Anyone laid paving slabs , if so can you advise on how to please.?

im want to lay 12 standard size slabs to create a drive way for my motorbike but dont know how much sand ,cement ,gravel to buy . i intend to lay it on a grass surface ..Anyone laid paving slabs , if so can you advise on how to please.?
Unfortunately,you will have to get rid of the grass,as this isnt stable or level for the paving.Once the grass is gone get some 10 or 20mm gravel mixed with sharp sand and spread that down evenly.Then for your mortar mix, mix four parts sharp sand with one part cement,adding water until you get a creamy consistency and put enough down for one slab.Put your slab down,jiggling it slightly to take the mortar mix and move onto the next one.Leave about a 6mm gap between slabs.Once this is done,brush dry building sand as the grout into the gaps.Anyone laid paving slabs , if so can you advise on how to please.?
you shouldnt really lay them straight on a grass surface, they will not be flat, weeds will grow thru and if you want to run a motorbike on them, they could sink when it rains. The proper way to do it would be to dig the grass away, dig down by at least 4 inches and lay some Aggregate (small stones) if you can, whack the aggregate down so it gets solid then lay some sharpsand down (maybe mixed with cement so it goes hard), make sure it is level, whack it down and lay the slabs on that then point them up with a sand %26amp; cement mix and a pointing iron. It sounds like a lot of work but 2 of you could do it in a day and if you do it this way, it will last forever. For laying 12 slabs i would get about 5 bags of sand and 2 of cement but you might not use all of the cement, as for the aggregate, the amount depends on how deep you dig down.





Hope that helps
Without at all knowing what YOU consider standard size, you're talking about a MotorBike, NOT a Motor Home.





Certainly YOU COULD grade away the grass; trench down 4 inches or so, lay out weed barrier, then add cushed limerock; over which you'll set your pavers, but WHY???





With all due respect to you, and certainly to others who answer; I've installed a lot of decks; and laid miles of patio pavers; and just don't see the need for you to go to that kind of expense or labor.





Assuming that the ground you're considering is fairly level; perhaps just load the area with foliage killer, remove the growth; rake it level; and lay down a weed barrier; then the pavers.





There are certainly many options for you that might be as effective in the context of what this is, and what you can do to achieve results.





Steven Wolf
go to www. E-how. com
if you are going to do it then do it properly .then you only have to do it once ..first clear the grass .this is a must ..then excavate down 100mm ..4 inches ..then fill this with hardcore ...you will need just under half a cubic metre ..or about 18cwt ..then you will need 4 bags of building sand .a bag of cement ..mix to a workable consistency ..not too wet but not too dry ..the same as for laying bricks ..then you use the FIVE DOT METHOD ..that is one blob in each corner and one in the middle ..this is the old fashioned and the best way to lay a slab....lay the slab on top of these dots and tap it down with the end of a lump hammer ..you wont have to tap too hard ..and if done right it will never move...do not let anybody walk or step on them for 24 hours
Dig out the grass in the area you're going to lay the slabs, dig deepish then fill the hole with rubble then cover with sand and cement...you can buy bags of this from B%26amp;Q called slab fix, usually 1 bag per slab, rake it level then lay your slab on top making sure it's level....It's really easy just take your time to ensure you get a level finish.
The best way to do this is to remove the turf,but if you cannot be bothered with this (on your own head be it) you can go over the top.


what you will have to do is, mix a semi-dry bed of grade A (sharp sand) with cement %26amp; water. ratio 5-1. - less than half bucket of water per mix.


you will then need to lay it 2 inches thick all over, putting all your falls in the screed.


you might be better running two battens horizontal to each other and level with each other on sand to make the 2 inch height, and then rule it off to get a level surface.


once you have done this, carefully drop the slabs on , tap into place and check levels again (there is always a discrepency in the thickness of slabs) and then grout. - your motorbike will look beautiful as well as safe on there.


a ton of grade a sand and around 6 bags of cement should suffice costing around 拢50.00


Hope this helps








Tip - (added) do not use the dot and dab method on this type of job as it will create hollow spots.


The method I have suggested will create a full strong bed underneath which will not go anywhere.


My Father-in-law has been doing this for 50 years and when he goes back to do other work, they are as good as when they are laid. No cracks or nothing.


I have been doing this for 6 years with him, and they are fine. If however you were going to drive a car over it, then you will need a 6inch whacked down sub base.