Repointing and resanding
The cheapest work we do, and sometimes the only work a patio needs. Crumbling pointing and empty joints let water into the bedding, and water in the bedding is how a sound patio becomes a sunken one.
Caught early, this is a day on site and a small bill.
from £150
What you are probably seeing
- Mortar you can pick out of the joints with a finger
- Cracked pointing running the length of a joint
- Weeds and ant hills coming up between slabs
- Block paving joints that look empty and pale
- Green film and moss holding damp on the surface
Why it happened
Pointing fails when the mix was wrong, when it was buttered into damp joints, or simply with age and frost. A weak mix does not survive many winters in Manchester.
Joint sand washes out of block paving every time it rains hard, which is normal. It becomes a problem when nobody tops it up, because the blocks then move against each other and the edges chip.
How we do it
The method, start to finish.
- 01
Cut out and clean
Failed pointing is raked and cut out back to something sound, and the joints are cleaned out properly. Pointing over the top of loose material does not last a year.
- 02
Repoint with the right mix
A mortar mix matched to the paving and the joint width, worked in and struck off neatly. Narrow joints and porcelain get a brush-in jointing compound instead, which suits them better.
- 03
Resand block paving
Swept clean, then kiln-dried sand brushed in and vibrated down so the joints fill to the top.
- 04
Wash down
Jet washed where the surface will take it, and everything cleared away.
Straight talk
Repointing is sometimes the wrong job
If the pointing is cracking because the slabs underneath are moving, new pointing will crack in the same places within a year. We would rather tell you that and quote the relay than take £200 for work we know will fail.
Questions we get asked
How much does repointing a patio cost?
Small remedial work starts at £150. The price depends on how much joint there is and whether the old mortar comes out easily, so we will give you a firm figure after a look.
Is jet washing included?
Usually, where the paving will take it. Some older concrete flags and soft stone are damaged by a high-pressure lance, and we will use a lower setting or a different method on those.
How often should block paving be resanded?
Every two or three years is sensible, and more often on a slope where rain runs across it. It is a small job that prevents an expensive one.
Repointing and resanding in Wythenshawe, Northenden, Gatley, Heald Green, Cheadle, Timperley and Altrincham.
Send us a photo of the problem.
Quickest way to get an answer. We reply the same day, and the quote is free either way.