Put cement between paving slabs

[2sppandey]

Filled 1part cement and 3 part sand into the gaps of paving slabs. Made a dry mix and then sprayed with some water. Tried the wet sloppy mix but not my cup of tea as I have never done this before.

Can you please tell me how long will this take to dry and do I need to spray more water after some time??

Pics attached
Thanks

 

[dontbelieveawordofit]

the trouble with this method is by spraying it you just wash the cement out.
also 3:1 is too strong.
mix 4:1 with enough water so the mix binds when you squeeze it in your hand but not wet enough to stain the slab.
put a drop of pva in it too if youve got some. then sadly you need to be on your knees with a brick pointer or piece of bent copper pipe or something similar to compact the mix into the joint.
and before some idiot on here pipes up that pva isnt waterproof . yeah i know . its just to make the mix a bit more workable.
good luck

 

[Munroast]

I tried that approach once and wasn't very impressed, a few months later tried to use the power washer and it all come back out.

You can mix it up with some water and keep it dry enough to point in without staining the slabs, and that gives a great strong power-washer proof finish

it's pain in the arse job to do, you just have to mix tiny amounts up at a time as the damp mix does not stay workable long enough,

but to answer your question - after a week it will probably look like you have done a good job.

 

[noseall]

Filled 1part cement and 3 part sand into the gaps of paving slabs. Made a dry mix and then sprayed with some water. Tried the wet sloppy mix but not my cup of tea as I have never done this before.

Can you please tell me how long will this take to dry and do I need to spray more water after some time??

Brushed-in dry mix is absolute pants and it touted and pushed by TV programmes etc. You best bet would be to clean all the joints out and get a bucket of Geo-fix, wet everything and brush that in. We compact ours in place then tool it for a better finish.

 

[2sppandey]

I tried that approach once and wasn't very impressed, a few months later tried to use the power washer and it all come back out.

You can mix it up with some water and keep it dry enough to point in without staining the slabs, and that gives a great strong power-washer proof finish

it's pain in the arse job to do, you just have to mix tiny amounts up at a time as the damp mix does not stay workable long enough,

but to answer your question - after a week it will probably look like you have done a good job.

I done the way you said, but sprinkled some water from the hose afterwards. Was that a right thing to do?