What's correct or opinions of Joint filling of paving slabs.

[utterlydiy]

I have concrete paving slabs 3 or 4 deep around the 4 sides of the house and a patio of 25sq/m with joint gaps of 6/10mm.

I have cleared the gaps to the thickness (5cm) of the slabs free of the weeds and soil etc.

As the media say we are to have increasingly more rain with global warming etc. as we did in the winter.

So do I fill the gaps with a cement mix or leave them clear to help natural drainage. There is a drain with a downpipe on each corner of the house.

If I did fill the gaps, what mix ratio should I use with cement/sand.

Thanks

 

[Burnerman]

If you leave the gaps you'll have weeds there for evermore......the usual method is to brush in a dry mix of sand and cement and allow natural dampness to cure things.
if you wet point, then you run the risk of overlapping the pointing onto the flags.
4:1 sand cement is fine......3:1 if you want the mix lighter.
John

 

[youngroughcaster]

Personally I would leave the gaps like they are to allow for drainage. If you brush in sharp sand it will fill in the gaps and can look good aswell!

 

[Burnerman]

Either method has its advantages, but if you pressure wash the patio any loose filling just comes straight out.....
John

 

[Deleted2797112]

I've also found that loose filling is prone to being moved out by ants.

 

[r896neo]

Dont dry brush anything in. Its a crap method that wont last for any time at all.

Unless its been specifically designed with a highly free draining base to have permeable joints then not filling the joints will have a damaging effect on the paving slabs and especially the bedding.

Either point it with a damp sort of semi dry mix and iron it to firm it in which is very labourious but really cheap or use a proprietory jointing product like marshalls weatherpoint 365 which is fast but expensive.

Lots of good advice on paving expert. com

 

[utterlydiy]

Thanks for your replies.

Called into my local Building supplies company to order some materials.

Whilst there I picked up brochure for ideas for gardens and driveways.

And now confused/worried.

Regarding drainage during a heavy downpour.

If I laid a new driveway with linear draining towards the garden. Must ensure sufficient soakaway under the garden.

If I laid a new driveway with drainage through the gaps through to the ground below.

Either of these, No planning permission is required.

But if I laid a new driveway without any drainage, where a buildup of water may occur during a heavy downpour.

Then I would require Planning permission to do this.


So as said earlier, I have 75 x 60 x 5 concrete slabs on all four sides of the house and the gaps/joints are open. In effect the water drains through. But if I fill the joints, would I contravene the requirements of planning permission.

So would having an open rainwater drain with downpipe on each corner of the house I have, cover these requirements of drainage during a heavy downpour.

Thanks

 

[Deleted2797112]

Do your slabs drain towards the corners of the house?

 

[utterlydiy]

Do your slabs drain towards the corners of the house?

Not a great deal.

But considering the water bombs we had during the winter and the ground being totally water logged too.

We had no great amount of standing water, if any.

thanks

 

[r896neo]

Don't worry, the SUDS legislation only applies to completely new work not remedial work to an existing installation.

I repeat leaving the joints unfilled without a specifically designed permeable base is a bad idea for the slabs themselves and the bedding course