how to lay stonemarket paving flags

preparation

planning suggestions

• Draw the area to be paved using graph paper. A scale of 1:50 will allow direct use of the Stonemarket layout drawings. 

•  Use dimensions that minimise cuts to paving.   

•  Paving surface must be at least 150mm below the damp course in any adjacent wall. 

•  Provide a gradient of 1:40 or steeper, towards adequate drainage.  

paving installation 

•  This is heavy work, requiring specific skills, tools and experience. 

•  Before starting, refer to suitable professional advice, publications or websites.  

• The following advice assumes you have acquired a basic knowledge of what is required, including health and safety precautions. 

•  These depend on ground conditions and expected use.  

• For light pedestrian use on solid, even ground, 40mm compacted sharp sand may be adequate.  

•  For less stable or wet ground, provide 100mm well compacted hardcore beneath the sand. 

•  For domestic driveways, increase the hardcore depth to 150mm.  

groundworks 

•  Mark out the area and dig out to the required total depth.  

• Tap in wooden pegs to show the levels for the finished surface, including the required gradients.  

•  Infill the appropriate foundations and remove the pegs before laying the paving.  

•  For Rio, Ryton and Stretton Paving and all Paviors, follow Pavior Laying Guide.  

•  For all other paving (including Rio, Ryton and Stretton if preferred), follow Paving Flag Laying Guide.   

paving flag laying guide

•  Avoid rubbing and damage to Flags by carefully stacking them on  timber battens with timber spacers between them.  

•  Maintain the correct joint width by gently shuffling with a trowel. Small pieces of timber are useful as temporary spacers.  

•  If you need to cut Flags, use a power tool with a blade suitable for the type of Flag.  

after laying 

•  During wet or frosty weather, cover the paving for protection until mortar has cured.  

•  Then point as soon as possible.    

pointing 

•  Where minimal joints are recommended, these should be 2-3mm. 

•  Use a damp mortar mix of 1 part cement to 4 parts building sand.  

•  Press firmly onto the joints to produce a dense, impervious surface that will drain water across the paving.  

•  If mortar gets onto the faces of the Flags, clean off immediately using a damp sponge frequently rinsed in clean water.  

•  Bonded sands and other pervious materials are not recommended except where paving is laid with minimal joints. Stonemarket will not accept responsibility for contaminations/staining incurred from use of manufactured jointing compounds.      

driveways  

Our Pavior ranges are specifically designed for high performance in areas used by domestic vehicles.

However, many of our customers prefer the look of Flagstones and Millstone Flag, Trustone (Fieldland, Glenmoor and Fellstyle) and Vintage Stone Manor have been used successfully. Extra care with the foundations is essential. Lay the Flags directly onto a 100mm thick wet concrete bed (1:5 cement: sharp sand) on top of 150mm well compacted hardcore. Damage can be caused by heavy and four wheel drive vehicles, or by using power steering whilst stationary.   

specific advice 

(i)     CONCEPT PAVING  Lay Concept paving onto a full mortar bed. Drystone, Pebble and Ammonite slabs have a specially shaped edge that closely interlocks with minimal joints. These joints should be filled by brushing in our Pavior Jointing Sand. Except where they abut the other textures, Concept Riven slabs should have 10mm joints pointed with mortar in the normal way.  

(ii)     TRUSTONE, VINTAGE STONE, MARKETSTONE  Always lay larger face upwards. Coating the back of each Flag with neat wet cement and PVA additive just before laying, will assist bonding.

(iii)   HORIZON, TRAVERTINE, TRUSLATE GREEN, ARCTIC GRANITE (except MIDNIGHT) These products sometimes absorb colour from ordinary Portland cement. We strongly recommend substituting white cement in the mortar. Lay Arctic Granite with the textured, slip resistant face upwards.

(iv)   ARCTIC GRANITE Always coat the back of each unit with 1 part PVA 3 parts water solution.

(v)    REVOLVE FEATURE This should be dry laid before final positioning on mortar bed.

indoor use

All of our products can be used indoors as well as outdoors. For indoor use, a coating is preferred to reduce dusting and make cleaning easier.

use around swimming pools 

Advice from Stonemarket should be sought about suitability for use of products around swimming pools.  

coatings/sealants  

Make sure paving is completely dry and free of efflorescence before applying any coating. Responsibility for the performance of any coating rests with the user and the manufacturer of the coating. Always read the instructions carefully and first test a small area for colour and slip resistance, wet and dry. For further advice refer to our sales office.  

general information 

All dimensions given are nominal and subject to manufacturing tolerances. The quoted sizes and coverage of our paving ranges are for the overall areas including appropriate joints, making it easier for you to plan a project and order the right quantities. For precise dimensions,  measure several product samples at a stockist.  We are continually making innovations and improving products so we reserve the right to vary designs and specifications without notice.  

colours  

Variations in colour shade occur in all Stonemarket products. While the colours shown on this website are as accurate as reprographic processes allow, it is essential that you see actual materials at your local stockist before choosing. This is particularly important with natural stone products where considerable variation occurs.  Our reconstituted stone products contain natural aggregates so we cannot guarantee that products made at different times will have identical shades. When using several packs, mix products from each pack to achieve a blended overall appearance.     

weathering 

Weathering and site conditions can cause variations in shade to appear on individual units. These will not affect performance in any way and will diminish over time. Both natural and reconstituted stone products are affected by sunlight and rainfall. Natural stone may develop brown markings as its iron content oxidises.  Stonemarket cannot accept responsibility for efflorescence which may occur as a deposit and/or apparent colour fading in the form of patches or drip staining.  

terms and conditions 

In the unlikely event of products reaching you in less than satisfactory condition, please notify the retailer immediately.  Please note that if you lay a product with a defect apparent prior to laying, then we may not accept responsibility for costs incurred.  While every effort has been made to give sound advice, Stonemarket cannot accept responsibility for any loss, damage or injury sustained in following it. We cannot accept any liability if products are used for purposes other than those for which they were intended, or if damage is due to not following our advice.

maintenance 

•  Keep pavior joints well filled with Pavior Jointing Sand.   

•  Pressure washers and chemical cleaners are not recommended, particularly for reconstituted stone and natural limestone.  

•  To clean, wet thoroughly with lukewarm soapy water and use a stiff hard broom.