Flagstones

[Felix]

What is best for re sticking some down and re sealing? They look like they are lime stone flags

[Count Steer]

Do you know what are they bedded on?

They'll probably need lifting, the old mortar knocked off, the old bedding mix at least partly hacked out and reset on blobs of sand/cement mix + re-mortared. It's a pain but haven't found any shortcuts that work if they've shifted or they wobble.

Oh yeah, you can get a mortar mix that you brush in that has plasticiser in that works well but the flags need to be well set.

[Yorick]

I loved Fred & Wilma

[JackyJoll]

If for walking on, they sit on sand.

[Count Steer]

If for walking on, they sit on sand.

Whackered sand over hard-core/road planings then 4 or 5 blobs of sand/cement mix so each one gets levelled up as laid is under most of mine. The old crazy paving around the perimeter of the house was on concrete + mortar, so part of the new laid sandstone went on that. (They don't move/wobble!)

[JackyJoll]

OK, as a footpath, they sit on sand unless someone’s done something different!

[Count Steer]

OK, as a footpath, they sit on sand unless someone’s done something different!

I was thinking patio if he's got problems with them shifting and the mortar in between opening up. Once water gets in and underneath it can be a problem so they need to be stable and the joints sealed.

We'll see when he comes back.

[Felix]

Not my patio and not properly seen the job yet (Just passed over it twice last year). Its a small patio with three loose stones and at least 50% wanting re sealed. I have just been put forward to help this woman. I quite like this sand idea so can i just chip any old cement/mortar out (if any) and replace with sharp sand and seal that? If so i have used the dry stuff before where you wet the stones and brush it in. Not convinced its the right look though as it had a grey finish and the stuff was not cheap for a small job.

[Count Steer]

Not my patio and not properly seen the job yet (Just passed over it twice last year). Its a small patio with three loose stones and at least 50% wanting re sealed. I have just been put forward to help this woman. I quite like this sand idea so can i just chip any old cement/mortar out (if any) and replace with sharp sand and seal that? If so i have used the dry stuff before where you wet the stones and brush it in. Not convinced its the right look though as it had a grey finish and the stuff was not cheap for a small job.

The brush in stuff isn't cheap but it comes in a range of colours or you can add the colour IIRC.

As long as there's a decent base under the sand and the sand is well packed you just knock up some mix, put 5 decent blobs (trowel's worth each blob, size depending on flag size) then tamp to level the flag and the mix (aka muck locally!) spreads supporting the flag, use the rest for pointing and a piece of copper pipe with a bend in to run along the pointing to put a profile in it (so water runs in the middle not the edges I think).

Not sure what you mean about sealing the sand?

[Mr. Dazzle]

The brush in stuff also doesn't last forever...we've got in ours and I have to "top up" every couple of years. Once yo open the tub you have to use it all up too. They say you can store it covered in water but that's only half true IME.

[Count Steer]

The brush in stuff also doesn't last forever...we've got in ours and I have to "top up" every couple of years. Once yo open the tub you have to use it all up too. They say you can store it covered in water but that's only half true IME.

Hmm. It's not foolproof that's for sure, even though it looks easy. Friends moved into a new-build with a hoooge patio and within a short space of time had to remove the stuff (an absolute of a job) and do it again. It's fine now (after a few years) and he uses about 20! of the empty tubs for his tomatoes and gardeny things). If it's done properly it is slightly elastic too, if it's properly bonded to the flags, it copes with minor movement.

We have it on the paths and small patio at the front and it's

The patio at the back is traditional and it isn't (but the slope had to be built up by ~ 3ft at one side so may be some settling going on although the main problem isn't on that part). It's all got to come up and be relaid really but that'll have to wait while the old crazy paving down the side of the house is replaced with flags....but that's on concrete).

[Felix]

Not sure what you mean about sealing the sand?

Sorry im on about the grouting.

Aye the having to use the whole tub was a killer on small jobs as when i last used it you could only get large tubs and was around £60 a tub. I need to pass that price on but now i see you get smaller tubs for around £30 and yes also different colours.

Anyone used Sika. I have used there sealants a lot in the past and was impressed.

https://www.tradebuildingproducts.co.uk ... t_campaign


Or this easy joint but it may be a tad dark




That ^^^ is/was an Amazon link but i dare say like a few others they dont show up for me. Any idea why @weeksy