Patio repointing and repairs in Hertfordshire

Repointing is taking the failed pointing out from between patio slabs and replacing it with fresh jointing material. It stops water getting under the slabs, keeps weeds and ants out of the gaps, and holds the patio together. We take on a complete repoint rather than filling in a few joints, because new pointing will not match the old.

Because cement is rigid and a patio moves. Frost, heat and ground movement flex the slabs, the mortar has no give in it, and it fractures. Once it has cracked, water gets in behind, frost widens the gap and the joint empties out over a winter or two.

Resin pointing is a flexible jointing compound that moves with the patio instead of cracking against it. We use a high-quality resin because it fills the joint to full depth and does not crumble back out the way cement mortar does. It costs more and it lasts much longer.

It depends on the number of joints, their depth, how much old material has to come out and whether slabs need lifting as well. We quote a fixed price for the whole patio rather than a rate per metre. The minimum charge is £250, but most patio repointing starts from around £850.

Yes. Loose slabs are lifted, the bed underneath is made good and the slab is set back level with its neighbours. Sunken areas and trip edges are brought back to a true line at the same time, which is usually why people call in the first place.

Often, yes. Standing water usually means the falls have gone or an area has settled, and correcting the levels while slabs are up solves it. We will tell you honestly at quote stage if the problem is the base or the drainage rather than the surface, because that is a much bigger and more expensive job.

Yes. Dirt and moss hide which joints have actually failed, and new pointing goes into a clean joint far better than a dirty one. Cleaning and repointing are separate jobs, though: repointing is labour intensive and usually takes a few days of its own, so we quote and book them one after the other.

Yes. We use Pavetuf resin pointing and guarantee our repointing for 10 years and our repairs for 5 years, as long as we maintain the patio with a yearly clean. That way it is never cleaned the wrong way by someone else and damaged.

Keep everyone off it for 24 hours after the resin goes in – that includes dogs, children and wheelie bins. The pointing can go in whatever the weather, though the weather affects how long it takes to cure, and we will explain everything on the day.