Patio laying sense check

[Furton]

I've laid a couple of patios in the past but usually with just those big old 30" slabs. I'm about to start laying 40 sqm of Riven slabs which I've never laid before.

I've done a lot of reading on Paving Expert and note their recommended mix for the bedding is 10 parts sharp sand, 1 part cement. That sounds a bit low to me, anyone else used that mix ratio before?

http://www.pavingexpert.com/layflag3.htm#bornb

Secondly, I've built a retaining wall with weep hole pipes at 800mm spacers below the DPM. I've laid out some of the slabs this evening and they leave a 50-70mm gap between the end the slab and the retaining wall (slabs will be laid to fall to the retaining wall). From what I've read the water should just drain down the hardcore and make it's way out through the pipes, has anyone else does this method? I had considered a full length Eco drain but would have been costly at 10m long! .

 

[Dis86]

With regards to the drain, have you considered a buried length of guttering filled with gravel and drain holes drilled at intervals. Does the same job as the eco drain just much cheaper.

 

[Furton]

With regards to the drain, have you considered a buried length of guttering filled with gravel and drain holes drilled at intervals. Does the same job as the eco drain just much cheaper.

Never heard of that before! Assume the water just drains to the ground below via the small holes?

 

[acake]

hi i have used the 6 parts grit sand 1 part cement mix to build my patio last year and use all the relevant info from that site and had no problems.And for the drain as dis86 says use some gutter buried with holes in it should do the job nicely

 

[Dis86]

Never heard of that before! Assume the water just drains to the ground below via the small holes?

Yup. The guttering acts as a store and the holes allow it to drain slowly.