Sand or mortar for inbetween block paving?
Discussion
Having destroyed my knees and back over the weekend getting all the moss, weeds and mud out of the gaps in the block paving I am now looking to refill it, but dont know what with.
Do you use sand or mortar? One person said kiln dried sand, another said a dry mortar (pre mixed cement/sand) mix then sprinkle with water to allow it to set.
Edit - doh, typo in title.
Do you use sand or mortar? One person said kiln dried sand, another said a dry mortar (pre mixed cement/sand) mix then sprinkle with water to allow it to set.
Edit - doh, typo in title.
Edited by Matt_N on Friday 24th April 10:14
Use kiln dried sand as has been said.
98% of the stuff you've cleaned out will have been wind-sown, a treatment early spring with sodium chlorate diluted with water will stop that for most of the season, just be careful if the drive borders lawns of plants, because it is indiscriminate.
98% of the stuff you've cleaned out will have been wind-sown, a treatment early spring with sodium chlorate diluted with water will stop that for most of the season, just be careful if the drive borders lawns of plants, because it is indiscriminate.
Matt_N said:
Having destroyed my knees and back over the weekend getting all the moss, weeds and mud out of the gaps in the block paving I am now looking to refill it, but dont know what with.
Do you use sand or mortar? One person said kiln dried sand, another said a dry mortar (pre mixed cement/sand) mix then sprinkle with water to allow it to set.
Edit - doh, typo in title.
Wouldn't have been easier to use a pressure washer?Do you use sand or mortar? One person said kiln dried sand, another said a dry mortar (pre mixed cement/sand) mix then sprinkle with water to allow it to set.
Edit - doh, typo in title.
Edited by Matt_N on Friday 24th April 10:14
Only ask, as i am thinking about doing my drive with some new sand, but don't want to spend a day digging out the weeds and crap that has grown.
I pressure washered first to clean the bricks, this also got most of the moss out but some of the weeds were a bit reluctant, so required a bit of grafting.
It hasnt rained since last weekend here and its been mid teens all week, so it should all be nice and dry.
Kiln dried sand it is then, cheers chaps.
It hasnt rained since last weekend here and its been mid teens all week, so it should all be nice and dry.
Kiln dried sand it is then, cheers chaps.
neilsie said:
mrmaggit said:
CatherineJ said:
There is a product you can buy that is a stabelising solution, it effectlively turns the sand hard.
It stops the sand being scoured out, until the general crap in the atmosphere seals it in.It's a milky white liquid that you dilute with water and sprinkle on. It stops the kiln dried sand from being washed away by rain. If the area you have is flat or only very slightly sloping (as it should be to allow water to drain off), it's really not necessary for standard type block paving.
If, however, you're paving is of the tumbled type, or the area has a significant slope on it, it has real benefits in stopping sand scouring.
As has been said on here before, if you absolutely MUST use a pressure washer on your block paving (and I'd recommend you didn't) use it at low power, at as flat an angle as you can, at 90 degrees to the gap between the blocks.
It is far better to treat the paving with weedkiller and LEAVE IT AT THAT! 98% of what grows in the joints is wind-sown, the other 2% will be either trees or Knotweed.
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