How to renovate paving video
You will need:
-
Mortar
- Pointing trowel
- Hand brush
- Gloves
- Goggles
- Lump hammer
- Chisel
- Old paintbrushes
- A couple of bowls/buckets
- Water
- Brick acid
Garden paving takes a beating during the winter. A few months of cold, rain and ice can leave you with a chipped and dirty surface underfoot come spring. Then the sun comes out and continues the damage that winter began. If your once-fabulous patio now looks more like a building site, it's time to apply a little elbow grease and get things spruced up. Once it's done you have a great excuse to throw your first barbecue of the season.
Time to complete the job: 2 hours
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Step 1: Fixing pointing and cracks
Mix up some four to one mortar. The dry mix should be two parts sharp sand, two parts soft sand and one part cement.
Add water to the mortar about 45 minutes before you'll need it. It will dry out to a perfect consistency by the time you're ready for it. -
Step 2: Remove old pointing
Use a hammer and chisel to knock out any old or chipped pointing between cracks. You'll need to get down at least 10-15mm, or the first frost or sun will just pop your new pointing back out of the crack.
Use the hand brush to clean away any debris and dirt. -
Step 3: Add new pointing
Wet down the area with water and a paint brush before you start, or the new pointing will dry too quickly and shrink in the crack, leaving you with a new mess to fix.
Load your trowel up with mortar and chop it into the crack. Scrape away any excess mortar.
Chop the pointing in the hole, using the edge of your trowel until it is firmly worked in. Smooth out the surface and scrape away the rest of the excess. -
Step 4: Brush up
Leave the mortar to go off for about ½ an hour. Use a fine brush to sweep away any last bits of excess, leaving a smooth finish.
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Step 5: Cleaning paving stones
Using brick acid will let you clean your paving quickly and thoroughly. It is a fairly strong acid, so always wear goggles and gloves when using it!
Pour a bit of acid into one of your buckets. Use an old paint brush to brush it onto the soiled area. Leave it for a couple of hours.
Tip: Don't let kids or animals anywhere near the area while the acid is drying. -
Step 6: Clean up
Use a very stiff broom to sweep up the acid and dirt. Wash the whole area down thoroughly with lots of water.
Tip: If you have a large area to do, you can hire a jet washer and use 4 parts water to 1 part acid for a deep cleaning.
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