Browse Forums Paving & Concreting 1 May 15, 2011 12:50 pm Hi, Have some old brick pavers around our pool(~20 years old) that all grout has washed away - I pressure cleaned, and swept in 5:1 dry joint sand/cement and lightly sprayed with water, and have 2 questions. 1. To remove the morter "film" from the bricks, am I best off spraying hydrochloric acid/water over them(Rather than using a bucket+brooming it over?) 2. Some of the grout has already crumbled(Mainly the top few mm) after some rain..any tips on how to avoid this?(Seems to be on the brick pavers with "smaller" gaps) Cheers. Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 3May 19, 2011 9:26 pm You will be better off with a wet mix grout, use a 3:1 mix, wet surface and squeegy in, then sponge clean. It will cure much harder than a dry mix and get into the cracks and joints more. Planned Landscape Constructions http://www.plannedlandscape.com.au Find us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 9907611509 Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 4May 22, 2011 6:36 am Planned LScape You will be better off with a wet mix grout, use a 3:1 mix, wet surface and squeegy in, then sponge clean. It will cure much harder than a dry mix and get into the cracks and joints more. Thanks - Squeegee brooms...can you get them from Bunnings? (Particular type I should be looking for?) Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 5May 24, 2011 8:16 am yes they have them, or garden yards, hardware stores. There is a long handled version like a broom with a rubber strip on the bottom, or a smaller hand held tool that does the same. Smaller one probably the most cost effective. Squeegy in 1st, then use a clean wrung-out wet sponge to wipe over it and clean the grout off. Wipe the sponge diagonally so it doesnt pull the grout out of the joints, and rinse it after a wipe each side. Planned Landscape Constructions http://www.plannedlandscape.com.au Find us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 9907611509 Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 6May 28, 2011 1:41 pm Planned LScape yes they have them, or garden yards, hardware stores. There is a long handled version like a broom with a rubber strip on the bottom, or a smaller hand held tool that does the same. Smaller one probably the most cost effective. Squeegy in 1st, then use a clean wrung-out wet sponge to wipe over it and clean the grout off. Wipe the sponge diagonally so it doesnt pull the grout out of the joints, and rinse it after a wipe each side. Cheers mate! I'm going to give it a go this arvo. Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 7Jun 01, 2011 8:33 am Have done a few sections yesterday, and came up nice(Thanks!) - Quick question on the sponge technique...Worked out that its better to wipe slowly, but gee it takes time....any other pointers? Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 8Jun 01, 2011 10:31 pm Unfortunately grouting and sponging is one of the worser jobs in landscaping, if not the worst. We often whinge and moan when it's grouting time about faster ways to get it done, we've tried grout guns both manual and drill powered, large silicone type pipe bags, in the end we end up going back to just having a few guys to knock it over. Your back certainly feels crook the next day after grouting 200m² worth of it. If there's one great tip, it's to get some really good sponges. Not too dense so they are heavy or hard, not to soft or they break up. You can have a larger rectangle piece about 450 x 200mm and you can get a fair wipe with each side. It's a little easier to let the grout set a tad (so obvious wetness has gone from grout), sponge over to get it into every nook and cranny, then go over it a couple of times with a cleaned sponge. Change water frequently and you may have to go back over it once it dries and you spot some haze. Planned Landscape Constructions http://www.plannedlandscape.com.au Find us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 9907611509 Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 9Jun 02, 2011 11:33 am Planned LScape Unfortunately grouting and sponging is one of the worser jobs in landscaping, if not the worst. We often whinge and moan when it's grouting time about faster ways to get it done, we've tried grout guns both manual and drill powered, large silicone type pipe bags, in the end we end up going back to just having a few guys to knock it over. Your back certainly feels crook the next day after grouting 200m² worth of it. If there's one great tip, it's to get some really good sponges. Not too dense so they are heavy or hard, not to soft or they break up. You can have a larger rectangle piece about 450 x 200mm and you can get a fair wipe with each side. It's a little easier to let the grout set a tad (so obvious wetness has gone from grout), sponge over to get it into every nook and cranny, then go over it a couple of times with a cleaned sponge. Change water frequently and you may have to go back over it once it dries and you spot some haze. Cheers mate - much appreciated. Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 10Jun 10, 2011 10:11 am Hi Guys - Some of the brick pavers are very close together, and have very little "depth" for the grout - Even the wet grout in some of these spots has started to crumble away...any tips for getting the grout to not crumble? Cheers. Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 11Jun 12, 2011 12:49 am The grout has to go all the way to the depth of the paver to the mortar holding it in to have strength. If the grout is only a few mm thick or so, it will probably be thin and crack/crumble away. Either that or the grout is too weak, or there is movement, but i'de say considering you said the gaps are tight, not enough is getting down the gaps. You want about a 5mm gap to get grout down the joint, brick pavers usually closer to 10mm. Planned Landscape Constructions http://www.plannedlandscape.com.au Find us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 9907611509 Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 12Jun 12, 2011 8:08 am Thanks mate - So nothing I can really do aside from pulling the tight brick pavers out and making them smaller, so gap is larger? Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 13Jun 12, 2011 7:52 pm Frank, What are the pavers laid on? If it's sand your sort of fighting a loosing battle, solid grout and a flexible base don't mix. If it's a flexible base (sand) then you need a flexible joint. If it's a solid base (concrete) then you need a solid joint. Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 14Jun 12, 2011 10:41 pm Hi Guys, I want to pave around a pool with concrete pavers 400x400 on sand base. Would like to have joints about 10mm wide (wider than usual) to achieve a stronger pattern with coloured grout. Any special trics, things to watch out, recommendations, ... ? Grateful for advice. Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 15Jun 14, 2011 8:27 am evo550 Frank, What are the pavers laid on? If it's sand your sort of fighting a loosing battle, solid grout and a flexible base don't mix. If it's a flexible base (sand) then you need a flexible joint. If it's a solid base (concrete) then you need a solid joint. Hi - Pavers are laid on concrete(But it's 20years old!)...problem is that some of them are basically butted up against each other(i.e. no gap to speak of)...these are the ones where the grout has crumbled away. Any products/suggestions to grout these pavers? Thanks. Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 16Jun 15, 2011 11:06 pm adamas Hi Guys, I want to pave around a pool with concrete pavers 400x400 on sand base. Would like to have joints about 10mm wide (wider than usual) to achieve a stronger pattern with coloured grout. Any special trics, things to watch out, recommendations, ... ? Grateful for advice. recommendations,...yep, don't lay pavers around a pool on sand, it will only end in tears, it will subside especially around the pool edge, your grout will crack out as soon as the pavers start moving. Remember solid joints(grout) on a solid base (concrete) and flexible joints(sand) on a flexible base (sand) Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 17Jun 15, 2011 11:14 pm Frank, you could try an outdoor pre-mix tile grout, which has smaller sand particle size, and may seep into the gaps a bit more. If they are butt jointed and there is not much room for grout to sit in, unfortunately it's best to remove and re-pave with gaps. This could mess up your pattern though making it stick out when the job is finished. Planned Landscape Constructions http://www.plannedlandscape.com.au Find us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= ... 9907611509 Re: Brick pavers around pool - re grouting, and cleaning 18Jun 16, 2011 9:16 am Planned LScape Frank, you could try an outdoor pre-mix tile grout, which has smaller sand particle size, and may seep into the gaps a bit more. If they are butt jointed and there is not much room for grout to sit in, unfortunately it's best to remove and re-pave with gaps. This could mess up your pattern though making it stick out when the job is finished. Thanks very much for the advice - much appreciated. Thanks again Simeon for being so elaborate. Appreciate it. Its gives us a very idea. Kind Regards 4 3880 Grab a hose, insert it at the top of the inlet/down pipe and turn the water on and see where the water is escaping from. Then you'll know. 3 8611 |