Laying granite setts

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sfella

Original Poster:

912 posts

109 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
Evening, but embarrassing to ask as in the building trade but if I ask the driveway guys on site how to do this they will just want to come do it on a weekend and tell me a mere mortal couldn't manage it! Anyway, have bought enough reclaimed granite setts to do my driveway, after much reading I'm planning on laying on a semi compacted sharp sand bed and jointing with a sweep in mix. The sweep in is the premix and pre coloured stuff that's goes off when wet but doesn't stain, used it on my limestone patio with good results. Does anyone in the know see any problems with this method? Of so please let me know where I'm going wrong ta

B17NNS

18,506 posts

248 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
Won't movement crack the pointing?

I'd be tempted to get your base right (compacted Type 1). Then screed out using a semi dry cement/sharp sand mix. Little tap with a rubber mallet as you go.

julianm

1,548 posts

202 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
This is a great web resource & might help
http://www.pavingexpert.com/setts01.htm
- I like the fan pattern but it`s complicated! Get some kneepads!

m3jappa

6,454 posts

219 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
You can't lay granite setts on sharp sand, it will look 200 years old before its finished.

Really you need to lay an edge course (on wet muck) then lay the setts to those levels a course at a time on at worst a damp lean mix, ideally IMO on a wet bed. so like building a wall but on the floor. If they are just granite blocks (I.e been sawn into a uniform size) then you could lay them the same as block paving on a sharp sand screed and then compact the blocks, but then you wouldn't have a wet joint, you'd use kiln dried sand.
Same dig out and same type 1 base as a normal block paved driveway.

Pre fill the joints with lean mix before topping off with a sweep in product, otherwise the jointing will cost a small fortune

There's a reason you don't see lots of granite setts, it's not because the setts are that dear it's because of the work involved to do it.

sfella

Original Poster:

912 posts

109 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
Should have been clearer, we have 6f2 and type 1 well compacted from 8inches to 3 foot deep so plenty of stable ground to work off, not just going to lay sharp and then granite on top. Had started out looking at a dry mix but seemed more time consuming. If I'm honest it seemed a bit too easy just topping off with sharp sand and laying the setts hence the question. Cheers

m3jappa

6,454 posts

219 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
Yea definitely lay the setts on some kind of cement based mix, straight to sharp won't be stable enough.

sfella

Original Poster:

912 posts

109 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
No problem, really appreciate the advice, cheers

FlipFlopGriff

7,144 posts

248 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
Tar joints?
Looked at doing our drive but its 4m wide by c80m long so would cost as much as the house.
FFG

sfella

Original Poster:

912 posts

109 months

Thursday 26th January 2017
quotequote all
Not a fan of the tar joints if I'm honest,can see it would be more durable but this is about 30sqm infront of the garage but not what we drive on every day so hoping to not need anything so drastic