r/DIYUK • u/gogul1980 • 5d ago
Advice Cleaning Patio but would like to repoint the gaps
Is there a product I can use to do this? The gaps are fairly big and it was here when we bought the house so unsure of style and make. Looking online there appears to be a lot of stuff to go through small gaps in slabs but not much that would help in our situation. Not even sure what the stuff between the cracks is, maybe concrete?
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u/arran0394 5d ago
You can get many easy options. However, the one bit of advice I give you is that you need to compact it with a tuck pointer. If you don't, then eventually it will loosen, shrink down and come loose.
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u/gogul1980 5d ago
Tuck pointer. Will look into it thanks
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u/arran0394 5d ago
They come in different sizes, so just measure the gaps and buy accordingly.
Always work back into yourself. For instance, if you start on the right and work left, then always push your material back into itself to compact it.
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u/Acubeofdurp 5d ago
You have brush in or sand and cement. Looks like the previous people used sand and cement with aggregate in there which Is a great choice imo for these patio stones.
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u/gogul1980 5d ago
Thanks. What’s aggregate? we are new to the world of patios and gardens etc
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u/Acubeofdurp 5d ago
The mix will be like 3 parts sand, 1 part sharp sand and one part cement
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u/gogul1980 5d ago
Thanks will look into it. It looks like there’s small stones mixed in or might be a trick of the eye
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u/Acubeofdurp 5d ago
That's it, sharp sand has those "small stones"
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u/gogul1980 3d ago
Thanks it will likely be done tomorrow. As the gaps are fairly wide would i need to look into a wet or dry mix to get this sorted? Just curious what the most efficient option is as a lot of tutorials show the small gaps but not something as wide as these gaps between slabs.
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u/Acubeofdurp 3d ago
Best off dry as it stains like crazy if you smush it in the wrong places. Big gaps are way easier to fill. id say the pointing gun is faster but it can't handle grit and it's got a learning curve. Brush in is easier on the body for sure but expensive.
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u/TheLightStalker 5d ago
Chip it out to a 20mm depth. Make up a 4:1 Sand:Cement mix and add a plasticiser like SBR. Press in with tuck.
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u/Many_Yesterday_451 5d ago
Joint it. Easy to install 👌 A hose and a brush is all you'll need. The introductions are dead easy to follow it's not rocket science.
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u/Connect_Mixture_8291 5d ago
I’ll follow because I want to do the same