Invader75 Posted July 6, 2021 Share Posted July 6, 2021 Afternoon all. I'm looking to replace our old patio with some Brazilian slate. The existing patio was extremely heavy concrete slabs that must've been down for 50 years. They've been removed and it looks like there's a hardcore base underneath, a gravel/sand type. Would this be ok to lay on top once it's been whacked? Is it cheaper to do cement/sand wet mix or buy slab mix? Factoring in the hire of a cement mixer, lugging sand cement, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted July 6, 2021 Share Posted July 6, 2021 Did the old patio move at all? if not crack on. Sharp sand in bulk bag out the front, cement safely locked away somewhere (valuable stuff) & mix in a wheel barrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invader75 Posted July 7, 2021 Author Share Posted July 7, 2021 13 hours ago, CC45 said: Did the old patio move at all? if not crack on. Sharp sand in bulk bag out the front, cement safely locked away somewhere (valuable stuff) & mix in a wheel barrow. No, old patio was down for as long as I can remember and no movement. Although the slabs were extremely thick and heavy. The new Brazilian slate slabs I have are about half the weight (same size) and half the thickness. I'd been advised to lay them on a mortar mix as they're not quite as heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 Good advice. I'd just run a whacker over it to level it all and then crack on. 6:1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invader75 Posted July 16, 2021 Author Share Posted July 16, 2021 On 07/07/2021 at 21:24, CC45 said: Good advice. I'd just run a whacker over it to level it all and then crack on. 6:1. Do you know how I would work out quantities of sharp sand and cement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 (edited) 38 minutes ago, Invader75 said: Do you know how I would work out quantities of sharp sand and cement? Work out the area, multiply by average thickness to get approx. volume and then multiply by weight of sand and cement. P.S. regular sand/cement screed is 1800kgs per cubic metre Edited July 16, 2021 by markc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CC45 Posted July 17, 2021 Share Posted July 17, 2021 just laying mine now - ended up using 5:1 in the end, SBR the back of all slabs then lay them down on the mix. I've used a 10mm tiling trowel this time - seems easier to get a light fluffyish bed to lay the slab onto. Few whacks with a rubber mallet and you're sorted. Damn hot out there today. https://www.toolstation.com/vitrex-notched-adhesive-trowel/p76594?store=FU&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&mkwid=s_dc&pcrid=515847200306&pkw=&pmt=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuNT_8IDr8QIVVOvtCh3vAQLrEAQYBCABEgJXWvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invader75 Posted July 19, 2021 Author Share Posted July 19, 2021 Cheers guys. I'm flying blind on this. A friend is helping me lay it, but he's away. I'm in charge of ordering everything! ??♂️ If the area we need to patio is 21.60m2 and I need 1” Full bed, wet mix sand and cement (this is what's recommended by the slate suppliers), How much sharp sand and cement do I need to order? It is sharp sand I need right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Invader75 Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 Update. Took a while but got it all done. Only issue was after checking with slate suppliers, they don't recommend having a fire pit on them as they can crack. I wondering if there were any other options that people have used to avoid slate cracking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 Slate doesn’t cope well with direct heat, if you sit the fire pit on something insulating like a few layers of cement board it should be fine, assuming it’s a raised metal type Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CotswoldDoItUpper Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 49 minutes ago, markc said: Slate doesn’t cope well with direct heat, if you sit the fire pit on something insulating like a few layers of cement board it should be fine, assuming it’s a raised metal type We had a skate hearth under a 5kw wood burner in our last place. Seemed ok for the 3 years we used it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 1 hour ago, Invader75 said: I wondering if there were any other options that people have used to avoid slate cracking? Legs ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now