Materials Needed

Building Sand, Sharp Sand, Cement and Water

Preparation

Before you start try and estimate how much mortar you will need, research this so you don’t make too much and waste your efforts or money

Mixing the Mortar

Mix 3 part building and 3 part sharp sand with 1 part cement to make the mortar itself. After you have finished mixing and you have a mixer of grey sand and cement start to add water, you will need to check the mortar after to ensure it is ready for use to do so pick some mortar up in your hand and form a ball like shape if the mortar is runny with water oozing out of it you need to add more sand to get rid of the moisture, if the mortar is dry and crumbs in your hand then the mortar is too dry and you will need to add moisture to it ( More water).

The Mortar

Preparation is always important when pointing paving, you will first need to make sure that your mortar has properly dried over a 24 hour period to allow maximum affect

Applying the Mortar

To apply the mortar you will need to insert the mortar by using your pointing trowel. slowly apply the mortar in between the two slabs, to do this gently place small amounts inside the gaps and then push it down so it fits perfectly, after this scrape the mortar off the trowel and put any excess Mortar in between the gaps. By using your pointing trowel smooth the mortar off so that you end up with a neat smooth line of mortar with no gaps in it

Cleaning

To clean the excess mortar on any of the surfaces of the stone slabs you will need to use a soft brush and your trowel to scrape off the any big chunks of mortar, once the mortar have been scraped off you can then use the soft brush to clean the surface. Once all of the mortar has been removed if there is any stains on the slabs then you can wash them down by using a damp sponge