For residential patios, pathways and domestic driveways. There are three popular methods of laying slabs: spot bedding, individual bedding and screed bedding. Green Garden Paving only recommends screed bedding.
Spot bedding is an antiquated method that lays slabs onto five spots of mortar. Do not use this method it will contravene with the British Standards BS7533:P4 code of practice. Spot bedding has been found to create voids under the slabs, which can fill with water and wash away the Sub-Base resulting in rocking slabs. It also means the slab is un-supported where it bridges the void and can therefore crack and break more easily.
Individual bedding has a proven track record, and is necessary to accommodate slabs of varying thickness. All Green Garden Paving slabs are calibrated to the same thickness however, therefore this more expensive and time-consuming method is unnecessary. Many of our competitors' slabs are not calibrated and will vary significantly in thickness between slabs and even across a single slab. The variation can be as much as 25mm! This makes un-calibrated slabs very heavy compared to Green Garden Paving's calibrated products and much, much more expensive and time consuming to lay.
Screed Bedding is a very simple method of fixing calibrated slabs.
Make the bedding layer out of a dry mix of 10:1 sharp sand to cement 40-50mm thick. This should be laid on top of the Sub-Base which itself should have been laid to the appropriate falls for adequate drainage
Note. the surface of the Sub-Base should be well compacted and free from voids
Compact the bedding layer with two passes of a vibrating 'wacker' plate or vibrating roller and then the top 5-10mm scarified with a fine garden rake to assist bedding
Lay the slabs with the sawn face down onto the bedding course, carefully avoiding causing any indentations in the bed that might cause voids behind the slabs
Note. many slabs will have tapered edges, the top face of the slab is always the larger face.
Working from the top of slabs already laid, use their edge to support the next slab to be laid, which can be lowered down into place and tapped into position with a paver's maul
Green Garden Paving recommends Geo-Fix as a high quality, easy to use jointing compound, for more information on jointing and the different methods available to you please visit our Jointing Advice page
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