Mortar joints breaking up between paving

Crumbling Patio Pointing and Failed Joints

Pointing is not decoration. It stops water reaching the bedding layer, and once it fails, the bed softens and slabs start to move.

Most crumbling pointing traces back to the method used to fill the joints.

Patio and Landscaping work by Gardenscape in Essex

Why dry-brushed mortar fails

Sand and cement brushed in dry and watered down rarely achieves full compaction or a consistent water-cement ratio. It looks fine for a season, then powders and washes out.

It also stains slab edges as it is brushed across the surface.

Better jointing methods

A wet slurry-applied jointing compound flows fully into the joint, cures hard and resists frost. For narrow joints on porcelain, a purpose-made narrow-joint compound is essential.

Joint width and depth matter: too shallow and no compound will hold.

The repointing process

We rake out the failed joints to full depth, clean and dampen them as required by the product, then apply and tool the new jointing before it cures.

Where slabs have already loosened because water got into the bed, they are lifted and re-bedded before jointing.

Frequently asked questions

Can you point over old mortar?

No — the new joint needs depth and a clean surface to bond, so the old material comes out first.

What joint width is best?

It depends on the paving. Riven natural stone typically suits wider joints; calibrated porcelain uses narrow ones.

How long before we can walk on it?

Most jointing compounds allow light foot traffic within 24 hours, subject to weather.

Joints washing out of your patio?

Repointing now is far cheaper than relaying later.

Book repointing Call 07535 661664