600 x 600 flags, with single line of block paving running along all joins (so each flag will have a paver all around it) and around the edge of the whole patio.

Dry sand and cement screed, lay blocks out and then mortar bed for the flags to raise them up to same level as pavers – haunch the edge blocks in.

Is that the best way? Anyone done similar?

It’s not a high traffic area, just to stick an arbour on basically, and some pots/chimenea/high class escorts.

Ta

I’d just use a dry mix for it all.

high class escorts.

under or over the patio?

Over the patio. Cheap escorts as a sub-base.

Would a dry mix not be a pita to get flags raised and level between the blocks, rather than just tapping down a 5 spot* mortar bed? They’re big feckers.

*yeah, yeah 🙂

I wouldn’t think there would be enough difference in thickness to do a dry screed then mortar on top. I’d do a full mortar bed over mot. Very easy to set the height. Just lay the mortar bed, ripple the surface with a trowel then tap the pavers and flags in with a rubber mallet to level. Could do similar with 5 spots but that is frowned upon by the pros.

Cheap escorts as a sub-base.

Buy cheap buy twice

Start with the thickest first, so you can add more to level the thinner ones.

jkomo – Member
Start with the thickest first, so you can add more to level the thinner ones.

Other selection methods for the escorts are available.

Spot dabbing is probably doable for low traffic but a dry mix with trenchs for thicker pavers would also work especially when jointed. Full mortar bed if you wish to put pics on here tho.

Guy who did my garden seems to have laid every flag at a different level 🙁 on the plus side my sunflowers are massive 😉

I simply would change the design. Have the blocks run a path through the middle of the patio or something rather than go round every slab.
Laying a string of one/two/three blocks round the edge of the patio is fine, can lay those first on mortar, ideally with a haunch at the back and use string to make sure all the levels are correct as you are laying them. Then put in the slabs on sand/cement screed.

To acieve what you want then really you would be best covering the whole area with a layer of concrete. Then laying all your blocks on mortar and getting all the levels just right between each set, then laying all the slabs on thick mortar. Then pointing round all the edges (unless you think you can lay your blocks so they precicely fit the slabs!)

The main problem you’ll get laying block pavers on wet mortar is they will “float” as you lay each subsequent one so a dryer mix is preferable. Laying each block paver “square” first is also a risky tactic as it’s easy to creep and you may find your flags won’t then sit in correctly. As for the edge pavers the ideally the bed and haunch should be of the same material and done at the same time as a separate haunch tends to break away over time.

I used a semi dry mix that was wet enough to trowel trenches into to help tap the slabs down. It definitely wasn’t wet enough for one slab to move another unless I bumped them together by mistake.

I would also just start from one corner and lay the flags and block paving together, being careful to keep the levels.

I laid our patio with a dry mix and it has level changes in it which have been completely stable for 10+ years.

footflaps – Member
I laid our patio with a dry mix and it has level changes in it which have been completely stable for 10+ years apart from the bit where the ex-wife tried to dig her way out…..

FTFY

I feel your pain.

Got to re-lay a load of 600×900 pavers this weekend. Going to use a dry mix, but only need the job to last a couple of years before garden is redesigned. The pavers were laid over 40 years ago on a dry mix and only started moving last year.
First go at paving, so could be a right dogs breakfast.
Still, it gave me a chance to dig a couple of land drains too.

Thanks for all suggestions. Think the semi dry mix and just work out from one corner seems easiest (and least risky), if a little laborious and much use of the spirit level.

Will post pictures of the effort when done 🙂

The best tool, I found for the job, was the hickory handle of a club hammer, which I used to tab each pavier into the dry mix to the right height. It’s now splayed to buggery, but tapped 2500 paviers in to place….

When I did ours, I started on a dry mix but found it was very difficult when using riven slabs to compensate for different profiles and thicknesses, so I ended up using a wet mix. They’re not going anywhere!