Workshop "entry area" job.

[zoothorn]

Hi chaps,

 

I've a smallish job to build an "entry walk/ & step area" to my workshop (lower-room of new extention). 
 

As the room's 450mm below ground level (Grr.. shoulda been 200mm), Im walking down a slope, then up over sill > in. So maybe a level walk bit, then a step to form the top @ ground level? I don't really know/ ideas welcome. Room is an annoying 25mm below door sill too.

 

Cable to help idea of slope. Wood for idea of walk flat bit. Ive also got an old cottage foundation coin here, rather alarmingly to me.. I wonder if I could hide while Im at it. I dont want a gap for rain to collect between it & my entry walk bit.

 

Thanks for reading, zoot.

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by zoothorn

[zoothorn]

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by zoothorn

[Big Jimbo]

Show us pics of the inside of the workshop Zoot the Hoot.

[zoothorn]

Hi chaps. I wonder of anyone could help on this. I've researched 'laying slabs' but all clips involve sub bases, whackerplates, sandy mortar mix bags... I don't think my level area warrants this, just my hunch.

 

Could I just clear a level area of this compacted ground, whack down 40mm mortar, lay say 4x 18" patio slabs, mortar as grout afterwards?

 

 Thanks, zoot.

[joe90]

27 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

 

Could I just clear a level area of this compacted ground, whack down 40mm mortar, lay say 4x 18" patio slabs, mortar as grout afterwards?

Depends if the ground is “made up”, I.e. new ground?, if it’s been walked on for years and not been disturbed it won’t need loads of sub base. 

[zoothorn]

17 minutes ago, joe90 said:

Depends if the ground is “made up”, I.e. new ground?, if it’s been walked on for years and not been disturbed it won’t need loads of sub base. 

Hi John. Well it was just exposed by the builder/ but not disturbed. so it seems to be fairly well-compacted clay basically, additionally so with me walking on it, in/ out of the room for 2 years. 
 

thanks, Zooter

Edited November 3, 2021 by zoothorn

[zoothorn]

Basically 4 of these paving slabs maybe, spanning the doorway inc frame spot on. Then create a top step @ ground level.

 

https://www.jewson.co.uk/p/ultipro-farndon-natural-utility-paving-450-x-450-x-32mm-LSMUF555

[zoothorn]

@joe90 if I'm pretty confident my ground is compacted enough, to get these above paving slabs down for my entrance walk bit, would I need to do layers of sub stuff, whacker plate? Seems alot more complicated than I anticipated. Maybe a simpler way?

 

Thanks,, zoot

[markc]

No need for a Walker plate for small area, sledge hammer works fine, scaffold tube with a thick plate on the end is better. … old school but perfectly fine for small areas.

[zoothorn]

30 minutes ago, markc said:

No need for a Walker plate for small area, sledge hammer works fine, scaffold tube with a thick plate on the end is better. … old school but perfectly fine for small areas.

Hi markc, thanks/ understood. So you mean compacting once some sort of sub base is put down?

 

I had thought this job might be just roughly level off area, mortar, slabs.. adjust level with a rubber mallet. Is that completely wrong?

Edited November 4, 2021 by zoothorn

[markc]

4 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

Hi markc, thanks/ understood. So you mean compacting once some sort of sub base is put down?

 

I had thought this job might be just roughly level off area, mortar, slabs.. adjust level with a rubber mallet. Is that completely wrong?

Hi, you could do that no problem. It’s outside, appears to drain ok, you don’t need a billiard table flatness and anything would be an improvement, … get on with it.

if later on you find it sinking a bit then you can always rectify it.

 

[zoothorn]

3 minutes ago, markc said:

Hi, you could do that no problem. It’s outside, appears to drain ok, you don’t need a billiard table flatness and anything would be an improvement, … get on with it.

if later on you find it sinking a bit then you can always rectify it.

 

Ah good, ok will try this way then. 5:1 mix, straight onto clay ground ok? Thanks, zoot

[joe90]

Wot @markc said ?

[zoothorn]

1 hour ago, joe90 said:

Wot @markc said ?

 

John is 5:1 about right fir this ? (fir... Ive caught this frim yiu, opad disease).

[joe90]

21 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

 

John is 5:1 about right fir this ? (fir... Ive caught this frim yiu, opad disease).

Yes (could not be me, I wear a mask ?)

[zoothorn]

8 hours ago, joe90 said:

Yes (could not be me, I wear a mask ?)

Nit in yiur opad factome yiu dodnt. Thats hiw o caught ot.

[Roundtuit]

9 hours ago, zoothorn said:

is 5:1 about right fir this

Yes, sharp sand though, dry or semi-dry mix ?

[zoothorn]

11 hours ago, Roundtuit said:

Yes, sharp sand though, dry or semi-dry mix ?

Ok thanks markc.. was just off this minute to get soft sand!

 

Would you have it level with my slate door sill bit? My floor inside is 1" below this, for reasons mentioned in #1.

 

Or same level as floor? Zh

 

 

[markc]

I would make it level with the outside but leave a gap filled with pebbles or similar as a water break

[zoothorn]

On 05/11/2021 at 11:25, markc said:

I would make it level with the outside but leave a gap filled with pebbles or similar as a water break

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

Edited November 8, 2021 by zoothorn

[markc]

14 minutes ago, zoothorn said:

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

70mm will be fine for this purpose.

dry mix is pretty much sand as it comes, usually damp anyway which will be enough to set it off.  Dry mix is basically concrete that doesn’t flow, it will pack together and stay put. 
if the sand was completely dry then you would need water but sand that has been outside will contain enough water

[zoothorn]

2 minutes ago, markc said:

70mm will be fine for this purpose.

dry mix is pretty much sand as it comes, usually damp anyway which will be enough to set it off.  Dry mix is basically concrete that doesn’t flow, it will pack together and stay put. 
if the sand was completely dry then you would need water but sand that has been outside will contain enough water

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

[zoothorn]

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

[markc]

@zoothorn I would say that’s a storage/packing sheet, never seen a peel and stick paving slab

[zoothorn]

27 minutes ago, markc said:

@zoothorn I would say that’s a storage/packing sheet, never seen a peel and stick paving slab

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.