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A DIY GUIDE TO
LAYING PAVING
Planning
Living Stone recommend that patios are dry laid prior to being permanently
fixed. This applies especially to Living Stone patio kits. This
will help to ensure your patio will fit in the desired location
and may help avoid the need for cutting around fixed obstacles.
Sub-base
All paving should be laid on a firm and level base. Soft soil should
be removed and ideally, a sub-base of at least 75mm of crushed stone
should be laid. It is important that the sub-base is then well
compacted ideally with a roller or tamper. A fall of at least 1:100
(1 centimetre in every metre) away from any adjoining building is
required to allow surface water to drain. If paving is being laid
next to the house, the top surface of the paving should lay at least
150m below the damp-proof course.
Laying Course Mix
Once the sub-base has been prepared, Living Stone recommend that
the paving is laid on a complete flat mortar bed. Mix 1 part cement
to 6 parts Living Stone Patio Base or alternatively Sharp Sand and
a small amount of water. The mortar can be mixed in a small concrete
mixer, a wheel barrow or on a large flat mixing board. Enough water
should be added to allow the sand and cement to be thoroughly mixed
and "workable". Care should be taken not to add too much
water as this will weaken the mix and make it difficult to level
the paving.
Laying the Paving
Living Stone recommend a laying course thickness of 25-40mm. Enough
mortar should be placed to lay one slab at a time. For circles,
octagons or feature kits, slabs should be laid from the centre outwards.
For random patios work from one corner diagonally across to the
opposite corner. Pegging in a string line around the edge of the
area first, will help to ensure that the edges of the patio remain
straight. Each slab should be tamped down on the middle with a wooden
or rubber mallet. A spirit level should be used after each one is
laid, to ensure that is level and ensure the joints are evenly spaced.
Care should be taken to immediately clean away any mortar on the
face of the paving to prevent staining. Once laid, the paving should
not bear any weight for at least 24 hours. In frosty or wet weather,
cover the newly laid paving until the mortar has set.
Cutting
Cutting should be carried out after the whole area has been laid,
using a disc cutter. Slabs should be
marked out prior to cutting. Care should be taken to follow disc
cutter manufacturer’s instructions.
Pointing
Pointing should be carried out in dry conditions using a dry grout
mix of 1 part cement to 4 parts soft building sand. The grout should
be trowelled or brushed into the joints. The grout should then be
pressed and smoothed into the gaps using a pointing tool or rounded
piece of wood. Excess mix should be swept away and re-used. Care
should be taken not to stain the slabs.
Alternatively, a proprietary resin-based grouting mix can be swept
into the joints. In this case, care should be taken to follow manufacturer’s
instructions.
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A DIY GUIDE TO LAYING AGGREGATES
Ground preparation
In order to get the most from Living Stone decorative aggregates,
it is important to carry out the
correct ground preparation. If the area is to be regularly walked
on or trafficked by vehicles, a compacted sub-base as described in
the guide to laying paving below, may be necessary. For areas that
will not bear any weight, the ground should simply be firm and level.
Living Stone recommend that aggregates are laid on a water-permeable
geotextile fabric. The fabric will help to stabilise the ground and
reduce unsightly weeds. It will also prevent contamination by the
ground beneath whilst allowing rainwater to drain away.
Laying aggregates
Decorative aggregates should normally be laid 40-50mm thick. Approximately
3 large packs of
Living Stone decorative aggregates will cover 1m². For larger
areas, a Living Stone bulk bag of
decorative aggregates will cover 12-15m². Coverage does vary
slightly for different products and
customers should refer to guidance on the relevant Living Stone bag. |