Patio repointing is one of our favourite jobs to do, certainly up there in terms of satisfaction, is patio re-pointing.

Patio repointing prep

This home improvement varies in complexity depending on the state of the current pointing.

Some patios are laid with sand pointing which can then be washed out and rep[laced every year, whilst others may have ageing cement mix or resin.

• Sand pointing – this can be washed out and stubborn weeds hooked out with a pointing hook
• Mortar pointing – with ageing mortar pointing this typically needs to be fully removed before we can properly re-point. Mortar can be stubborn to remove but gentle dislodging with a chisel and sds makes the end result that much better.
• Resin pointing – if properly installed resin should last almost as long as the slabs, however, it’s often not packed down enough causing it to crumble out after a few years. A crumbly resin is pretty easy to remove fortunately with a pointing hook.
• Weeds, weeds and more weeds – removing grass and weed growth from in between patio slabs typically requires a two pronged attack. First we wet down the patio using a pressure washer and then follow this up using hand tools to carefully clear out the growth
• Depth is king – it’s critical to clear out at least 3-4cm between slabs if possible to enable sufficient pointing mix to be packed down to prevent further weed growth. This is often when corners are cut as it takes a long time to do properly and you can’t tell the difference at a glance for at least a few months. Always ask your tradey how deep they are planning to push the pointing mix and ensure they are packing it down.
• Cleaning your patio – it’s advised to give your patio a clean before you point so as not to disturb the pointing afterwards. We do this with a pressure washer to ensure when the pointing is set your patio looks sparkly new.

Choosing your patio repointing material

There are a number of choices when re-pointing your patio. Some of the most common options include;

• Brushed sand
• Sand/cement mix
• Mortar mix
• Patio pointing resin

Brushing sand into the gaps between the patio slabs is the fastest and cheapest patio repointing solution. The downside is that weeds and grass seeds will take root and start growing within months of installation. The good news is that once or twice a year you can easily jetwash the pointing out along with the weeds and brush in a fresh batch of sand. Note that if you’re on a windy exposed spot, using sand is not possible as the joints will be cleared out of sand by the morning.

A sand/cement mix is the next most affordable solution. Materials cost just a few pounds for an average patio repointing job but the labour is more intensive that brushing sand in. You will need to be sure to pack the mortar in well to a depth of several centimetres to prevent future weed growth. It’s also important to ensure the mix stays dry else your slabs will be stained grey from the cement. This option last many years when done properly. One of the main limitations of this method is that it’s weather dependent, you’ll need a couple of dry days to ensure the mix sets properly and it can’t be done in the rain.

Pre-mixed pointing mortar is available in a range of colours with a variety of properties to help it set and even anti-algae attributes. Being able to choose your colour is great to match your existing slabs. The cost of this material is much higher than buying the sand and cement yourself.

There are lots of resins available now, these come in a variety of colours similar to the mortar mix. The main benefits i’ve found are that you can lay this stuff in most weather conditions. Light rain showers don’t slow you down, in fact you need the patio to be wet to lay up. The resin can be worked well into the joints and it’s slightly tacky helping it clump together and prevent the wind from blowing it out of the joints. The main downside is that you can get a little staining on the patio after repointing. Generally this doesn’t happen much and if it does you can give the affected slabs a gentle wash with water and washing up liquid or just wait a few days for the colour to return.

Our favourite product is resin due to the choice of colours and the ability to repoint patios in the rain using this stuff, rain being fairly commonplace in the UK.

Patio repointing process

• Clean the patio, ideally with a power washer
• Remove weeds and plant growth from between the slabs
• Choose your patio repointing product
• Follow the instructions, generally speaking this involved laying material over the gaps and then using a trowel or pointing tool to compact the material into the gaps
• Finish with the back of your trowel, an off-cut of hose or a pointing tool
• Brush any pointing mix over to the next gap and repeat the process
• Brush off the pointing mix from the patio
• If weather permits, apply patio sealer to extend the life of the re-pointing

How to finish or ‘seal’ your patio repointing?

There are a variety of patio finishes on the market. From my experience they are essentially a transparent thin glue-type liquid which you wash over the patio after cleaning and pointing. This liquid then sets and creates a barrier between the elements and your patio extending it’s lifetime.

Sealing your patio is well worth doing and will cost roughly £15-2 per 10m2 for materials plus labour.

Sealing is highly recommended when brushing in sand pointing as it sets the sand hard, preventing erosion and improving the colour of the slabs.

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