zoothorn

@Onoff what the eck is it anyway? Looks like a US fire hydrant.

Hi markc. Better pics of the stone & my perimeter gaps. I do sort of get the shuttering idea.. but can't visualise. So a 5:1 mix for my slabs "grout" job... then a dry "sandcastle" mix around the perimeter? Thanks, zoot

Chaps sorry for more Q's on this small job, but I'm a bit lost at this point. I believe it's " grout " the slab gaps with a 5:1 ' render' mix, as markc suggested. I'll use my grout float I guess. Then it's what to do with a 2" D trench, around the outside, & this pesky foundation stone area (ie & the adjacent clay/ soil ground). It's a 1.5" gap width, between the farside slab & the foundation stone/ adjacent ground.. the top of which is a good foot above slabs. Thanks, zoot.

Erm.. I think Im with swmbo Onoff. I like it as a novelty diving helmet though.

I've been looking at this one, devon made.. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185139190569?hash=item2b1b27db29:g:qgIAAOSwESRgsz25

@Onoff bloody hell.

Hi @ProDave great, that's got to be another project then.. I'll research charcoal burners, & tiniest stoves: yours looks ideal for a bigger static caravan, good hearth example too. I've already seen 'pipsqueak' stoves, china jobs i guess, so tiny you can barely fit a cooks matchbox size log in.. but still whack out 3 kw: surely I dont need that figure if my house stove is 8kw for a biggish living room. Interesting. Thanks, zh

Chaps, what do you think of the idea of a diddy log stove in my cambrian chalet? feasable... or idiotic/ from a madman's dream-? I mean a tiddler, 1.5 / 2kw for eg. if they come that small. A reminder, it's a 3 x 3m inside. My stone living room so cold during day you see, altho ok on my log burner nights (weekend)... that I need a hunker down warm day room, thinking this might be cheapest idea. Plus a groovy addition as it were. Thanks, zoot.

Not perp to wall/ door, on the c*ck the wrong way too. Oh well.. can walk on ok at least.

Haha. He's got some nuts going t'pub with his old dad. Yup Im officially old then now, & cant use 'kinda' or cool now. But i still wait like a teenager for a new south park episode. Hmm.. tis complicated, this middleage lark.

That's cool Onoff. That bouys me up alot. Am i allowed to say cool anymore being... shudder... 50? It feels kinda wrong.

No need in fact, if you go into my profile Ive dived in a bit so you don't have to prattle about zooming at all.

Ah nuts. Too late ProDave. Yes indeed that's what you see, the foundation corner coin is it called, & soil below has a bit of erosion ( very slow.. but this area alarms me). With this job I intended to put a step down onto my slabs, then, address this corner area. The foundation stone I just cant think I should be seeing.. but builder & bco havent balked at it. A Covering job maybe here? Possibly render onto the soil bit under the coin to keep it in check, then msybe another render layer over the lot? Or pull it out entirely is the last option.. I saw a Laurel & Hardy short & they did this. Thx zoot.

Appreciated. Actually I do have fairly high standards despite my lack of knowledge, a bit of a perfectionist like Onoff too I think, can be npbeneficial. A little help from others-? I'm lucky enough to have had a mountain! Its just a bit annoying I cant give something back to you guys, only my barenaked ass that you can zoom in on. thx zoot.

Hi John. Thanks thats reassuring. I can't really understand the significance of chemical goings off.. such info leaves me with just a dumbass blank face. Not much different than my usual one then. You see I need to remind you, that I'm really quite thick. Anyway a poor job.. mind not on it properly. They're not straight , or even sloping the right way for drainage.. i think i got the level bubble the wrong way round. I mean ffs. I'm still generally inept. Thx zoot.

@joe90 John, how long for this dry mix to set? Now i cannae get in me flippin workshop. If you got a mo, what do you think about my shallow 2 cm mortar bed? Sorry for all the Q's chaps. in a mild panic again. Zoot

Hi @markc I added about a pint max, sort of crumbly sandcastle i made it.. i think its both too dry, & too shallow too: i shovveled it on, spread to my step layer, raked even, then needed to press in my slabs of course.. meaning they're now an inch down. So only 2cm, of my bit too dry mortar as a bed. What do you think? Urgh, not very good job by me this. Put slabs a big inch away from step so gravel can go in gap. Some drizzle as its doing might help a bit. Done now tho.

markc, this looks really really dry to me.. i just don't know if this is correct, & too whether I need any frostproofer & or admix?

understood markc. Im trying to avoid doing before or during heavy rain today, i guess would mess things up. Raintoday weather radar site good. What about ' grouting '? Ie a similar gap albeit 1cm here, to my 25mm H porch tiles. I presume not to use grout-?

If I mix a bit 'dry' (as a newbie might) will it still work? I mean I don't know of course yet, how imperative the mix's consistency is for whichever job. I will learn in time.. my pooper job sagged so Id surmise too wet.. but ideally I do extra research, & get it acceptable the 1st time: not much money to burn the btm line you see. Grateful- zh

@markc is 40-45mm mortar sufficient? And Definitely no water? My bags are sharp'ish 25kg placcy bags, so a bit wet but not really. thanks zooter

Haha, there's muggins thought it was a cementy impregnated layer! B'strds to remove bits everywhere. Basic start. No mortar yet. No idea if Ive packed down the foreground edge enough.. time will tell Iguess. So you can see Ive got about a 45mm of mortar 'bed', as ive raised up some lower areas. As you can see too a heck of a big step up to ground level, & foundation exposed to address too etc.

Got standard 450 x450 x32 pave slabs.. some sort of paper backing: is this protection for selling, or is there a purpose/ its to be left on? Some sort of mortar bond facilitating 2mm?? A total sod to remove from 1 slab. Thought just occured before I continue. thx zh

Aha ok great. Tbh i never knew a mortar could be this dry. But I guess the idea for choosing a dry mix here, is to prevent any 'slump' of the slabs, with as dry/ firm a mix as poss-? Basically the mortar acting like a sand bed, just with adhesion-? thx zh

Hi markc, just diving in to the job. How 'thick' can my mortar bed be max? I'm a fair bit short to get my 32mm slabs to the step height.. unless I put onto a thick 70mm mortar bed. Got to research dry mix too.. assuming you dont mean no water at all. Thanks zoot