Question about patio paving

[yorkshirelass79]

I am going to attempt to pave our back yard with flagstones. The yard is approx 7ft x 24ft and currently just concreted (it was gravelled but we didn't like it).
Can I just lay sand, level it, lay the flags (each about 1 sq ft) and brush over with sand or is there a better method? DP says that just sand will wash away in the rain and I need to mix it with dry cement...?
It is not for a driveway, just to walk on but I would like it to be sturdy enough to hold table & chairs and for dd to play on.
TIA x

[heavenis]

You should be fine laying them on sand. It maybe better in the long run to put a dry mix of sand and cement in between the gaps.

[JackieNo]

And unless you're really strong, check you can lift the paving slabs easily. Speaking from experience here - we cheerfully went ahead and bought the ones we liked, without taking this into consideration, and it made the whole thing a nightmare to do.

[yorkshirelass79]

Thanks heavenis.

JackieNo - good point! We haven't decided yet which to use but I'll be checking I can lift them first!

[yorkshirelass79]

Also, does anyone know how deep I need to lay the sand, and how much sand I would need for a 7ft x 24ft area?

[nooka]

We just used sand for our path down the side of the house. the slabs were so heavy I doubt they will ever move! Luckily dh is a bodybuilder and did all the lifting (I couldn't actually lift them ). We used a couple of inches, and it was about a bag for each slab (big slabs though). The simplest thing is to ask the supplier of the slabs how much sand you will need.

[yorkshirelass79]

bump

[yorkshirelass79]

thanks nooka - sorry x posts!