How to lay a porcelain patio slab

How I lay a porcelain patio slab including laying the bed, priming the slab and getting it down to the correct height. This video should help you when laying your own patio paving and will also act as a guide when laying other types of slabs.

[@jonathanpattison5108]

good job I've found from experience using a plastering trowel is faster for spreading your bed and your adhesive

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Thanks, yea I’ve seen people using plastering trowels to do the bed I may give it a try

[@MarcusT86]

Beautiful work and lovely footage buddy. That mix looks so satisfying to work with!

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Thanks Marcus. It was lovely stuff to use!

[@3in1m23]

Wouldn't recommend leaving a perimeter gap in bedding material as this prevents a 'backstop' for grouting and would lead to grouting failure over time. Always best to have the full bedding throughout. No gaps.

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Yea I know what you’re saying, I leave a slight gap so when I tap the slab down the mortar has somewhere to move into and closed the gap up

[@danielrossy24]

Quality work. Love your videos. I'm laying a patio for the first time this weekend. Any tips would be great! Would you advise putting primer onto concrete slabs before laying them or is that just for porcelain slabs?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Thanks Daniel! I don't primer concrete slabs but if it is your first time I would recommend using primer as a belt and braces approach. Let me know how it goes! Just make sure you use a good mortar mix to lay the slabs with and you will be fine.

[@ernestogonzalez17]

looks awesome

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Thankyou 😃

[@ernestogonzalez17]

@@SamDaviesBuilder you’re welcome . You should upload a video of the whole process in the future mate . I’ve Never seen a patio slab done like that but it looks fun and interesting 👍

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@ernestogonzalez17 I certainly will do when the right job comes along 😀

[@ernestogonzalez17]

@@SamDaviesBuilder right on mate 👍

[@costydavidoff]

Nice job, I will try to inspire from it. I think I asked you already, would you use porcelain 20mm or natural buff slabs of 38mm thickness for car use? Thanks

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Hi, I just gave her a reply to the other comment, but thought I’d better respond to this one too. I definitely wouldn’t use 20 mm porcelain for a parking car on, 38 mm slab would be more suited but I don’t have experience with laying slabs for a car to park on, I’m afraid

[@richie7714]

Are you using sharp sand or building sand for your mix. Sharp is always better for strength and curing times as a motar mix with building sand takes so much longer to go off

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

It’s what we call building sand but it’s probably more like sharp sand. Here in West Wales we can only get plastering sand or building sand at the local merchants.

[@johnybee8261]

Hi there. Nice work. Whats Primer mix? Or of the shelf?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Hi, thanks. It is an off the shelf product - www.protilertools.co.uk/product/ultra-scape-pro-prime-polymer-modified-slurry-primer-20kg?gclid=Cj0KCQiAv8SsBhC7ARIsALIkVT025dcce2mELw2BOTnoLiN0FCo5QwlU-gRu1dohZyEP0K9RwZWN-7kaAm7bEALw_wcB

[@festival10]

lovely looking slabs, where are they from?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

I’m pretty sure these were from Jewsons

[@festival10]

@@SamDaviesBuilder thanks

[@mattw1260]

Do you work from grass to building purposely, to leave cut tiles closest to the building and full tiles closest to the lawn ?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

In this instance I did for that reason but sometimes I’ll work building to grass and finish on a full tile

[@mattw1260]

brill, thanks for the speedy reply ! do you build from building to grass when its not an issue losing some of the lawn ? and last question how do you account for end tiles widthways ? Do you try to keep tiles at either end even, or one full tile and cut on the other side ? If that makes sense haha @@SamDaviesBuilder

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@mattw1260 yea when it’s not an issue I’d build house to lawn. But if I’m on a set distance out from the house I’d go lawn to house. On the width I’d either try and finish on a half or a full slab. But every job is so different it’s difficult to say exactly. What works for one won’t work for the next if you get me

[@mattw1260]

thanks so much for the advice, fantastic video too, really appreciate content creators like yourself out here sharing expert information !@@SamDaviesBuilder

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@mattw1260 no problem at all, glad you found the channel 😃

[@cieslaolsztyn8266]

Nice! Is it possible with that metod för ordinary inndor klinker? Just stones then wet concrete to put the tile in

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

What sort of tiles are klinker? How thick are they?

[@cieslaolsztyn8266]

@@SamDaviesBuilder ordinary tiles for inside uce. Hope they will not crack. I think i have seen they do that in India, so probably its working

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

If they are under 10mm thick I would only use tile adhesive thin bed

[@cieslaolsztyn8266]

@@SamDaviesBuilder they will crack if put in wet concrete like for outdoor uce?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@cieslaolsztyn8266 if they under 10mm thick they may crack with you putting them down on cement. Tile adhesive would be much easier

[@johnnykilv]

Laying on a wet mix glues the slab to the mortar and they will never separate. It can also, and often does, settle after laying leaving a low or high point. If there is ground movement or settlement the only way to relay is to break up the slab and lay a new one. Traditional mason paviors use sharp sand and cement dry mix which still goes solid but remains flexible enough for relay and doesn’t sag after laying. Of course, using a wet mix enables the DIY person to lay as the traditional method requires skill. I see lots of patios where the slabs have been laid on mortar blobs. This leaves a void into which all manner of vegetation and insects can move in.

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

You do realise to lay porcelain properly you have to bond bridge the slab using a cement based slurry primer - which means the slab bonds properly to the mortar. Why would you aim to lay a slab that doesn’t bond to the mortar properly? There shouldn’t be ground movement if the ground is prepared properly so you don’t need to replace slabs. Also with regards to blobs of mortar, I understand your point but I’m showing a full bed of mortar here

[@alexmorgan3435]

How about fall to allow for drainage so patio doesn't become flooded?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

I haven’t covered this in the video but I will try and do an in-depth one about falls and hardcore

[@davidhazzard606]

@@SamDaviesBuilder thatd be brill

[@affy6870]

How much to do this

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Every job is different

[@L-81]

Will you put any grout between tiles or leave like this, so water just go down to the base?

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

These get grouted with outdoor tiling grout, the joints are only 5mm thick

[@monsta21cb]

5-7 business days later he laid that tile

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

I pride myself on my speed

[@mikepetrou1447]

Wow I bet you get through so tubs of grout 😂😂

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

What makes you say that?

[@rick877147]

4-1

[@rick877147]

Back butter with thinset

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

5:1 and I use primer

[@christianmccarthy1666]

I'd of laid 5 flags by the time you primed that 😫

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

You must be a millionaire, well done 😃

[@iainrutherford184]

Cracking skills Christian. Do you have a link to your channel?

[@Crips2432]

Good job you not on price work buddy...

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Let’s hear how fast and good you are 😃

[@Crips2432]

@SamDaviesBuilder aye im a little bit faster and a little bit better..👍

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@Crips2432 that’s good to know. I’ll never be about speed but I’ll do a good job 😃

[@johnkilvington2027]

Just another DIY er pretending to be a paver. Wet mix is bad!

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

Could you explain why wet mix is bad?

[@TC_landscapes]

@@SamDaviesBuilder I love how they never reply once challenged. I use wet mix, never had a problem with it. Great work mate!

[@SamDaviesBuilder]

@@TC_landscapes yea I don’t mind constructive criticism as there is different ways of doing things but when people have a go at me in the comments and I reply they seem to disappear 🤣