How to point a patio?
For patio pointing, there are two options. The contemporary procedure, which involves using a joint compound, is simple, rapid, effective, and can accommodate several laying patterns. The disadvantage is that it is costly. The classic approach involves mixing cement and sand in a mortar mix.
What kind of sand do you use to point a patio?
It’s generally recommended that you use a ratio of 1:3 cement and sand for grouting and pointing. Again, you can also buy ready mix grout if you’re unsure. This guide explains the best way to point a patio, step by step. Should I use sharp sand or builders sand?
Can you lay a patio with just sand and cement?
You can technically lay a patio with just sand, but using a cement mix is widely tried and tested. We wouldn’t recommend you use sand alone unless you want to experiment. What is the mix for patio grouting? It’s generally recommended that you use a ratio of 1:3 cement and sand for grouting and pointing.
What is the best mortar mix for pointing guns?
So the correct mortar mix is the absolute key for pointing guns to function well. The 4:1 soft sand and cement mixture with plasticiser works for most people. Plasticiser is a must when creating a smooth mortar mix that’s suitable for pointing guns.
What color is Marshall's weatherpoint?
Does white cement make mortar creamier?
What is the best mix for repointing a patio?
The Patio Mortar Ratio The best mix for pointing patios is ideal at a ratio of 1:4 – one part concrete and four parts sharp sand. In some cases, you can use 1:3, but that's only really going to help when you're pointing.
What is the mix for patio mortar?
Using four parts sand to one part cement and water, create a mortar mix. Take care to add just the right amount of water for a firm consistency – it should be damp, but not wet and runny.
What to use for pointing a patio?
Mortar Pointing. This is the most common method used for sealing the joints between flags/slabs. It is also used for rigid block paving and for pointing the joints that occur between sectional kerbs and edging units.
Can you use a dry mix for pointing?
The Old Fashioned & Cheap Way – Sand & Cement The old-fashioned and cheap way of pointing your patio pavement is by using a dry mixture of sand and cement. The cement mix depends mainly on your joint's width. You need to do the re fill not only on a dry day but also when the patio itself is dry.
What is the mix of sand and cement for pointing?
Standard mix for wall pointing: 5 parts building sand, 1 part cement, add plasticiser to manufacturers instructions. Use maximum amount when mixing by hand. Patio slabs or exposed brickwork, you may need a stronger mix. For example - 3:1 sand / cement.
How thick should patio mortar be?
approximately 35-40mm deepThe depth of the mortar bed should be approximately 35-40mm deep. Ideally starting from a right angle or straight edge, place the slab down. Gently tap with a rubber mallet or press down with your hands and use a spirit level to ensure to make sure the slab is level and in line with your proposed design.
What sand is used for pointing?
Soft sand is also known as building sand and contains fine grains of sand and is used for bricklaying, pointing and where thin layers of mortar are required. Sharp sand is more coarse than building/soft sand and is perfect for mixing with other sands to prevent cracking during the drying process.
Can I use sharp sand for pointing slabs?
Sharp sand can be used for pointing patios as it wouldn't cause any problem while pointing but will notice a different texture and finish after it has been dried compared to building sand.
What do you fill patio joints with?
When you're laying a new patio, you can fill large gaps between patio pavers with either regular sand, a DIY mix of concrete and sand, or polymeric sand. These can be applied using a trowel and packed down with a screwdriver, then finished by brushing over the gaps with a broom.
How do I make a dry mix for pointing?
Use a dry-ish building sand, plastering sand or, if so desired, a Kiln Dried Jointing sand. Some installers like to use a coarser or sharp sand, but this can result in a rough-looking finish when used for dry grouting. A 3:1 ratio of sand and cement are mixed without the addition of ANY water.
How do you fill gaps between patio slabs?
Filling large gaps between paving slabs can be easily achieved with wet brush-in joint filler or polymeric sand. Wet brush-in filler is more flexible, making the joints less susceptible to cracking as the temperature changes throughout the year.
What is the best way to point paving slabs?
2:514:56How to Point Paving Slabs - a Simple Patio Jointing Guide for BeginnersYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTrying not to apply pressure on the mortar on the outside edges because that could get it to stain aMoreTrying not to apply pressure on the mortar on the outside edges because that could get it to stain a little bit try and avoid the edges. And just push down into the gap.
What is the best mortar mix for laying slabs?
You should use a 5:1 ratio bedding mortar for all paving slab types (porcelain, sandstone, limestone, granite, slate or concrete).
What is the correct mix for mortar?
The standard ratio for average mortar mix is 3:1 or 4:1 for bricklaying. If you are using a pointing mix, then you should have a ratio of 1:4 or 1:5 mortar to sand. As for concrete, it depends on the strength you need it to be at. Usually, it is good practice to mix concrete at 1:2 mix to materials.
How do you make paving slab mortar?
0:121:43How To Mix Mortar - Patio Paving - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOne part cement. And water you may wish to add plasticizer to the mix which improves workabilityMoreOne part cement. And water you may wish to add plasticizer to the mix which improves workability just follow the advice. And the instructions on the packaging. Unless you are laying a very small
How do you mix mortar for pavers?
Mix up a strong grout mix of 3-parts sand and 1-part cement. Add coloured oxide if needed. Add water and continue to mix until you achieve a very wet consistency. Spread the grout over the paving and agitate with a foam trowel or squeegee until the mix has filled the 5-7mm joins between the paving.
Wet or dry mix mortar for patio — MoneySavingExpert Forum
I am laying slabs to make a patio area, about 11 Square mtrs, this is the first time I have done this, and im not sure whether to use a wet or dry mix for the mortar bed.
Patio Pointing | Screwfix Community Forum
Hello All Last summer I laid a large patio in the garden and finally got round to pointing it just before October. It all looked very nice until I came to hose it down last weekend to get rid of all the winter **** that accumulate.
The Best Patio Mortar Mix for Laying Paving Slabs: [Simple Guide]
In this guide, we’ll help you find the perfect patio mortar mix ratio and let you know the tools you’ll need. Creating your own mortar mix for patio slabs is easily done once you know how, but you’re going to need to do some mathematics!
Pointing my slabs - MyBuilder
Hi, Many factors prevent jointing from drying out quickly, in most cases weather conditions, bad drainage and enclosed garden spaces, because of this mortar jointing has a shorter life span on such paved areas apose to some resign jointing materials, also any voids beneath the patio holding water / moisture or poor patio jointing.
Patio Grout - what's the best..? - Page 1 - PistonHeads
I've started using a proprietary high flow grout: Mix it up so it's very sloppy, wet the slabs down then the grout is spread overt the slab area using a large squeegee, til all the joints are full.
The Patio Mortar Ratio
The best mix for pointing patios is ideal at a ratio of 1:4 – one part concrete and four parts sharp sand. In some cases, you can use 1:3, but that’s only really going to help when you’re pointing.
Using a Cement Mixer
Using a cement mixer is ideal for more extensive paving areas – you’re going to need a lot of foundation mix before you start laying. For whole driveways and bigger patios, hand mixing can be a struggle.
Using Mortar Mix for Patio Pointing
You can sometimes use the same mix for your patio pointing. This is probably worth doing if you have excess mortar to use. However, you’ll need a very steady hand, as it’s precise work.
The Last Word
Getting that concrete mix right for your paving slab project is easier than you might think, but it still takes some practice. You don’t just need enough paving slabs and appropriate safety protection to get started – before you start laying directly, you need to follow the golden ratio of 1:4.
Pointing Gun Keeps Blocking
If your problem is that the guns block up even when done with the correct mixture, then you may try sieving the sand and cement first to remove the larger particles to prevent blocking up the gun, especially if your gun has a smaller nozzle.
Ready-Mix Mortar for Pointing Gun
I read all the specifications of the popular pointing guns like Roughneck and PointMaster as well as many other guns on the market. Using pre or ready mix mortar with the guns was nowhere mentioned.
Keeping the Gun Clean
Clean gun is another secret after the right mortar mix to make the pointing gun perform consistently. If you let the mortar dry out inside the gun by not cleaning it after using, the gun will be harder to use next time.
In Summary
Pointing guns can be really handy to have, and it can speed up the process of pointing a patio once you really get a hang of it. Many people think that they wasted £20 or £30 whatever, for the pointing and it’s really of no use because it’s clogging up. But the right mortar mix is all you need to make the gun work easily and it will be worth it.
What tools are needed to cut out pointing left on a patio?from diydoctor.org.uk
A hammer and bolster chisel are the best tools for this, along with a plugging chisel (images below) for tight joints.
Why is my patio not pointing?from diydoctor.org.uk
The most common cause of patio pointing failure is when voids are present either within the joint or under it. These are easily formed when a lump of sand clogs up the joint and it may look as though this joint is full but in fact it is not.
What is playpit sand?from diydoctor.org.uk
This is more commonly called playpit sand. The sand is mixed with cement at a ratio of 1 to 1 and spread out to dry thoroughly. Do not mix on the patio. Using a bucket, sprinkle this mix along a couple of joints. Using a soft brush, brush carefully sweep it into the joint.
Can you point brickwork on a patio?from diydoctor.org.uk
If you have a patio which has been pointed this way then follow our pointing brickwork project as the principle is the same. You may need to match the sand and cement for the right consistency colour and we have a matching mortar project for that as well.
Can patios be pointed?from diydoctor.org.uk
It should be left to dry in the same way. Patios can be pointed quite quickly using this method and providing everything is dry there need be no staining of the slabs associated with ordinary pointing.
Can you use an angle grinder on slabs?from diydoctor.org.uk
Do not attempt to use an angle grinder unless you are used to handling one as they can quite easily skid across the surface of your slabs, marking them badly.
Can you use premixed sand for patio joints?from diydoctor.org.uk
It is now possible to purchase bags of premixed patio jointing sand so that all you have to do it empty the contents onto the patio surface and sweep it into the joints. Your local DIY store should stock a range of these.
What color is Marshall's weatherpoint?
Try Marshall's weatherpoint. It comes in a buff colour
Does white cement make mortar creamier?
Although sand can vary in colour depending on where it has come from this wouldn't make a big difference to the dry colour of the mortar. Using white cement would leave you with a creamier rather than a grey finish
What jointing works best on smooth flags?
Dry jointing works best with regular joints on smooth flags...
What is the ratio of sand and cement?
A 3:1 ratio of sand and cement are mixed without the addition of ANY water. None. At all. Not a drop. The resulting powder should be of a uniform colour indicating the sand and the cement are thoroughly mixed. It is then scattered onto the surface of the paving and swept into the joints using a soft brush.
What is dry grouting?
Dry grouting is method of using a dry mix of sand and cement to fill joints in paving, and then rely on natural moisture to hydrate the cement content.
Is butter mortar good for flag laying?
A better joint is possible if dry brushing-in is combined with freshly-buttered joints when flag laying. The butter mortar (a standard wet mortar) contains sufficient moisture to initiate hydration (hardening) of the dry mix brushed in to top up the joint, and, as long as the dry mix is properly pressed down into the joint and the butter mortar, a reasonable joint can be achieved.
Does sand fill joints?
It is then scattered onto the surface of the paving and swept into the joints using a soft brush. Because the dry sand/cement mix is relatively light in weight, it rarely fills the joint properly; instead, it lies in the joint all fluffy and airy and not very convincing as a jointing medium.
Can you top up cement joints?
This has the effect of washing the dry mix into the joint, and simultaneously providing the moisture needed to initiate hydration of the cement content, but, as the surface is then wet, there is no opportunity to 'top up' joints with additional dry mix. On hot summer days, the surface may dry off in a matter of minutes and the whole process can be repeated until all the joints are properly filled, but these conditions exist on very few days over the course of a working year.
Can sand stick to paving?
The surface of the paving must be completely dry. Any residual dampness will cause the sand/cement mix to "stick" and will probably result in a stain. Consequently, this is a technique that is only really practical during the summer months.
What color is Marshall's weatherpoint?
Try Marshall's weatherpoint. It comes in a buff colour
Does white cement make mortar creamier?
Although sand can vary in colour depending on where it has come from this wouldn't make a big difference to the dry colour of the mortar. Using white cement would leave you with a creamier rather than a grey finish
