Discussion
Pretty easy one here. I’ve been done by a “landscaper” but need a sanity check here.
Labour was £3.9k plus materials, slabs.
After a week i’ve had 80% of the patio blow out. Claims it has been walked on too early.
I’ll admit I stood on a slab a little early but I didn’t cause this.
Slabs below are wonky, not level, hollow or wobble.
Slabs have not bonded to mix.
The below shows that mix has not set after 1 week (slab lifted by hand)
This slab pulled by hand, looks like just sharp sand?
Nothing bonded.
I’ve got no idea whats gone wrong here. I had numerous issues with the fitting and it has taken the shine off a new garden.
He cut slabs on my drive scoring the brickwork, he was made to relay numerous parts as he couldn’t work out a brickwork pattern.
So, this is more of a vent, I don’t want him to carry out any further work in my garden nor try to rectify, there are another number of issues which I can post but I’m thinking ask for £2000 back which should cover 5 days to get someone to dig up and relay? Or small claims court?
He advertises on my local fb so thinking an honsst review of his work may sway his response.
What would you do in this situation. He sent a labourer to rectify yesterday with 2 guns of evo stick to attempt to stick the patio down and I ended up sending him home. So I have a meeting with him tomorrow and just want to confirm my thoughts.
Labour was £3.9k plus materials, slabs.
After a week i’ve had 80% of the patio blow out. Claims it has been walked on too early.
I’ll admit I stood on a slab a little early but I didn’t cause this.
Slabs below are wonky, not level, hollow or wobble.
Slabs have not bonded to mix.
The below shows that mix has not set after 1 week (slab lifted by hand)
This slab pulled by hand, looks like just sharp sand?
Nothing bonded.
I’ve got no idea whats gone wrong here. I had numerous issues with the fitting and it has taken the shine off a new garden.
He cut slabs on my drive scoring the brickwork, he was made to relay numerous parts as he couldn’t work out a brickwork pattern.
So, this is more of a vent, I don’t want him to carry out any further work in my garden nor try to rectify, there are another number of issues which I can post but I’m thinking ask for £2000 back which should cover 5 days to get someone to dig up and relay? Or small claims court?
He advertises on my local fb so thinking an honsst review of his work may sway his response.
What would you do in this situation. He sent a labourer to rectify yesterday with 2 guns of evo stick to attempt to stick the patio down and I ended up sending him home. So I have a meeting with him tomorrow and just want to confirm my thoughts.
Edited by sc0tt on Sunday 28th April 15:44
Not as extreme as yours but some of my patio tiles popped a week or two after the builder left. A look underneath suggested that he hadn't used enough cement so I stuck them down with a couple of tubes of Gripfill as I couldn't be arsed to argue with him. 5 years later and they're still holding in place so obviously it worked.
When I diyd a patio 2 weeks ago, I used a sbr slurry mix to the reverse on each slab. They are absolutely rock solid.
I know a lot of the old boys are probably set in their own ways but for the sake of 2 or 3 bags of cement and 10L or whatever of sbr-why take the risk? It would add 50 to 100 quid to the job.
I know a lot of the old boys are probably set in their own ways but for the sake of 2 or 3 bags of cement and 10L or whatever of sbr-why take the risk? It would add 50 to 100 quid to the job.
princeperch said:
When I diyd a patio 2 weeks ago, I used a sbr slurry mix to the reverse on each slab. They are absolutely rock solid.
I know a lot of the old boys are probably set in their own ways but for the sake of 2 or 3 bags of cement and 10L or whatever of sbr-why take the risk? It would add 50 to 100 quid to the job.
This is what the problem is , as well as what looks like a weak and dry bed . I know a lot of the old boys are probably set in their own ways but for the sake of 2 or 3 bags of cement and 10L or whatever of sbr-why take the risk? It would add 50 to 100 quid to the job.
If they’re not primed the stone sucks all of the moisture out of the bed mix .
I intentionally left two paving stones un primed as I will need to lift them and work into them in the future to avoid a straight joint and they were loose in days where as the rest are solid 3 years later .
If the bed ever does go solid you could lift the lot and re lay onto tile adhesive, or if it’s just the odd one use gorilla glue or expanding foam , just make sure both surfaces are damp , and put plenty of weight on and expanding foam does exactly what it says on the tin !
OP, is the pointing between the slabs still soft? Looks like he has laid the slabs on a dry mix. Nothing normally wrong with that but it obviously hasn't worked, probably got the ratios wrong.
I had my patio done last autumn and chose I guy a friend was using, I went over to watch him work and saw he had dug out for a decent sublease, laid the slabs on a full wet mix (not dot & dab) and applied slurry to the backs of each slab. It was a real quality job he did, so I booked him to do mine and watched him do it the same way.
I had my patio done last autumn and chose I guy a friend was using, I went over to watch him work and saw he had dug out for a decent sublease, laid the slabs on a full wet mix (not dot & dab) and applied slurry to the backs of each slab. It was a real quality job he did, so I booked him to do mine and watched him do it the same way.
The Gauge said:
OP, is the pointing between the slabs still soft? Looks like he has laid the slabs on a dry mix. Nothing normally wrong with that but it obviously hasn't worked, probably got the ratios wrong.
I had my patio done last autumn and chose I guy a friend was using, I went over to watch him work and saw he had dug out for a decent sublease, laid the slabs on a full wet mix (not dot & dab) and applied slurry to the backs of each slab. It was a real quality job he did, so I booked him to do mine and watched him do it the same way.
Most of yes.I had my patio done last autumn and chose I guy a friend was using, I went over to watch him work and saw he had dug out for a decent sublease, laid the slabs on a full wet mix (not dot & dab) and applied slurry to the backs of each slab. It was a real quality job he did, so I booked him to do mine and watched him do it the same way.
sc0tt said:
Pretty easy one here. I’ve been done by a “landscaper” but need a sanity check here.
Labour was £3.9k plus materials, slabs.
After a week i’ve had 80% of the patio blow out. Claims it has been walked on too early.
I’ll admit I stood on a slab a little early but I didn’t cause this.
Slabs below are wonky, not level, hollow or wobble.
Slabs have not bonded to mix.
The below shows that mix has not set after 1 week (slab lifted by hand)
This slab pulled by hand, looks like just sharp sand?
Nothing bonded.
I’ve got no idea whats gone wrong here. I had numerous issues with the fitting and it has taken the shine off a new garden.
He cut slabs on my drive scoring the brickwork, he was made to relay numerous parts as he couldn’t work out a brickwork pattern.
So, this is more of a vent, I don’t want him to carry out any further work in my garden nor try to rectify, there are another number of issues which I can post but I’m thinking ask for £2000 back which should cover 5 days to get someone to dig up and relay? Or small claims court?
He advertises on my local fb so thinking an honsst review of his work may sway his response.
What would you do in this situation. He sent a labourer to rectify yesterday with 2 guns of evo stick to attempt to stick the patio down and I ended up sending him home. So I have a meeting with him tomorrow and just want to confirm my thoughts.
those are porcelain tiles and must be laid on a cured level concrete base without a doubt he never used a primer , and the base is wrong he just bedded them straight onto a dry cement base that wasn't cured.Labour was £3.9k plus materials, slabs.
After a week i’ve had 80% of the patio blow out. Claims it has been walked on too early.
I’ll admit I stood on a slab a little early but I didn’t cause this.
Slabs below are wonky, not level, hollow or wobble.
Slabs have not bonded to mix.
The below shows that mix has not set after 1 week (slab lifted by hand)
This slab pulled by hand, looks like just sharp sand?
Nothing bonded.
I’ve got no idea whats gone wrong here. I had numerous issues with the fitting and it has taken the shine off a new garden.
He cut slabs on my drive scoring the brickwork, he was made to relay numerous parts as he couldn’t work out a brickwork pattern.
So, this is more of a vent, I don’t want him to carry out any further work in my garden nor try to rectify, there are another number of issues which I can post but I’m thinking ask for £2000 back which should cover 5 days to get someone to dig up and relay? Or small claims court?
He advertises on my local fb so thinking an honsst review of his work may sway his response.
What would you do in this situation. He sent a labourer to rectify yesterday with 2 guns of evo stick to attempt to stick the patio down and I ended up sending him home. So I have a meeting with him tomorrow and just want to confirm my thoughts.
Edited by sc0tt on Sunday 28th April 15:44
Porcelain is not laid like limestone/ sandstone paver which is what your chap has done
did he use a concrete lorry make shuttering and pour a concrete pad ? then leave for a week to cure ?If the answer is no well theres your answer
all that is going to have to be lifted out , because every tile will not stick to a base like that.
then get your money back and get a pro on , never ceases to amaze me when people employ " landscapers " to effectively do a building job ,
mount of times they don't survey the site properly have the wrong substructure , levels , drains DPC etc
" Use a builder " not a cheap landscaper you should be looking at
£250-£ 300 m2 to lay a good quality porcelain patio that's around 15k for a 50m2 area , that includes everything , Survey muck away , Pad made to a depth of 100mm type 1 crushed compacted limestone MOT , Shuttering C35 concrete poured to a depth of 100mm then cured. Porcelain laid to correct levels . and work guaranteed for 10 years
and joints should be filled with easy joint resin not cement or an appropriate porcelain grout/
Edited by Purosangue on Sunday 28th April 17:48
Purosangue said:
sc0tt said:
Pretty easy one here. I’ve been done by a “landscaper” but need a sanity check here.
Labour was £3.9k plus materials, slabs.
After a week i’ve had 80% of the patio blow out. Claims it has been walked on too early.
I’ll admit I stood on a slab a little early but I didn’t cause this.
Slabs below are wonky, not level, hollow or wobble.
Slabs have not bonded to mix.
The below shows that mix has not set after 1 week (slab lifted by hand)
This slab pulled by hand, looks like just sharp sand?
Nothing bonded.
I’ve got no idea whats gone wrong here. I had numerous issues with the fitting and it has taken the shine off a new garden.
He cut slabs on my drive scoring the brickwork, he was made to relay numerous parts as he couldn’t work out a brickwork pattern.
So, this is more of a vent, I don’t want him to carry out any further work in my garden nor try to rectify, there are another number of issues which I can post but I’m thinking ask for £2000 back which should cover 5 days to get someone to dig up and relay? Or small claims court?
He advertises on my local fb so thinking an honsst review of his work may sway his response.
What would you do in this situation. He sent a labourer to rectify yesterday with 2 guns of evo stick to attempt to stick the patio down and I ended up sending him home. So I have a meeting with him tomorrow and just want to confirm my thoughts.
those are porcelain tiles and must be laid on a cured level concrete base without a doubt he never used a primer , and the base is wrong he just bedded them straight onto a dry cement base that wasn't cured.Labour was £3.9k plus materials, slabs.
After a week i’ve had 80% of the patio blow out. Claims it has been walked on too early.
I’ll admit I stood on a slab a little early but I didn’t cause this.
Slabs below are wonky, not level, hollow or wobble.
Slabs have not bonded to mix.
The below shows that mix has not set after 1 week (slab lifted by hand)
This slab pulled by hand, looks like just sharp sand?
Nothing bonded.
I’ve got no idea whats gone wrong here. I had numerous issues with the fitting and it has taken the shine off a new garden.
He cut slabs on my drive scoring the brickwork, he was made to relay numerous parts as he couldn’t work out a brickwork pattern.
So, this is more of a vent, I don’t want him to carry out any further work in my garden nor try to rectify, there are another number of issues which I can post but I’m thinking ask for £2000 back which should cover 5 days to get someone to dig up and relay? Or small claims court?
He advertises on my local fb so thinking an honsst review of his work may sway his response.
What would you do in this situation. He sent a labourer to rectify yesterday with 2 guns of evo stick to attempt to stick the patio down and I ended up sending him home. So I have a meeting with him tomorrow and just want to confirm my thoughts.
Edited by sc0tt on Sunday 28th April 15:44
Porcelain is not laid like limestone/ sandstone paver which is what your chap has done
did he use a concrete lorry make shuttering and pour a concrete pad ? then leave for a week to cure ?If the answer is no well theres your answer
all that is going to have to be lifted out , because every tile will not stick to a base like that.
then get your money back and get a pro on , never ceases to amaze me when people employ " landscapers " to effectively do a building job ,
mount of times they don't survey the site properly have the wrong substructure , levels , drains DPC etc
" Use a builder " not a cheap landscaper
A builder will be rectifying this.
Those aren’t porcelain, they’re sand stone as already noted .
You prime the rear of the slab with a cement sbr mix , paint it on with a brush , a bag of cement mixed into sbr , it’s fancy pva then bed down onto a wet mortar mix .
As I said earlier, it stops the slab sucking the moisture out f the mortar and helps it bond .
I’ve laid thousands of metres over the years using this method and they’ve always been ok .
You prime the rear of the slab with a cement sbr mix , paint it on with a brush , a bag of cement mixed into sbr , it’s fancy pva then bed down onto a wet mortar mix .
As I said earlier, it stops the slab sucking the moisture out f the mortar and helps it bond .
I’ve laid thousands of metres over the years using this method and they’ve always been ok .
paulwirral said:
Those aren’t porcelain, they’re sand stone as already noted .
You prime the rear of the slab with a cement sbr mix , paint it on with a brush , a bag of cement mixed into sbr , it’s fancy pva then bed down onto a wet mortar mix .
As I said earlier, it stops the slab sucking the moisture out f the mortar and helps it bond .
I’ve laid thousands of metres over the years using this method and they’ve always been ok .
Thank you Paul. Safe to say that they haven’t bee primed and likely if they had they wouldn’t have set due to the bad bed mix.You prime the rear of the slab with a cement sbr mix , paint it on with a brush , a bag of cement mixed into sbr , it’s fancy pva then bed down onto a wet mortar mix .
As I said earlier, it stops the slab sucking the moisture out f the mortar and helps it bond .
I’ve laid thousands of metres over the years using this method and they’ve always been ok .
Going to ask for a chunk of change back tomorrow for the job.
I’ve had so many issues with these guys. They even managed to cut lines my drive with a saw cutting the slabs. Clowns.
Sorry to hear it OP, it's what everyone dreads when getting work done. Just a whole load of stress and hassle no one needs. My only advice is keep it friendly but firm as long as possible. Threats of negative social media reviews are an escalation which may get it sorted or may result in you getting told to fro.
Without derailing the thread too far, I have some Cornish slate crazy paving which needs doing, do they also need sbr?
Without derailing the thread too far, I have some Cornish slate crazy paving which needs doing, do they also need sbr?
Tim Cognito said:
Sorry to hear it OP, it's what everyone dreads when getting work done. Just a whole load of stress and hassle no one needs. My only advice is keep it friendly but firm as long as possible. Threats of negative social media reviews are an escalation which may get it sorted or may result in you getting told to fro.
Without derailing the thread too far, I have some Cornish slate crazy paving which needs doing, do they also need sbr?
Thanks TimWithout derailing the thread too far, I have some Cornish slate crazy paving which needs doing, do they also need sbr?
I’m aware its a bit of a nuke to go with but this will be the 4th time they will be back to sort an issue.
One of them they ruined a brick work pattern.
I only laugh otherwise I’d cry!
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