how do you lay garden slabs for patio?

Question

my husband is a mechanic so has no idea how to lay slabs as hes never done it before. he has but a few down but they are wobbling .can anyone give us any help on how to do it plese? they are 2 x 2

Answer 1

step by step, here ya go (more than you asked)

1st. take florisant paint and outline the width and angles you want your walk to be, stand back and discuss with your husband how this looks. easier to do this than to move around rocks until it looks right. note that if its 2'x2' that even width is obviously better as you want to stay away from cuts,keep in mind that you will want to inlude about 1/2" expansion joints between each brick(allows for expansion and water runoff) this will be filled with sand later
2nd take a rake, and along your painted lines start excavating/scraping about 2", assuming they are about 1" thick and flat, you can follow grade(current layout of yard) or use a level to assure your walk is level. make sure all loose dirt is removed, and its better to compact the ground using a hand tamper or gas powered tamper(avaliable for rent at most local hardware stores) (remove the dirt and set aside)
3rd, take sand and spread about 1" thick in excavated walk, spread evenly with rake, lightly compact("LIGHTLY")
4th, take your bricks and at a starting point against a house for example start laying out keeping each brick about 1/2" apart, might want to purchase a 1/2" piece of 1x4 and cut it about 3' and use this as a guide for your expansion joint. firmly seat this into the sand, after you have a few rows and columns layed out, take a 2' level or straight edge and match up each corner with the adjacent brick, use a rubber mallet to level each brick to the other. don't try to make this perfectly level, or it may aggrivate you. If the brick is low, remove the brick and add sand. If its high, then take sand out.
5th, after all the bricks are complete,pour sand in the expansion joints, use a broom(better yet a push broom) and push the sand into the joints, take a water hose and wash down the bricks, this will also push the sand deeper into the hole making it harder to work its way loose, causing you to constanly replace the sand. keep feel the gaps again with sand, and taking a dowel or something with a curve to it and strike(compress the sand) the grooves while it is wet, fill any gaps with sand as needed..take excess dirt ad fill any holes around your yard.
6th. enjoy

that about sums it up.

Answer 2

you should pack the dirt down before you place the the slabs. Use a straight 2 x4 as long as the project area to pass over the area to check the level of the area. then lay down sand to on the dirt. place the slabs on the sand the press down. when you finshed with the slabs brush sand into the joints between slabs.

Answer 3

Hi,

Clear the site of all vegetation or other debris. To shed rainwater, patios must have a built in slope away from the house which is imperceptible to the eye. Hammer a peg into the ground near the house at the edge of your patio. Take the 2 m length of batten. Rest one end on the peg, and hammer a second peg in 2 m away from the first. To make a slope, this peg has to be lower than the first, so hammer it further into the ground. Rest the batten on top of the two pegs and measure the difference in height using the spirit level. The bubble in your spirit level should just touch the outer line in its window. Adjust the height of the second peg if you need to. This makes the slope about right - the ideal gradient is about 1 in 60 - a fall of 1 mm for every 60 mm of distance. Water won't drain away from a smaller slope. Leave pegs in the ground to work to as you excavate.

Paving can be laid directly onto a 50 mm layer of sharp sand on top of well tamped or firmed soil. For greater stability, lay paved patios on a bed of firm foundations throughout the area. Your finished patio level will consist of the thickness of the slabs, plus 75 mm of dry foundation mix to bed them in, and a minimum 75 mm layer of hardcore, depending on conditions in your garden. Allow at least 150 mm below the level of your damp proof course and dig down another 150 mm plus slab thickness for the foundations. Remove the topsoil if it is a new patio, or clear the area. Spread an even layer of hardcore 75 mm deep over the area finishing it to your levelling pegs. Firm with a piece of timber or roller it down.

Cover the area with a semi-dry foundation mix of 6 parts sandy ballast : 1 part cement. Firm this with a piece of timber and check that you have allowed enough depth for your paving slabs to finish 150 mm below the damp proof course. Lay a small test area of slabs to make sure you are happy with the laying pattern and to check on the finished area. Make joints about 10 mm wide for pointing - this will vary according to the type of slabs and your laying pattern. Follow manufacturer’s laying instructions.

Start at the back of the house, if your patio adjoins it. Lay the first corner slab on a bed of mortar - mix 3-4 parts building sand: 1 part cement. Use a wooden or rubber mallet, or the handle of a lump hammer to tap the stone into place. Check that the level is right with a spirit level. Repeat the process, easing slabs into position. Ensure that the joints are evenly spaced - use small timber spacers if necessary.

When you have finished laying the slabs, point the joints, using a semi dry mortar mix of 3 parts building sand : 1 part cement. The mix should be neither too wet or too dry. Give joints a neat, concave finish, and scrape excess mortar off before it dries. You may prefer to sweep a dry mortar mix into joints, or to fill joints with gravel and the seeds of low growing plants

Narendra

Answer 4

Well, first you level the ground and then lay a few inches of sand and then lay the stones.
The sand gives the stones stability. This is the easiest way and it's the way I did it.
Good luck

Answer 5

Has your husband ever considered bartering for help,,,maybe he could fix someones car,if they did his patio.
if they are wobbling,lift them up and make sure ground is level,and lay them on the side of the stone that is the more flat.
either a rock,tree root or something under there are the stone has something attached under it.

Answer 6

Decide your shape, make sure the ground is level and place them about an inch or two apart after that fill in with sand.

Answer 7

YOU HAVE TO LEVEL AND CLEAR SPOT THEN PUT DOWN SAND BEFORE YOU LAY THEM OUT MY HUSBAND HAD TO DO OURS TWICE AND STILL NOT PERFECT BUT SO MUCH BETTER AFTER HE RE-LEVELED!AFTER THAT THEY SETTLE WATER HELPS AND SAND(FINE SAND)