Back in August / September I purchased three tubs of Jointex Ceramic EF pointing compound to re-point a patio area, which was badly in need of redoing. Having done some small traditional hand mixed mortar patch repairs on another paved area I decided that a specialist jointing compound would be the best option. You kindly gave me advice on the Jointex product, and I thought that you may be interested in how the project went.
I must stress that I am not a builder, just a practical sort of DIY’er. I made sure to properly rake out the joints and thoroughly clean the patio – which was time consuming and made me realise how long traditional mortar mixing and filling would take!
I took on board the instructions on the packaging and watched a few videos before starting and was a little trepidatious, given the cost of the product. I needn’t have worried, as by constant squeegeeing, brushing, moistening, and working the ‘slurry’ I completed the patio in a few hours. It was physical work, but without kneeling and squatting. I have attached a few photos to show the before and after. It now looks newly laid and I hope it will remain weed-free for a long time!
As a tip, I bought a decent quality squeegee and found it paid dividends. I also had some very wide joints / gaps along perimeter edgings, which I pointed traditionally beforehand, as they would probably have needed a tub or two of their own!
For your information, the approximate coverage rate of 10 – 12 sqm per 15 kg tub you estimated was about right. The patio area is about 25 sqm. The slab sizes are random but are probably equivalent to around 450mm x 450mm for joint length purposes. I used 2 full tubs and about one-third of the third tub. What was left allowed me to re-point a short path and I have sealed the remainer under water in the tub, hoping for subsequent use elsewhere.
Thank you for your advice and prompt service.
