How to fix patio slabs (to use as shed base)

[Al Reynolds]

Afternoon all,

I need to lay a small patio as a base for a shed.

I was planning to level the ground, then lay patio slabs for the shed to sit on. My question is: what should I fix the slabs in place with? Dry mix concrete? Some other mix? Nothing at all?

Thanks in advance, Al Reynolds

[Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot]

I used 4/5 to 1 sand/cement.

Si

[Eiron]

Why bother with the slabs? Just lay a concrete base.

[Al Reynolds]

Because I have to carry all the material up a

45 degree slope and slabs are easier to carry. It also means that if I decide I don't want a shed that: (a) the slabs can be used as a patio, or (b) I can remove the slabs (much more easily than a concrete base).

Al

[Al Reynolds]

Cheers Mungo,

And did you just lay this as a screed layer and bed the slabs into it? How thick a layer did you use?

Al

[Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot]

The earth was flattened (to a certain definition of flattened - I hate moving earth) and then sand and cement was mixed up on a board in quite rough proportions, hence 4/5:1, piled onto the earth and flattened. It worked out to about 2 inches thick, not a lot really, it's not like it was going to have to bear a great load and they haven't moved. Yet.

You might want to mix up a proper mortar for the edges though, to stop them sliding over.

Si

[Nigel M]

If you can get it fairly flat, just lay them.

[Al Reynolds]

Cheers, that's pretty much what I thought. Al

[The Natural Philosopher]

Sand or nothing at all is pretty effective.