We’ve just relaid ourselves 50sqm of concrete utility slabs 50mm thick which we reclaimed from the garden for a side garden outdoor gym / clothes drying area, part of the frontage area nearest the garden we actually reused some very old 50mm thick riven sandstone, not quite like the modern day more precision cut stuff, so the joints ended up quite wide. It looks pretty neat all laid half bond on full mortar bed, only issue is now all the joints are about 25mm wide and 50mm deep because of the initial slab choice and trying to keep it looking tidy.
 

I think we now have no choice but to hand point it (I did some calculators on some of the jointing compounds & the cost was insane). Any tips on how to do this as quickly and pain free as possible? Materials seem pretty cheap the old fashion way it’s just the process and actually not doing a crap job… so please send us any and all advice or if there’s some other better way of doing it..
 

We obviously are expecting this patio to outlast us so also want to be able to pressure wash it too & not deal with  significant weed ingress!

 

Edited June 24, 20242 yr by rh2205

Dry mix of sand and cement brushed in is the easiest and cheapest way. I usually give the joints a good soaking and let the surface dry off, then brush in and tamp down with a suitable size piece of timber. Fine mist spray to finish.

And this will stand up to pressure washing?

 

Why do people pay so much for brush in jointing compounds if it’s so straight forward with dry sand & cement mix!

Modern 2 part polymeric sand 1000%, I used some stuff from Nexus and was impressed with it.

This polymeric sand sounds great (we used some amazing resin jointing on our main patio so know how good modern day options are), but it’s going to make a cheap reclaimed patio pretty expensive if I spend £350 on the quantity I’ll need to fill the size of joints even if it is cheaper than resin!
 

But if anyone’s got any tips on the most time efficient technique for a robust traditional way then please let me know! 

Edited June 24, 20242 yr by rh2205

Garden center's sell potting grit of different  grades which is ground granite. If this is mixed in with your sharp sand / cement in equal quantities and swept into the joints and tamp down, this will definitely withstand pressure washing.

 

If you treat the patio with Algon that will help to retain the colour.

Easy grout is £27.30 landscape supplies upto £43 in B&Q.if you go down that route.

 

Buy yourself a Nilfisk pressure washer that comes with a rotating patio brush.

41 minutes ago, rh2205 said:

And this will stand up to pressure washing?

Don’t know, I just use a brush. I suppose it’s a balance between cost and resilience