Build With A&E thanks Tony! No book, that’s all my knowledge from trial and error over the years! Even when I did my apprenticeship it was only bricklaying so stuff like this just wasn’t taught
Sam Davies Hi Bud sorry I explained my self badly, nothing too do with work near the end of the video there was a book on the sun chair that’s all buddy, I agree with Tom Jones best video yet 👍
fantastic vid.....really good. May I ask what the tool is (and where to buy one) that you are using to compact it down and score those perfect trenches at the end....looks like a chisel but know it isnt. Thanks
Hi, thanks! It’s a Marshalltown jointer, here’s a link: www.toolden.co.uk/hand-tools/building-tools/brick-jointers/marshalltown-80-brick-jointer-1-2in-5-8in/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADfua20wiQpZTjd692gztvbShFM21&gclid=CjwKCAiAuNGuBhAkEiwAGId4asI1OFTh8OyBAqO7mMP0w4YZAy4_dwWNzLW_hbeEyOXknlszr9MadhoCS8QQAvD_BwE There might be cheaper places to buy I just clicked on the first link I could find
I've had one of those syringe things for over 10 years, totally useless , it jams up at the first squeeze. One of my mates is a landscape gardener, he also tried and said he had to use so much plasticiser he gave up, so that's what I tried again today, increased the plasticiser amount by about 10 fold above recommended. The result - it jammed up and I reverted to traditional trowel. . Maybe its good for something, icing cakes, squiring kids with waters, because its bldwy useless for pointing.
If it’s jamming up on the first squeeze you haven’t got the mix right. You don’t need a lot of plasticiser for a good mix, it’s all about the mixing time - it needs long enough to ‘cream’ up and wet itself up rather than adding too much water. Honestly if you can try it with a good mix you will love the tool!
@@SamDaviesBuilder Well, I tried again, not to much water, a dash of plasticizer mixed it all up until it was creamy smooth, I loaded into the pointmaster thinking this is it, pointing perfection, and bingo, exactly the same result, it jammed on the first squeeze. Maybe I need cement baked in the kings own kilns underneath Balmoral and sand mined in the Queen of Sheba's marble mines in Ethiopia as the the stuff I buy from B&Q seems to jam at first and every use. So I will stick by my first comment, totally useless, maybe if you have a few tonnes of sand and cement to practice, but for most of us DIYers its a ridiculously overpriced (£25 yikes) waste of money.
@@philldavies7940 that’s interesting. How tight have you got the nozzle? If the mix is right, it is no trouble at all to push through. I am using the point master tomorrow so I can make a little video. Are you using building sand?
@@SamDaviesBuilder Aye , builders sand, not sharp sand. I don't know what you mean by how tight the nozzles is -it was fixed on by pointmaster all those years ago, I've never removed it.
@@philldavies7940 I mean is the metal part of the nozzle quite tight where it comes out, sometimes you have to widen it a bit to make the material easier to come out
Great video Sam. Thanks for the upload. I’ve just finishing laying a similar looking patio (Kandla Grey Indian Stone) and was wondering, is it better to point with a sand and cement mix as in this video or the Pointfix resin compound? TIA
Thanks. Resin probably wins hands down for a guaranteed hard pointing and guaranteed colour throughout. Only con is it costs more than sand and cement. Just make sure your joints aren’t too deep if you do point with pointfix or it will cost you a fortune!
Bought a point master and have 170 m2 to do so if you have made this look too easy I may have to hunt you down. Awesome vid butt. A couple of questions, if you have to stop and come back to it part way through, any advice on that? And what were the slabs are they Kandla Grey? Keep it up as 8 have subscribed
Thanks for the compliment! I hope it goes to plan for you. My advice if you stop and come back to it is just make sure you finish at the end of one slab and cut the edge of the joint tidy so it is easy to join back into. Not the best to do at this time of year so I hope you manage to get some dry days - just remember if the joints are damp it will take longer to go off so be prepared for that. It is a nightmare to finish up if it hasn't gone off enough. The slabs were brown multi from Marshalls. I've got a few more videos in the pipeline!
Cheers Sam. Never a great time but just need to knuckle down and be lucky. Probably planning to do the pointing under a a gazebo in 9 m2 blocks if it keeps up hence question. Did you feb up the point mix and did you slurry mix up the slabs with sbr?
Taff Bampy yea feb in the pointing mix, not too much not too little! Sbr is good as a primer with cement. I didn’t prime my sandstone as it had enough grip on the back with the cuts from when they calibrate the thickness on the back. But smoother slabs I would prime
Thankyou. I would just use a guaging trowel in this instance. Or a 2” wide square edge trowel (you could get a smaller size too). Places like Screwfix or Toolstation will sell them
Thanks Mark. It’s a lot to take in, but done right it can give a lovely finish which lasts. Mix of mortar is 4:1 (4 sand 1 cement) with plasticiser. Check out my ‘how to mix mortar’ video for how to get a good mix as this is so important with the Pointmaster
I prefer the gun for this but the bags are good - I prefer the bags on pointing brickwork as they give a better control of the mortar coming out than the gun!
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I’ve found this so helpful. You mention st the start about squeezing the water out. I got 6/8 along the way and my grout (I’m using it for tiling sandstone grout lines) wouldn’t push through anymore. I pull it apart and found the last grout was crumbly and dry in the tube. I bashed it out and it was like putty consistency which I used like playdoh. Just before that my tube started to leak water. What have I done? I’d like to get the whole mix to push through Any advise?
@@SamDaviesBuilder ok that makes sense, thanks so much for getting back to me! In any case the pointing almost dry worked great! Not need to sponge is a blessing. It’s funny coz I’ve done that technique tons on a stone retainer wall, didn’t think to apply it to tiles till I saw this! Brilliant
It really depends on the brand of plasticiser. If I was filling a mixer up (usually a mixer will hold 16 sand and 4 cement) I’d put in around 2 cap fulls. So just make sure if it’s a smaller mix put in less Feb. But as I say, different brands of Feb need different amounts. Just be patient with the mix too and let it do it’s thing, I’ve got a video on my channel about how to do a good mix
cnichoyt it’s hard for me to say how sharp your sand is - where I am in Wales our building sand would be like what people in England use for sharp sand. Basically you want sand suitable for bricklaying as the pointing you’re doing is the same as pointing brickwork
I'm with Sam. Like said not sure where your based but here in the south (Dorset) the Sharp is quite course compared to the builders sand here. It contains what I would say 3 or 4 mm Flint aggregate. I mean it's not impossible to use and I have used it but, in past findings over some time the motor joint becomes pitted due to the corser aggregate. Its Much better with builders sand
Our builder's sand here is too orange. In the end I used kiln dried sand for the colour and lack of grit. It produced a nice contrast with the black limestone. Even after sifting the sharp sand the result was too gritty and the finish was not pretty.
Now that's a pro! Made it look too easy, but I intuitively know it is not! Still...given me the confidence to have a go. Thanks!..wish I could like it twice!
Thankyou! Yes you've got it! Such a fine line between gone too much and not gone off enough. You have to keep an eye on lots of joints too as sometimes it doesn't quite go off in the order you put it down in.
Neat work pal. Just pointed my Indian sand stone, filling the joints with pointing trowel and then using the jointer, may have to invest in a gun like you’ve used there. (Bricklayer by trade)
You did well to point it in sand and cement at this time of year, it's been a nightmare lately for outdoor work. Honestly these pointing guns are great, you'll use it for so many things, as long as its a good mix they are great. They are very handy for filling in above lintels if you have made a new opening in a wall - so much quicker than pushing it in with a pointing trowel and it gets it right to the back of the lintel. Cheers for watching and the positive comment too :)
@@SamDaviesBuilder god mate I know, it’s been so bad recently the weather! Lost loadsa time! And I built the steps and paving when I was off at Xmas, and was literally waiting until the weekend to be able to point them because of the weather! Been killing me seeing them unfinished 😂😂 .. yeah I bet they’re well worth having, decent when you toothed out bricks and stuff too. 👍🏻
Great video, Sam. I’ll be starting to lay a 42 m2 patio in my own garden tomorrow for the first time, luckily with my Brother who’s done it before many times. Will be using this approach to pointing so thanks again.
@@SamDaviesBuilder 😄 I have started, half way to finishing it, getting better at mortar consistency ect.. hats off too you my guy, it's a hard graft. I subscribed to your channel, some good content on there
What's your thoughts on brush in resin based Sam . Weather point 365 for example . Expensive stuff but saves on labour costs . Do you always point this way ? Thanks
machine 19 it’s good as long as when you lay the slabs you don’t leave the joints too deep or just the minimum the product says, you’ll use loads of the stuff otherwise. I point with sand and cement on smaller basic patios (the patio in this one was my own) but larger ones and where I want a perfect colour match or a certain colour then the resin ones are great. Also they’re a no brainier in the winter with the risk of rain or cold as it doesn’t affect the resin as much as sand and cement. Still sand and cement is still a quick way of doing it though so it has its place
I've used that stuff, easy to apply. But its porous, so over time the dirt washes in and accumulates, a year or two later all my joints/pointing where I used is now a shade of dirt black. I also tried sealing it after using, it made no difference whatsoever, still a nice shade of dirt black. So now I need to grind it all out and replace with mortar.
Good video and we’ll presented . I bought the pointmaster mortar gun and was pleased with the ease of use. The best tip was to let the mortar go off before raking it in .
A cement pointed patio done well is as good as anything. Also, sometimes it comes down to cost as I know I can do this method cheaper than the resin based pointing. Nothing against the resin based pointing though as I do use it on jobs!
Cheers! Check out my how to mix mortar video for how much plasticiser I put in. It does depend on the brand but if I was using the ‘Febmix’ mortar plasticiser I’d put two capfuls in. There’s so many factors such as quality of cement and sand which can affect how much plasticiser you need though.
Thank you for the compliment. Have you got a patio you’re doing yourself? I do like doing this method but it comes down to weather conditions and how much time I have. This method you can’t do if any rain is forecast and also it’s not great to do if it’s too hot so sometimes you have a small window of time to do it. That’s where the resin compounds can help you get a job done as you can do them in any weather. But I will say the finish you can get off a mortar joint is better than the resin. Hope this helps
many thanks for your video i found it really helpfull could you please tell me the pointing mix ratio you used in video as i dont have a mixer i will be mixing by hand can i still achieve a good mix like in the video and should i add some ad mix ? regards Russell
Hi Russell, 4:1 is the ratio I used in the video. You can mix it by hand and definitively use an admin. You will still achieve a good mix if you mix it by hand if you mix it well enough
This was a new patio so I didn’t need to get the mortar out. You can use a 4” grinder or a small breaker drill and a little picking hammer. See my how to repoint a patio video to see how I got old mortar out of a patio ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eqGttyi6iic.html
I like you video 👍 do you use spacers on you paving and what space should be between slabs.. i am about to put mine and am bit new to this.. I need to put drains too like yours.. i hope you have video how you put drains too.. Thank you paving tool what size? Thank you
I don’t use spacers, my joints are around 12.5mm, if you are using sandstone like this sometimes the joints can be bigger or smaller if the slab varies in size. Which paving tool do you mean? Thanks for watching too
Just used mine for the first time today, purchased after having seen you demo it here. Much easier than trying to brush a dry mix all over the place in the hope that it fills the voids properly.
djtaylorutube yea it fills up the voids nicely. Biggest thing with it is getting the mix right, once you have a decent mix it goes through the gun easily. Glad the video helped!
@@SamDaviesBuilder yep, I paid attention to that part. I used a 4:1 with sharp sand. Didn't clog at all but as you said in the video, don't underfill because it's not easy to fix afterwards. I did under fill a few at the beginning, fixed that thereafter.
@@SamDaviesBuilder, will do, but first I have to get some of the old mortar off the slabs. Thinking of using an angle grinder to do this, what do you think? Cheers for any advice on this.
Sam beautiful neat work, like me a traditional tradesman. This method will far out last the brush in products that are available today, they will only last a couple of winters if lucky. You can’t beat a traditional joint. However flowpoint is the product to use if your reasonably capable, it goes off much harder than a 4 to 1 mix and will last much longer.
Thanks Hamish, yes a cement joint done properly lasts a long time. I’ve seen a lot of dry cement mixes brushed in and they don’t last at all. I am guilty of using resin brush in, if done right they can last but some of the products I’d steer clear of. Problem is some people think you can just brush it in and not even took the joint. I want to try flowpoint one day as from what I’ve seen it does look a great product. Have you used it?
I was recommended the brush in stuff (I have a point master tool, found it useless), so used it a couple of years ago to replace the pointing on my 10 year old patio. the brush in epoxy is much easier to use than mortar, but its a water permeable joint- so when I walk on it in my inevitably dirty shoes, that dirt comes off my shoes, sits on the patio until it rains , then washes into and accumulates in the epoxy resin joint, the result now is that my joints have turned from their original speckled grey to mouldy black, so I'm now in the process of ripping it all out and reverting back to mortar (at least the epoxy is easier to remove than old mortar).
Hi Sam, im looking into having a new garden but extremely low maintenance, no real grass or weeds, im looking at riven paving and want it pointed, but i seen your other video about jointing compound. im guessing the cement mix is the best way to go.
Hi Paul, if done right then a cement mix is as good as a resin jointing compound. However, the resin jointing compounds have come down in price and as long as the joints aren’t too deep then it’s an economical product to use and will last for years
Th''end of 2019 right through to back end of 20 to early 21 I have personally struggled with poor tradesmen in the North of England, whilst getting work done I've found the Welsh lads superior in pride/skill of work, speed and final aesthetics. Do you think this has always been or an effect of reducing EU compensation.
I’m not really sure how to answer that, it could be more customers in England so it’s easier even for the poorer builders to get work and in Wales with less people it’s harder to get work unless you’re a decent builder?
@@SamDaviesBuilder firstly, sorry It was a general reply/bit of a moan and I didn't think anyone would reply. I think your point is valid for tje up take in work, allowing cowboys through. Thank you for replying and for the video patio looks great. Ps. What would be you top three things to look for in a builder?
@@northernmonkeyww10f26 I think my top three things to look for would be punctuality (that they can turn up at a consistent time and put in a full day regularly), tidiness (the job being kept tidy and organised at the end of a day) and a good standard of work
Its been 3 months plus and I'm just starting the pointing of my flags. The first lot are terrible, didn't watch your video before attempting....wait for the mortar to turn, key. Also had to reset a few flags that came loose over the winter as you've guessed. Last ground work DIY for me! For my extension in 2024-5 I will look for punctuality, tidiness and a standard of work you suggested in a builder. Thanks again Tom
Thanks. The mortar is good but you’re very dependant on weather, it’s a pain if it drys too fast or too slow so it’s never a constant thing. At least with the jointing compound you know exactly what it will do every time. Yea it does look neater with no joint next to acos but as these slabs are riven on the edges they don’t sit tidy up against the acos
You’ll have to have it wet enough so it flows through the gun nicely. There is methods of brushing dry mix in but it never goes off strong enough in my opinion
🙈🙈🙈🙈 I’ve seen nothing like this in 35 years man and boy . Just mix it up in a wheel barrow 3-1 sand cement semi dry, no staining and no waiting for it to go off , and brushes off easy after 10 minutes. Just make sure you pack it in the joint . You should use a flat pointing iron not bucket handle for natural stone to show off the edges of the paving . Looks good what you’ve done but painful to watch .
TOTAL LANDSCAPES what’s painful about it? I always use bucket handle as that shows off the edges better - if you use a flat jointer and leave it flush then it fills in the riven parts. I’ve had bad experiences with semi dry - no matter how well you do it, it never goes off as hard as a wet mix. If you could do a video of your technique that would be great, I always like to see different methods!
@@SamDaviesBuilder Im on porcelain paving at the mo but the next sandstone one we do ill film it . Be about 3 weeks time . Anyway keep up the daily grind . Its hard work and you dont need divs like me criticising . It just looked hard work the way you were doing it.
@@SamDaviesBuilder need all help I can get building up the courage to tackle my back garden not as adventureous as your work though just simple patio slabs😂👍👍
@@SamDaviesBuilder oh il have your video playin min by min when I get to the pointing bit 😂😂I won’t have to worry about it dryin up to fast living in Ireland 😂👍
I use the same method, and the same tool when pointing patio's, I find a mix of 3:1 with a little water proof add-mix added to it, is just perfect, and will last for years, more than I can say for these "wetter the better" brush in methods. I only tried it once, I completed the work and the client called me back some three months later, she wanted a new foul water drain putting in, which meant having to lift a small section of the patio, I was amazed to discover that although the top of the joints had hardened...to a degree...that the bottom of the joints that are not exposed to the air were still soft and crumbley. So although these brush in compounds might be quicker and more convenient, especially with our unreliable weather patterns, the old way of doing it beats it hands down for me, and it's more aesthetically pleasing...but on the downside, just pray it doesn't rain as you're doing it lol
Green Genes some very good points you’ve got there. The resin brush in ones are a life saver in the winter but you definitely can’t beat traditional sand and cement!
Yeh and what gets me they say use water to put it in with but if you dont use the whole tup they say fill it with water to stop it going off in the tub 🤷♂️ its all a load of crap . And the lighter colours go green after a few months because its pourous all the dirt gets stuck in it . Its junk . We put a disclaimer in the quotes . If they want it we will not guarante it .
TOTAL LANDSCAPES this is why I like RU-vid, lots of tips from other people and what to watch out for. I think some of the resin products are yet to stand the test of time. Some do seem better than others too! What is annoying with some resin products is that people think it’s just brush in and forget, it still needs tooling to pack it in and that’s where a lot go wrong.
@@SamDaviesBuilder We wet it up in the bag Makes it more useable And use it like normal sand and cemet pointing . No brushing in , and no mess . When the slabs are dry it brushes off so much easier . And you dont get any oil stains because its not all over the paving when using it from the bag or tub.
@@redleather100 That's another downside, after having just being completed 3 months prior to me going back, I was disappointed to see that most of the joints looked filthy, and had turned a dirty grey colour, it made it look like the patio had been down for years.
Thanks for the great Video Sam. Very handy as I am about to point a large patio! In the past I have used a semi-dry mix, brushed in and then compacted. I was considering using one of the Polymeric wet brush in mortars but from what I have seen it is impossible to get a nice smooth finish like you did in the video. So I will give your method a try and see how I get on. What sand did you use in your mix ? Did you use any dye to get that grey colour?
GAP999 thankyou for watching! It’s hard to get it right with semi dry as it never seems to cure as strong as when it’s put in wet. The resin based ones can still be fooled up fairly smooth! I just used normal building sand, has enough body in it to be strong. You wouldn’t want a plastering sand in my opinion as I think it’s too fine. No dye at all, the cement has given it that colour - I know cement such as Blue Circle is a lot lighter. Also to note it will dry darker if it’s tooled up drier, if you pointed it when it’s too wet it will dry lighter. So many factors involved!!
Jon Jones not if you’re careful. I’ve never had a problem doing it this way. Dry mix can be done but it’s very difficult to get it to go fully hard and be long lasting
Sam Davies your a professional mate knows what he’s doing the average joe mate will fuck it up and have staining everywhere it’s come back and bit me on the arse twice with customers.
@@jonjones1170 I’m expecting to fuck it up so I’m taping off my multicolored slate flagstone (irregular edges) with some areas of mortar ( that were not loose but too flush ) receiving a skim coat for uniformity. I beveled and took off 3/8 “ old mortar in some too flush areas. It was horrendous to clean up old mortar stains and overflow. Preparing my Portland mortar mix tomm. Adding in a little cement adhesive into the mortar mix . And brushing some on by hand to more flush areas. I wouldn’t attempt this looser mix for my application (irregular flagstone) but it sure is beautiful to watch and picked up tips nevertheless for a later project. I’m tempted to buy a little builders sand for extra stick power. Maybe overkill ? Back to taping off today. Praying I don’t eff it up. after weeks of research and prep.
@@SamDaviesBuilder Indian sandstone. Have layed a good few concrete slabs over the years. Getting a bit confused now looking into other materials. A couple of questions. Can these slabs be layed on conpacted type 1 or over here called 804. And also you did not butter up underneath slabs . Something else a bit confusing.
@@paultant6741 I’d seal the sandstone after it’s laid - but it’s good practice to wait 6 months incase any salts come through the slabs (efflorescence) as you don’t want to seal them in. Yes you can use that as a base and just a mortar bed then. I don’t butter up but it certainly won’t harm. Will try and do a video on Indian Sandstone one day
Jimmytwogunz that’s not the best way, I’ve seen it come loose like that. You’d have to really get it right for it to work. Also it would need to be compressed once it’s in the joints. Is much better when you can put it in wet
Thanks! I’d leave it at least two weeks. Are you thinking jet wash to get rid of any staining? If that’s the case I’d use a weak brick acid. With regards to applying a sealer then you’d have to read up on the sealer you’re using - some sealers say leave it a while incase you lock in efflorescence which can happen on some slabs - if you sealed too soon then it would be trapped beneath the sealer
@@SamDaviesBuilder thanks for the reply buddy... Had my garden done a month or two ago and the pointing is poor so want to rake out and repoint next yeah.. .. The slabs are a dark grey slate and are quite porous as I was unable to seal them as winter had set in... Was wanting to jet wash to get them as clean as possible before i seal with adseal..
@@brimplas1 was the pointing a dry mix originally? Always find that way never goes as hard as the method I do. The resin pointing is really good too, just more money to buy but goes rock solid!
@@SamDaviesBuilder it was a sika brush in one... The problem is with his installation, he didn't keep the joints clean when laying the slabs and i can see the cement through the pointing....
@@brimplas1 I see. A lot of the resins need a minimum depth. Another problem is people don’t compress them with a tool and they just break out. Anyway, hope this method works for you and remember the key is having a good mix and using good quality sand and cement
hey sam, thanks for the video. Can you explain to a newb how to mix the mortar? How much water? How much sand? How much cement? which brands and types? thank you!
Hi, theres too much detail to go into to describe this way. I am going to do a video on mixing mortar very soon so please subscribe and keep an eye out for the video :)
Some places call it Connecticut blue stone full range. A sandstone. Do you have video of patio install? Looks like you got the broken instead of cut pavers??? Would love to see install with the drain. Awesome!!
Pretty much how I do natural stone, I pump it in very wet and strike it off once sets up a bit. Labour intensive but lasts the longest. A petrol blower works great, save all the sweeping.
@@SamDaviesBuilder Thanks Sam, I'm struggling to get builders sand in small quantities, they only seem to be selling the large hippo bags which is massively more than I need. I've seen the Wickes ready mixed mortar in 10kg tubs, if I added a plasticiser, would that be an OK mix? The Patio is only 4metres square so not that big. I reckon 4 tubs would about do it.
