May Showers

Did you know there has been double the average rainfall for May in 2015? 

Of course that's no problem for EASYJoint, in fact the wetter the better. We positively encourage our wet application method; in our new videos coming soon! Our new videos will show how much we recommend saturate the paving.

A sneak peak from one of our new videos

There are two reasons for this,

• The water aids the flow of the compound into the joints, making it more workable, speeding up the process and aiding the self compaction by flushing the compound right to the bottom.

• The water acts as a barrier from the natural oils and hardeners within the EASYJoint, minimising oil residue on the paving surface.

EASYJoint top tip
Did you know, if you have left over compound, you can place it back into the tub, cover it with water, reseal the tub and use it for a later job?

Here's our link to applying EASYJoint using the recommended wet application method
http://easyjoint.eu/using-easyjoint-application-method.aspx

For more information on EASYJoint visit our comprehensive instructional website: http://easyjoint.eu/
For all our products including EASYJoint, visit: http://azpects.co.uk/

EASYJoint, Block Paving & Water

An example of narrow jointed block paving not suitable for EASYJoint

On a recent visit to one of my customers, I was asked if EASYJoint could be used in block paving with quite large gaps due to the blocks having ‘cropped edges’. The short answer is yes & no. 

With traditional block paving, the blocks are laid on a bed of sharp sand and compacted and then the joints are filled with kiln dried sand before a final pass with the whacker plate. 
Kiln dried sand is used because it is very fine and funnels in to virtually any gap. Now EASYJoint can fill joints of 3mm and above and once cured it is hard and very permeable. The downsides to using EASYJoint for block paving are twofold.

1. The compound MUST be removed completely from the surface of the blocks or it will harden and be very difficult to clean up.

2. Because block paving is not bedded in concrete there is a chance that the blocks may move about a bit and this movement could cause the hardened slither of EASYJoint to rise up out of the joint. 

If you have laid blocks in concrete and have large gaps then it is ok to use EASYJoint just as long as you clean the finished area of any leftover compound.

The permeability of EASYJoint means that it is very efficient at displacing water from the surface and providing your sub-base is free draining you will not get any problems.

A top tip if you are a DIYer is to go to your local building material supplier and ask them for a couple of contacts of local tradesmen. These people usually know who to avoid!

For information on all our products including EASYJoint visit: azpects.co.uk/products.aspx

Written by Jeff Carter; employee Of Azpects Ltd (plus ex Landscape Gardener and Paving Centre Manager) 

Applying EASYJoint in Cold Weather

EASYJoint can be used in virtually all conditions including rain and light snow. 

If torrential rain is forecast it would be beneficial to cover the area to prevent any possibility of the compound being washed out by the force of the rain.

Once EASYJoint has been applied it will not be compromised by cold and freezing conditions. Cold & wet conditions will increase the setting time considerably - freezing weather will cause the process to virtually cease & it can take many days for the joints to set hard. However, it will eventually set & the weather will not have impaired its qualities in any way.  EASYJoint can take up to 3 weeks to gain maximum hardness & strength.

In freezing conditions, EASYJoint can be applied using the Dry Application method. There is a greater risk of staining or ‘picture framing’ with this method but the effects can be lessened by sealing the paving first.  Our experience has been that if any marking occurs it will weather over time & eventually fade away. Azpects have a range of easy to use sealers to meet your needs  -  visit our website to find out more: http://azpects.co.uk/sealers-and-protectors.aspx

As water can turn to ice in freezing conditions, we strongly recommend you avoid the wet application process. If ice has formed in the joint prior to installation avoid using EASYJoint until the ice has melted.

If your intention is to use the wet application method, ensure that ground temperatures are greater than 3 degrees Celsius.

To access our instructional guides for our dry application and wet application methods, please visit our instructional website: easyjoint.eu/

For information on all our products including EASYJoint visit: azpects.co.uk/products.aspx

Written by Jeff Carter; employee Of Azpects Ltd (plus ex Landscape Gardener and Paving Centre Manager) 

To seal... or not to seal?

Appying EASYSeal with a roller

Now as many of you are aware, there are many paving sealers on the market and they all do the same basic function- Seal and protect. 

Go into any Builders Merchants or DIY store and you will be offered a selection of different brands so choosing the right one for you can be a bit hit & miss. It’s unlikely that you will know how good your choice is for months as any sealer is good when first applied.

One thing you can usually rely on is the old saying- “You get what you pay for” If you buy a cheap sealer its unlikely to have the same degree of protection as the higher priced brands.
I have to admit that once upon a time I wasn’t a fan of sealers as the information I had at the time didn’t give me much confidence. I was selling plenty of Natural Stone paving and I would never recommend sealing as I didn’t want any comebacks later in life. People saying that it’s all gone wrong and it’s my fault!

What can go wrong? Well try applying a solvent based sealer when the paving is not totally dry or trying to brush or roll on a hot, summer’s day and you will get it ‘wrong’.

I recently had a play with some samples of our new EASYSeal ULTIMATE and EASYSeal COLOUR ENHANCER and I learnt a few things.  Good sealers work! Take EASYSeal ULTIMATE for example. I applied one coat and as directed, I then applied the second coat but alas I had not expected that the first coat would dry so fast and as a result the second coat just ‘sat’ on the top of the stone; after some time the liquid disappeared leaving a horrible Leopard skin effect. The solution to that problem was to apply only one coat system and make it a good one. The next piece of stone I treated had very impressive repelling results, the water just beaded and wobbled about on the surface.

Do I need to seal?  The answer is yes and no (a popular phrase used a lot by our  IT guys).  It’s purely a matter of choice and if you feel better for doing it then great. I would use an invisible sealer if I thought it might help reduce the number of times I needed to clean my patio and I would use an enhancer sealer if the paving looks better when wet/damp.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, sealers will not protect against all things. Animal waste will eat through most coatings and cleaners and bleaches usually have a good go to.

Ask yourself why you want to seal. Do you need to? Will it help? Will it matter if I only do it once?

If it makes you feel better, then do it- but do your homework before you do.  I would always suggest leaving new paving for one season before thinking about sealing as this gives time for efflorescence etc. to calm down. It will also give you a better idea as to what sort of things you may have to seal against.

For more information on our sealers & protectors, visit: http://azpects.co.uk/products.aspx

Written by Jeff Carter; employee Of Azpects Ltd (plus ex Landscape Gardener and Paving Centre Manager) 

Protecting your paving investment: Sealers and Protectors

Now that you have successfully laid your patio you may want to think about protecting it from every day wear and tear.

Azpects have a range of excellent sealers called EASYSeal. These water based sealers will protect against BBQ spills, wine, oil and dirt. They will not make the surface impregnable but they do offer a bit of time to enable a more efficient clean up. Sealers also offer some protection from environmental soiling such as algae and moss. Most sealers will not protect against Bird dropping stains as the acid present in the droppings can penetrate the sealed surface.

If you need to clean your patio at a later date I can suggest EASYCare Patio & Deck cleaner. It cleans away dirt and algae without the need to pressure wash.

Depending on your laying pattern you may have to cut some slabs. You may have a drain to sort out. You may come up against hidden problems which will need dealing with so unless you are 100% confident that you can handle the job I would suggest that you get a professional in.

All the information written here is purely my opinion and professional advice should be sought if you are in any doubt of what you are doing. You are fully responsible for your own actions and I accept no responsibility due to accident or damage caused.

Visit our website: azpects.co.uk

Written by Jeff Carter; employee Of Azpects Ltd (plus ex Landscape Gardener and Paving Centre Manager) 

Laying the sub-base, base and what to point your paving with

Standing there, looking at your new hole in the garden with a fresh cup of tea and feeling proud of your achievement so far-what’s next?

Get yourself some wooden pegs. You can use any bit of stick but I prefer to use ground pegs from my local builder’s merchant as they do a better job in my opinion. You need to knock the pegs in so that the tops are at the finished height of the patio and using the long level  adjust the heights to give you a sufficient fall (slope) away from the house or other building. Ideally the fall will be onto a lawn or border or into a gulley if needed.

Add sufficient sub-base material and ideally use a whacker plate (Hire one) and compact the aggregate to about 100mm finish. You will probably start with 5 or 6 inches to end up with 4 at the finish. Don’t skimp on this bit as a patio is only as good as the base it’s laid on. Some contractors prefer a sub-base of 150mm (6”) and as I say, more is better.
Next is the fun bit, the topping can go on!

Making some assumptions you will have already taken delivery of your slabs. You should also have sufficient sharp sand and cement to meet your needs. Your slab supplier should be able to advise on quantities or use an online calculator to get an idea.

Use any supplied laying pattern or one from a paving brochure if you have chosen different sizes of slabs. Set up a string-line down to the required height from the house as you will find getting your levels much harder without. (The wooden pegs can be removed as you come to them).

Mix your sand and cement using 7 parts sand to 1 part cement and make the mix more wet than dry. This will be a bit trial and error and all will make sense when laying the slabs. Start at the house and lay away back towards the garden following your string-line. Use your two levels to get accuracy across the slabs. A long level will show up any dips or highs better than a short one.

Let’s say all has gone to plan, your slabs are laid and it’s looking good.  The finishing touch is the pointing. Many professionals are using ‘sweep-in’ compounds these days as not only are they faster to use but many can be laid in any weather conditions. EASYJoint is one of the market leaders and offers many benefits over traditional pointing methods.

Look at the EASYJoint website for an excellent demonstration video on how to apply.

Work has begun on a new video as we speak so watch this space, we hope you will like it!

See Part 4

Written by Jeff Carter; employee Of Azpects Ltd (plus ex Landscape Gardener and Paving Centre Manager) 

http://azpects.co.uk/

Surveying and preparing the area for your job

So now you have chosen what paving is to be laid you can get to work on the tools.

A really important first job is to survey the site to check for possible problems like drains and cables.
Look at the ground for manhole covers and also check the house and any close out-buildings for drainpipes and cables as there is a good chance some pipes or cables may run under the ground you will be digging out. It may sound like trying to teach your Granny how to suck eggs but it is easy to charge in with spade or mini digger and before you know it you have more expense.

Once you are happy that the area is workable you need to mark out where you need to dig. Clear the existing surface to a depth of about 200mm or 8 inches in old money.  You will probably need a skip at this point if you haven’t already got one as the amount of dirt removed can add up to a big heap. EG: an area of 6m wide by 4m deep dug out to 200mm will produce a bit more than will fit level in a six yard skip!

Now whilst digging out to 200mm may sound extreme, let’s look at how that’s going to be filled.
For a domestic patio you really need a sub-base of compacted material such as crushed concrete or MOT Type1 to a finished depth of 100mm. You will be laying a slab between 20mm-35mm  depending on what you choose (some natural stone can be thicker, thinner or a combination of both so keep this in mind).

The bedding mortar should be about 50mm to allow for adjustment in levels and to provide a decent base for the slabs.

So, what have we reached in height with all these measurements? 100+50+25=175mm which leaves about an inch for any variances in the paving. Obviously if you are using regulated paving with uniform dimensions you can fine tune the digging out to suit.

Treat yourself to a couple of decent spirit levels. A long one (6’) and a short one (3’) as these are invaluable for decent slab laying.
Have a cup of tea.

Click here to read Part 3

Written by Jeff Carter; employee Of Azpects Ltd (plus ex Landscape Gardener and Paving Centre Manager) 

For more information on our range of products go to: azpects.co.uk