldn't spend that sort of money on a patio, but if I did I'd want a professional doing it all and a good guarantee. I'd worry that if the op gets someone in to lay the tiles and later problems occur they'll blame the preparation.

tetrarch

We had 140 sq m of porcelain patio laid. There is an awful lot of care and preparation required to get the levels, drainage and positioning exactly right. The next thing is the quality of the fixing material, how it is mixed and applied and then how well it is grouted.

In an effort to "do it properly" I took the recommendation of the slab provider 

Basically good installer and best materials is the best way to ensure a successful outcome. You need to see previous work and get a recommendation if you can

Regards

Tet

stuart45

I've done a couple of patios with porcelain slabs. If your husband is experienced in slab laying, he should be able to lay them with the right tools. You need to prime the backs before laying. An SBR/cement mix is one method.
I use my Norton Clipper to cut them. It's easier than an angle grinder.