Replacing patio slabs with new ones.

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conny

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We are going to change the slabs on our patio because the current ones are a mess. Even after jetting they still look grubby and flaky.
They are 450 x 450 x 32 so not big heavy things to shift about. Hopefully they will lift quite easily as I'm sure they are on a sand bed, but someone has suggested that I 'dump a dollop of sand & cement on the back, to make them stick better. Stick better to sand? Doesn't make sense to me so I don't see me doing that.

My plan is to remove them a row at a time, and using a cut board with shoulders, run the board along the gap to make sure the base is all at the correct height before laying the new slabs down with the correct 10-15mm gap. Repeat for each row, (only 5 in total). Afterwards, spread a mixture of sand & cement between the gaps and brush it in before tamping down. Finish off by running my finger/piece of dowel along the joints to form a smooth channel and then lightly water with a watering can to activate the sand and cement.

Does this seem a right way to do it or have you any suggestions for a better way?
 
I think you will regret it before too long. I did an edge to a patio path using dry sand cement mix (it was straight slabs closeish up to a gently curved brick wall and needed a drain gully, so tricky to do wet) a few years later is is soft and breaking up.

And any sand laid bed of slabs is going to shift over time as rain washes the sand slowly away or into the soil below as moles and roots change how the soil want to sit
 
Your plan sounds good to me. I like to wet the back of the slab before laying it on the sand/cement base to help it stick first time.(y)
 
Odds said:
Your plan sounds good to me. I like to wet the back of the slab before laying it on the sand/cement base to help it stick first time.(y)
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Conny would like to lay the slabs on a bed of sand, then grout between. I feel that is doomed to not last very long.
I feel it needs to be done properly on a bed of sand/cement, or have to be redone every few years.
 
Mike13 said:
Conny would like to lay the slabs on a bed of sand, then grout between. I feel that is doomed to not last very long.
I feel it needs to be done properly on a bed of sand/cement, or have to be redone every few years.
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He said a sand/cement mix. Common practice, old bean.
 
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