Pointing tray.

[Retired]

Hi,

I've briefly mentioned this previously but I can expand on it a bit more. Many years ago I laid lots of very heavy 3' x 2' x 2" paving flags leaving gaps for pointing and to allow individual flags to be lifted if ever needed; I found it backbreaking slow work so I wanted an easier method; this kept me awake one night in the early hours as I gave the problem some thought.

I had stripped a computer tower saving the sheet steel sides and one of these looked ideal for what I had dreamt up; one edge already had an upright of about 3/4" forming a lip but I then wanted a second shallower lip to slip over the edge of the flag this I did by clamping the sheet between two lengths of heavy angle iron then beating the edge over with an hammer this new lip only needs to very shallow of about 3/16" deep.

What a huge transformation this made not only in speeding up the job but aiding neatness getting the mortar just were needed and not all over the face of the flags; it cost me nothing the hardest part was dreaming up the idea.

Kind regards, Colin.

The computer side measuring 16" x 14" The upper lip prevents mortar sliding from the tray.

The underside showing the shallow lip.

Some of the patio flags pointed with the aid of the tray.

More pointing showing how neat this method is.

Pointing underway; the tray is slid along and to use it locates to the flag edge allowing mortar to be simply raked into the joint.

Another picture showing the tray in use; once the mortar is in the joint it's a quick job to go over the top to finish it off flush with the flags. I've been using this tray for many years and hope the idea is of use to others; it definitely works.

 

[Ian]

I remember you posting about this a while back and I must borrow this idea! I've got a lot of repointing work to do (was meant to do it this year, but will likely delay till spring) and this will be ideal. Lots of straight runs on sandstone flags, so this will avoid the mess.

Out of interest, how long do you find your joints last? The paving in our back garden was done 8 years ago when we moved in (not by me) and it's already crumbling out in many places. I suspect there's too much movement in the flags, so most will be re-bedded.

 

[Retired]

Hi,

Thanks Ian. I thought it worth mentioning again and adding a few more pictures with information as to my tray size.

I bedded my flags each on half a bag (Wickes) of mortar mixed 4 to 1. Depending on flags the mortar can be coloured or standard if grey or buff sand is used; it's so long ago I forget the actual mortar mix but I did use granite chips "6mm to dust" which made a fine concrete rather than just a standard mortar; it might have been two cement; one Portland sand and two granite chip mix; the patio has been down 18 years and the 42' long pathway to the side of the bungalow down for 17 years; I've repointed one flag to the path but some of the joints on the patio I've repointed a couple of times; the trick is to make a really good job of bedding the flags tamping down the ground to compact it; I use a sledge hammer with the handle pointing upwards just lifting it about 6" then dropping it. Don't mix too wet then if the pointing needs to come back up it comes up in strips.

I've never seen granite chips used this way it was just an experiment which worked well; I buy granite chips locally in 25kg bags from Gibbs & Dandy but I can't find this product on their website; this is the material though;

https://www.howarth-timber.co.uk/bu...eL90sR4a1FOMIcvsH9hSyxQXL5gaJt-kaAvLtEALw_wcB

Good luck Ian I hope I've saved you some back ache.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Ian]

Cheers Colin!