How to re-lay a patio

Replacing your old patio will give your garden a fresh look and get rid of any uneven surfaces or broken slabs. Treat your garden to a bit of a mini makeover and use this guide to learn how.

Level of difficulty

Level 3: Advanced

What you need

• String lines
• Pegs
• Rubber hammer
• Tape measure
• Excavator
• Vibrating plate
• Cement
• Concrete
• Screeding rails
• Screeding boards
• Patio slabs
• Spirit level
• Kiln dried sand

The steps to follow

1. Remove all existing slabs and topsoil.
2. Dig down until you reach concrete.
3. Spread a layer of concrete, of about 1 cm (1/2 in) thick.
4. Let the concrete set and dry for about 6 hours and compact it with a plate vibrator.
5. Put up screed boards and rails on both sides of the patio.
6. Add in soft sand into the area and screed it with a piece of timber.
7. Start by dry-laying the patio from left to right. Make sure you leave mortar joints of about 2.5 cm (1 in) between each patio slabs.
   
   Note:
   You’ll need to prepare some mortar mixture to secure slabs on the concrete surface.(one part cement and twelve parts kiln dried sand) and lay the slabs from left to right.
   
    
8. Evenly spread the mortar mixture with a hand trowel and lay a slab on top. Gently tap on the slab with a rubber hammer to set it in place.
9. Check with a spirit level to see if the slab is straight. If not, lift the slab with a shovel and either add or scoop out some mortar mixture to level it.
10. Finish laying the slabs. Make sure to leave a 1 cm (1/2 in) thick mortar joint between the slabs.
    
    Note:
    Water the slabs with a sprinkler to keep the mortar mixture from drying up.
    
     
11. When you're finished, spread kiln dried sand over the area to fill in the gaps between the slabs.
12. Use a vibrating plate to compact and even out the newly paved patio.

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