| Laying Guide |
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| Step 1 Planning the area Use our design patterns pages and a grid to design the paving area. Try and leave a gravel margin of 100mm 150mm between the paving and any walls. This allows for drainage and provides protection for the wall. If paving up to a house make sure the paving will sit 150mm below the damp course. |
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| Step 2 Preparing the ground Remove all plants and topsoil from the proposed paving area to a depth of 45mm plus the depth of your chosen paving slab. Pack down the bottom using a garden roller, if the ground is soft dig down an extra 100mm and fill with hardcore. Once completed add a layer of sharp sand 35mm thick and level out. Once completed you should have 10mm (this puts the paving below the surrounding ground to provide protection from lawn mowers etc) plus the paving slab depth to go. |
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| Step 3 Laying When laying paving slabs on a prepared area begin by setting up string lines to use as guides. Then starting at the corner and working in both directions place your slabs in position. Once this is correct, remove the slabs one by one so that you can fix them using firm mortar. Use 1 part cement : 4 parts sand. Put a fist sized amount under each corner and in the centre. Lay 3 slabs at a time using wooden spacers between them. Protect the surface of the slab with wood, them tap with a rubber mallet until you have got the alignment correct. To lay the rest of the slabs continue as above, always working from the corners outwards, to keep the joints square. Remove the spacers before the mortar sets. Once finished stay off the slabs for 2 – 3 days, in which time the mortar will set. To fill the gaps use a dry mortar mix; 1 part cement: 3 parts sand. Brush this mix into the open joints. Clean up any extra mixture. Then sprinkle a fine spray of water over the area to secure the mortar. |
