10
BASE PREPARATION
A quick guide to laying down slabs suitable for any garden structure
.
Please read ALL before you begin.
Use a long spirit level (or shorter level on a
straight plank) to drag out the sand / cement
mixture until it is perfectly level. Start at one
corner and work away from that point drag-
ging and tapping down as you go. When
you have levelled the sand / cement mix you
can lay your slabs directly onto the mixture.
You may need to give each slab a tap to
make the top edges line up perfectly flush.
Finishing
off
the
edges of your slabs
with
a
slightly
stronger mix of sand
and cement will give
a much neater finish.
Simply use a float to
smooth the edges.
Use a watering can
to dampen the slabs
at the end to remove
any cement dust and
to dampen the sand
and cement below
the slabs slightly.
We recommend that you lay
paving slabs onto a dry mixture
of sharp sand and cement. A
ratio of 6:1 would be ideal. We
recommend using a 2” thick slab
rather than a 1” or 1
½
” as you will
get a better fixing with a thicker
slab.
Please note: This slabbing tech-
nique should only be carried out
on a dry day.
Slabs, ideally 3' x 2',
2" thickness.
These slabs have been laid for a 5' x 8' greenhouse.
When making a slab base like this you must make it
larger than your greenhouse to ensure that it will
easily fit. It is a good idea to have some space
around any garden structure enabling cleaning and
general maintenance access.
