Sunday
09Sep2007
How to lay the perfect patio
Sunday, September 9, 2007 at 11:02PM Keen to impress the neighbours? Trying to get one up on your mate in that swanky apartment? If so, you need a new patio! And what’s more, you can have the satisfaction of having laid it yourself. Continuing the theme of Little Dicks Hints and Tips, rather than a monologue of endless instructions, here are some pointers on the basics of laying a beautiful patio.
The Base
- Preparation of the base is the key to a successful patio. Keep that desperation to lay the slabs under control for a little longer, and spend your time on the prep.
- Lay down 100mmof well compacted hardcore, blinded and covered with 25mm sharp sand onto which the slabs can be laid.
- Put a slight slope on the patio to keep water run off away from the building. If necessary install drains to a soakaway or guide run off onto the lawn. If the water will unavoidably run towards the building , ensure the patio is 150mm below the dpc in the house, and consider installing a gully drain.
- Set strings or timber boards out to determine levels. Consider hiring or buying a laser to help measure adequate falls, straight lines and angles.
Laying the Slabs
- Laying of the first few slabs is crucial. Avoid ending up with thin strips at the patio edge by moving the middle slabs over, or starting with half slabs. A small amount of time spent measuring will mean a much improved finish.
- Use a level to check neighbouring slabs finish flush with each other.
- Top Tip: Try to avoid being overly fussy about the last few millimetres. It is better to spend an hour laying 10 decent slabs than one perfect slab. The more you lay, the better you will become. Being overly fastidious will only lead to frustration and slow progress.
- If laying with a sharp sand/cement lean mix instead of straight sand it is crucial to keep the slabs clean. Keep the joints clear ready for pointing. Cement will stain the slabs, especially natural stone, very easily. Keep the mix as dry as possible otherwise the ‘fat’ will rise through the gaps and spill onto the top of the slabs.
- Keep one line of joints square with at least one wall of the building, preferably the longest wall.
Pointing
The finishing touch! After all that hard work, the patio can still be ruined by some wayward and careless pointing.
- Brush a very dry sand and cement lean mix into the gaps and allow it to harden over time. This is perfect for keeping slabs clean but takes a long time, and you may be trouble if it rains.
- The Tommy Walsh method. I saw this tip on one of the big mans TV shows, so he deserves the credit. To speed up the setting time of the pointing, use a watering can to fill the gaps up with water. Once the surface has dried, brush in the pointing mix and it will quickly soak up the moisture from the sub base and harden quicker. On the downside, it only works best on a sunny day when the surface of the slabs will dry out quickly.
I hope this guide will have been some use to you. Remember, building is more effort than brains. Summon up the courage, give it a go, and a patio should present no problems. Most important of all, do the preparation. Good Luck.
Reader Comments (1)
In your preparation you say to use a bed of sand, but make no mention of any cement. Should you not use a lean mix of sand and cement?
Great article though. Very thorough.