Laying Natural Stone Paving Guide

Summary

This video guide details the process of laying natural stone paving on a wet mortar bed. It covers essential steps such as assessing the project site, mixing mortar, spreading bedding material, positioning the stones, and ensuring proper joint thickness. The video also explains using a rubber mallet for leveling and applying jointing materials like Aspect's Easy Joint. The guide emphasizes the importance of a full bed of mortar for stability and offers a helpful tip to wash down the back of each stone. For more detailed instructions, viewers are directed to the installation guidelines at www.globalstonepayment.co.uk.

Takeaways

• 🏗 Natural stone is an ancient and versatile building material with a wide range of colors, textures, and shades.
• 🛠 The video provides instructions on laying natural stone paving on a wet mortar bed, distinct from the method for laying porous slim paving.
• 📏 Assessing the long-term stability of the existing ground is crucial at the beginning of a project to ensure the project's success.
• 🔄 The preparation of the bedding material involves mixing clean water, coarse sand, and cement in specific proportions.
• 💧 It's recommended to wash down the back of each paving stone to facilitate the laying process.
• 🛤️ Spread the bedding material in a layer that is 25 to 40 millimeters thick, larger than the area of the paving stone to be laid.
• 🔨 Use a rubber mallet to tap the paving stone down to the correct fall and check the level with a spirit level.
• 🔍 The suggested layouts allow for an average joint of 10 millimeters, which will be filled with mortar or other pointing material.
• 🔄 For jointing, use a product like Aspects Easy Joint, which involves soaking, sweeping, and washing into the joints to create a slurry.
• 🌈 Natural stone colors intensify and darken when wet but will return to normal once the paving dries out.
• 📚 For more detailed information on laying natural stone, refer to the installation guidelines provided on the specified website.

Q & A

What is natural stone used for in construction?

Natural stone is one of the oldest building materials known to man, used for its wide variation in color, texture, and shades, suitable for various construction projects.

What are the different types of natural stone mentioned in the video?

The video mentions veined marble, slate, and sandstone as examples of natural stone types.

How is natural stone paving laid on a wet mortar bed according to the video?

The video explains that a layer of freshly mixed bedding material, roughly 25 to 40 millimeters thick, is spread over an area slightly larger than the paving stone to be laid.

What is the purpose of washing down the back of each paving stone?

Washing down the back of each paving stone can help with the laying process, possibly by ensuring better adhesion to the mortar bed.

What tools are suggested for spreading the bedding material?

The video suggests using a shovel or a brick trowel to spread the bedding material.

How should the paving stone be positioned on the bed?

The paving stone should be positioned allowing for the appropriate joint thickness and then tapped down to the correct fall with a rubber mallet.

What is the recommended joint thickness for the paving stones?

The suggested layouts in the video allow for an average joint thickness of 10 millimeters.

What is used to fill the joints between the paving stones?

The joints are filled with a mortar or other pointing material, and in this project, Aspects Easy Joint is used.

How should the Aspects Easy Joint be applied to the paving?

First, the paving is soaked, then the Easy Joint is wetted to form a slurry, which is swept and washed over the saturated paving into the joints.

What happens to the color of natural stone when it gets wet?

When natural stone gets wet, the colors intensify and darken, but they return to normal once the paving dries out.

Where can one find more information on laying natural stone?

More information on laying natural stone can be found in the installation guidelines at www.globalstonepayment.co.uk.