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Original poster

Oh no. Have I f**ed up our patio?

45 replies

ThatOtherPoster · 22/05/2021 15:01

Had a beautiful patio laid yesterday. My DH said the builder had said to “keep off it as much as possible”. I took that to be advisory rather than mandatory, and have walked over bits of it 3 times. I did it to lock/unlock the back gate snd alleyway as they’d left their mixer there and I thought I was protecting them.

The builder is back today and asked me sternly if I’d walked in it. I said I had. He looked really tired and disappointed in me. :( He asked if any of the slabs had moved. I said I wasn’t sure. He stepped forward and the big one outside the back door rocked so he gave me a look. He lifted that up and is relaying it.

He’s pointing it all now.

But my worry is: LOADS of the slabs rocked when I walked on them! I thought it was normal. But I’m too scared to tell him.

Have I f**ked up the beautiful new patio I’ve spent all my savings on?

Will it have to be pulled up and relaid?

He’s walking all over it now to point it so I’m guessing he’d feel any “rocking” ones. He hasn’t screamed and relaid any - but maybe he thinks I deserve a rocking patio because I’m such a twat?

I feel AWFUL. He’s such a lovely msn snd I feel like I’ve ruined everything.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatOtherPoster · 22/05/2021 15:01

*man

Not msn

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatOtherPoster · 22/05/2021 15:02

I’m hiding it my bedroom.

OP posts:
GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 15:04

What didn't you understand about not walking on it?

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Librariesmakeshhhhappen · 22/05/2021 15:05

Go and speak to him now. Ask him to check if any others need done again before he does all the pointing, because it's more work that will need redoing. You're just wasting more of his time.

Really cant get over you walking on it though. You'd just has it laid. It needed to set. Why did you decide that being told not to walk on it was advisory but not important? Maybe your husband should get some of the blame. I'm sure the builder would have said, "dont walk on it" and your husband has changed that to, "stay off as much as possible."

myhobbyisouting · 22/05/2021 15:07

Go and tell him for goodness sake.

IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece · 22/05/2021 15:07

Go and tell him you’ve walked over it because yes, you could very well have fucked it up.

Why on earth would you walk on it?!

Librariesmakeshhhhappen · 22/05/2021 15:07

And how could you think slabs moving was normal? They've been laid specifically where they need to be. They need to dry in that position to be flush and secure. You walked on them and they moved, so when they set in the new position, they wouldn't be flush and secure anymore.

Bluntness100 · 22/05/2021 15:07

It needed to set so no you can’t walk on it, as it then disturbs the mix beneath it, and makes the slabs unstable. It’s your call if you tell him but if the slabs were rocking they will likely need to be relaid.

I can’t understand why you did it either.

Bluntness100 · 22/05/2021 15:13

So basically if the slabs aren’t flush then water will pool op in those areas, you will have big puddles, the grouting will crack up and th slabs continue to move, weeds and shit will come up, water will get in at the mortar mix and it won’t set properly

It’s up to you if you tell him but if it needs to be relaid then you need to pay for it, as you caused the damage.

Original poster
ThatOtherPoster · 22/05/2021 15:13

I honestly didn’t know you couldn’t walk on it AT ALL. Oh bloody buggering feck.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThatOtherPoster · 22/05/2021 15:14

Wouldn’t he feel the movement himself?

OP posts:
myhobbyisouting · 22/05/2021 15:15

Well until you ask him you won't know will you?

Original poster
ThatOtherPoster · 22/05/2021 15:15

He’s just walked all over every inch of it.

I can’t believe I’ve ruined everything. I honestly had NO IDEA walking was the absolute worst thing. I thought it was just “don’t go out there and put the patio furniture out tonight”. Not “don’t set a single foot in this”.

OP posts:
GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 15:15

@ThatOtherPoster

I honestly didn’t know you couldn’t walk on it AT ALL. Oh bloody buggering feck.
🤷🏻‍♀️ Common sense should have told you, if the builder didn't. I don't believe he didn't, btw. Just tell him you've walked everywhere; if it needs to be relaid there's no point in leaving him fannying about wasting yet more of his time.
Librariesmakeshhhhappen · 22/05/2021 15:16

Go and talk to him! He might feel the movement but maybe not if he only steps on one part of each. When I moved into my house, the garden needed work. Some of the patio slabs seen fine if you step on two corners diagonal from each other, but they rock if you step on the other 2 corners.

Bluntness100 · 22/05/2021 15:16

Well he might, but why the fuck should he start relaying it all He will grout it and leave. You caused the problem be responsible and tell him and explain you will pay to have it fixed. Or put up with a substandard patio.

GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 15:16

@ThatOtherPoster

Wouldn’t he feel the movement himself?
It's set now Confused
Librariesmakeshhhhappen · 22/05/2021 15:17

Did you think the mixture set immediately?

Bluntness100 · 22/05/2021 15:17

Are you really just hiding in your bedroom letting him grout it?

How old are you?

Librariesmakeshhhhappen · 22/05/2021 15:18

He might not bother going over it all with a spirit level as well; as he'd have levelled it all when he laid them. If they've moved and set in place, they may not be level but not enough off for the eye to see.

GreyhoundG1rl · 22/05/2021 15:20

I doubt he'll do anything at all unless he's told what happened and has a chance to re quote 🤷🏻‍♀️

Bluntness100 · 22/05/2021 15:20

Honestly this is mind boggling how does “stay off it as much as possible” translate to you can walk all over it just don’t put your patio furniture on it. You can actually walk gently on it, it’s normally in the middle of the stone and if you really really have to. As he said you need to stay off it as much as possible.

It’s a mortar mix under there, it’s soft. Like cement. It needs to set to hold the slabs in position, when you walk on it you squish that base and then the slabs are uneven as the soft mortar mix dries not flat but squished where you walked on it.

Gooseberrypies · 22/05/2021 15:28

Not sure why everyone has to be so nasty. There are some posters I often see replies from and I wonder if they are ignoring/twisting things the OP has said on purpose or just being utterly thick. OP wasn't told anything by the builder and no, it isn't common sense because surprisingly enough, not everyone knows absolutely everything. This is DH's fault if he has passed the message on incorrectly, builder's fault if those were the words he actually used and expected it not to be stood on at all.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 22/05/2021 15:28

Go out and tell him. It'll be much easier to fix now than later after it is all pointed. And ask him about locking the back gate.

Original poster
ThatOtherPoster · 22/05/2021 15:29

I went out there and confessed all. He said he’d guessed I’d been all over it because he could tell by my face. He said he’d checked and it felt fine - I was like “really?” and he said yes. I said “”REALLY?” and he said yes. He’s relaid the back-door slab and told me to stay off everything till tomorrow. He also said that if there any any problems, call him and he’ll sort it. I will obviously pay him for all repairs.

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