I’ve got next week off and my task is to lay a patio. Having never done anything like this before, I thought I’d run through my plan of attack to see if someone can tell me I’m missing something/going to do something massively wrong.
First off, my shopping list:
Paving slabs (plus several single slabs to compensate for the larger area I’m doing, and any I manage to break/arrive broken)
Sand
Cement
The area will be 16sqm. I’m planning on digging to a depth of 10cm. 3.5cm of that will be the slab itself, the other 6.5cm will be the bedding mixture which consists of 10 parts sand to 1 part concrete (Based off this website that I keep seeing recommended). With these dimensions I reckon I’ll need 1.6t of sand and 157kg of cement, which equates to two bulk bags of the above sand bags and 6 bags of cement.
Stage 1 will be digging the hole. Should be nice and easy with a spade and some elbow grease. The only complication here is that the patio meets the house, so I want to ensure it slopes away from the house. To do this I’ll use a spirit level and ensure the bubble touches the markers on the side rather than sits in between them. After I’ve got it nice and level, I’ll use a whacker plate to make sure it’s nice and compact, refilling if required.
Stage 2 is to mix the sand and concrete in a mixer with a splash of water (not entirely sure how much water? Although I know when squeezed it shouldn’t run through your fingers), then lay it over the entire bed. I’ll get a couple of pegs and mark out 6.5cm and use that to ensure equal depth over the entire area. I’ll then smooth this out with a long piece of wood and use the whacker plate again to flatten everything. I’ll then re-check it’s still sloping away from the house and is still the correct depth and refill if required.
Stage 3 is to lay the patio slabs. I don’t want a big gap between them so I’m looking at ~5mm spacing which I’ll space using a couple of offcuts of wood. I’ll start in one corner and work from one side to the other. I’ll just use a rubber mallet to knock them into place, making sure they’re level as I go, and adding/removing sand underneath if necessary. I’ll probably size the patio so I don’t need to cut any slabs to size, although I can use an angle grinder if necessary. Shouldn’t be too complicated as long as the hole I dig is square, although two edges of the patio meet with the house and the shed, so if they're not square it could be awkward…
Then I’ll wait 48 hours for the cement to dry and (providing the slabs are solid and not rocking) look at filling the gaps with grouting. I haven’t decided on the method yet, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to go with something like this http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/154002 as it looks more straightforward and tidier than a sand/cement combo.
Soooo, if you’re not bored to death after reading that, is there anything I’ve missed? Any hints? The main thing I’m worried about is the weather. Obviously if it’s chucking it down I can’t do it, but what about a light shower, or if looks like it’ll rain overnight?
Thanks.
First off, my shopping list:
Paving slabs (plus several single slabs to compensate for the larger area I’m doing, and any I manage to break/arrive broken)
Sand
Cement
The area will be 16sqm. I’m planning on digging to a depth of 10cm. 3.5cm of that will be the slab itself, the other 6.5cm will be the bedding mixture which consists of 10 parts sand to 1 part concrete (Based off this website that I keep seeing recommended). With these dimensions I reckon I’ll need 1.6t of sand and 157kg of cement, which equates to two bulk bags of the above sand bags and 6 bags of cement.
Stage 1 will be digging the hole. Should be nice and easy with a spade and some elbow grease. The only complication here is that the patio meets the house, so I want to ensure it slopes away from the house. To do this I’ll use a spirit level and ensure the bubble touches the markers on the side rather than sits in between them. After I’ve got it nice and level, I’ll use a whacker plate to make sure it’s nice and compact, refilling if required.
Stage 2 is to mix the sand and concrete in a mixer with a splash of water (not entirely sure how much water? Although I know when squeezed it shouldn’t run through your fingers), then lay it over the entire bed. I’ll get a couple of pegs and mark out 6.5cm and use that to ensure equal depth over the entire area. I’ll then smooth this out with a long piece of wood and use the whacker plate again to flatten everything. I’ll then re-check it’s still sloping away from the house and is still the correct depth and refill if required.
Stage 3 is to lay the patio slabs. I don’t want a big gap between them so I’m looking at ~5mm spacing which I’ll space using a couple of offcuts of wood. I’ll start in one corner and work from one side to the other. I’ll just use a rubber mallet to knock them into place, making sure they’re level as I go, and adding/removing sand underneath if necessary. I’ll probably size the patio so I don’t need to cut any slabs to size, although I can use an angle grinder if necessary. Shouldn’t be too complicated as long as the hole I dig is square, although two edges of the patio meet with the house and the shed, so if they're not square it could be awkward…
Then I’ll wait 48 hours for the cement to dry and (providing the slabs are solid and not rocking) look at filling the gaps with grouting. I haven’t decided on the method yet, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to go with something like this http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/154002 as it looks more straightforward and tidier than a sand/cement combo.
Soooo, if you’re not bored to death after reading that, is there anything I’ve missed? Any hints? The main thing I’m worried about is the weather. Obviously if it’s chucking it down I can’t do it, but what about a light shower, or if looks like it’ll rain overnight?
Thanks.
. They also do a standard grey but obviously that wont look as good. The dolomite suggestion might be a bit overkill and expensive for my needs. I'd consider using a proper hardcore sub-level if I was parking a car on it.
So I'm going to pop into Jewsons, Covers and Buildbase as they're all local and see if they can do a better deal than the wickes option.