[Jamie Butterworth]

Does anyone have any hints or tips as im doing a path in the garden using paving slabs, any advice is very welcome

[Kleftiwallah]

Waterproof membrane and then a layer of scalpings.  Cheers,   Tony

[RichardA]

Because I move paths etc from time to time I always use slabs of a size I can handle usually 600 by 600 by 50 unless of course I have won them from somewhere in which case I use what I have but I bed them directly onto the soil which I have consolidated by heeling. Yes I do get an odd slab that settles but very few and I have lost nothing if I want to reclaim them or shift them over.
R

[mumofstig]

same as Richard here ...cos bet your bottom dollar I will want it somewhere else next year

[JayG]

My garden has more than its fair share of 18" slabs laid as paths; they were laid directly on the soil which must have been well compacted because most of them haven't moved far (they do tend to slide down slopes a little if not laid completely level or held in place by other slabs though!)

[Trillium]

If your membrane isn't particularly thick, double it up. Wish I'd done that on one particular section  Now have to pull the works apart, spray the huge weed roots, lay new very heavy membrane and reset the pavers. As if I have nothing else to do this summer.

And definitely use sizes you can carry by yourself. I made the mistake of getting 24" square pavers and they're a beast to move by myself so must grab help who are always ready to run on seeing the size of pavers.

[Jamie Butterworth]

Do i not need hardcore or sand or cement?

[mumofstig]

Not according to the advice so far  all except for 1 of us has laid direct onto earth 

[Jamie Butterworth]

Would that not lead to subsiding?

All the advice in books says to lay a layer hardcore first 

[Lardman]

All the advice in books says to lay a layer hardcore first 

It all depends on what you're doing with it. If your paths are a permanent fixture then you really should do things properly it will save you a lot of hassle with movement, weeds and cracking.

http://www.pavingexpert.com/pccflag1.htm has lots of information for doing it very properly.

For fixed installations I've always put them down on a 3" bed of level sand on top of earth, but for around the veg patch they're placed directly on compacted soil.

[JayG]

I think preparation to that extent would be more for heavy-duty uses (e.g. car parking.)

My assumption, and possibly the others also, is that you were just laying garden paths which don't really call for that (although you could if you wanted to!)  

[Jamie Butterworth]

All the advice in books says to lay a layer hardcore first 

It all depends on what you're doing with it. If your paths are a permanent fixture then you really should do things properly it will save you a lot of hassle with movement, weeds and cracking.

http://www.pavingexpert.com/pccflag1.htm has lots of information for doing it very properly.

For fixed installations I've always put them down on a 3" bed of level sand on top of earth, but for around the veg patch they're placed directly on compacted soil.

Thanks, they will be a permanent fixture and wont be moved for a long long time hopefully Thanks for the link

I think preparation to that extent would be more for heavy-duty uses (e.g. car parking.)

My assumption, and possibly the others also, is that you were just laying garden paths which don't really call for that (although you could if you wanted to!) 

Thanks Im just looking to do it properly so it wont slide about as its part of a garden re-design

[RichardA]

Jamie, if you lay on hardcore or sand and then dig right up to your paths the bed will migrate (slip sideways) and they will subside anyway. If edged in edging strip or concrete haunched or with say a lawn upto the path then they will be relatively stable. Also depends on your soil and the use the path is put to -- for the odd welly boot and wheelbarrow combo a path laid in soil is fine but heel the soil well or tamp down it with a hammer and board. Looking today at jobs to finish over the winter I bet I have less than 1% of my slabs to level up, that is in well over a year. Weeds can hide under paths but they will do that in sand or hardcore eventually anyway so you will spray out or steam off either way.
best of luck.
R

[Jamie Butterworth]

Thanks for the advice mate

[CDave]

Mine are directly on soil. Key is in preparation time. Weed - and weed again. Make sure that no nasties are under where you want to lay your slabs (eg crouch grass or mare's tail). Then compact as much as possible. Rake surface and compact again. Use your heavy boots and walk on it with your heels to compact. Rake surface again - ie repeat - a few times. Lay your slabs as level as possible. For a lottie path or between beds they will be just fine.

I used 2 re-claimed bricks between my pavers (18'' I think). Uses up bricks, uses less slabs, gives additional flexibility (path size v number of slabs), and I think, looks nicer!.

After a few weeks you will get some movement - but should be minimal if you follow the steps above. Where the joints open up slightly, I brush some dried sand in. But just to stress that joint movement is slight / minimal and not problematic. The need to do this will lessen over time and your path should be nice and tight.

Using this method, preparation is essential and patience is a virtue (good job my missus isn't reading   ). Good luck.