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My review of the Sika Fast Fix Paving Jointing Compound
To be as transparent as possible, in this article I have included links to the Amazon store where you can purchase the Sika fast fix paving jointing compound. As an Amazon affiliate partner we receive a small commission when an item is purchased via a link on this website.
Up until a couple of months ago I have always stayed away from the sweep in pointing products such as the Sika fast fix jointing compound when grouting between paving slabs. Mostly because my father who is also a landscape gardener has told me to stay away from these products as they use a resin instead of cement which according to him, isn’t as strong. For this reason, I have always mixed a bucket worth of building sand and cement when pointing between the paving slabs and used dye when needed.
This all changed when we were laying a light colored Indian Sandstone and the customer asked that we use the Sika Fast Fix All Weather Self Setting Joint compound as this is what a family member had used on the same slabs. I’m not one to argue with the customer, as if I had used my own way of jointing then he may have me redo the work if they aren’t happy.
So off I went to Screwfix to purchase the paving jointing compound for the first time. From memory, the 2 colors available for what we were using it for were buff and grey.
My first impressions of the Sika Fast Fix All Weather Self Setting Joint Compound
Upon reading the instructions, it says that you need to soak the area before applying the paving jointing compound, and to then use a pointing trowel to apply the product between the gaps within the paving slabs. As well as this, if you have any left over then to keep in water as this will give it a life span of approximately 1 month.
Straight away this came across very easy compared to using sand and cement and would save a huge amount of time. When using sand and cement to point between the paving slabs we have to be careful with how wet the mix is as to not stain the slabs, which also means dabbing the area with a damp sponge as you go along.
Since the jointing compound has no risk of staining the area, there would be no need to be careful which is where most of the time goes. We could spend a hole day pointing and even more on larger paving projects.
So away we went applying the jointing compound…
Using a hose we soaked the area that we would be applying the product and started to pour the bag of Sika joint compound. Unsure on how strong the compound is we decided to use our fingers (wearing gloves of course) to really push the product into the gaps before finishing it off with a pointing trowel for a good finish. Of course, we didn’t have to use our fingers, but it gave us more peace of mind knowing that it was well compacted and still saved us a huge amount of time compared to using sand and cement.
Once we had finished pointing the new patio we decided to give it a very light sprinkle to make sure that it would set. Again we had never used this product before so wanted to be sure that it would do the job.
The benefits of using the Sika paving jointing compound
Me and my business partner actually had a long conversatoin about he product once used as we wanted to continue using it on future patio projects as it does come with its benefits. The biggest one being that it saves us a huge amount of time jobs when pointing. Customers don’t realize how long it takes to point newly laid patios.
As well as this, it is extremely easy to use. So easy that anyone could do it. If you have a patio yourself that needs re-pointing then there would be no need to hire a professional as you could do it yourself. There is no worries when it comes to staining your paving slabs either.
The downside to using the Sika joint compound
I’d be lying if I said that this product didn’t come with any downsides, with the biggest one being the price that comes with it. It of course depends on the size and depths of the gaps between the paving slabs, but for approximately 50 squared meters we got through 6 tubs. There was an offer at the time of buying the product which meant we were getting 2 boxes for £50, but this meant that we spend a wopping £150 to grout the patio. I would have spent no more than £30 on sand and cement. That being said, there is always the question of how much money would you save on labor compared to using sand and cement which is a fair argument. Pay more on the project or pay more on the labor, it really depends on your circumstances.
I am not sure if this is a downside as I am no expert in the product, but it is definitely worth noting. But if you have drizzly weather and the area stays damp, then the paving jointing compound will stay soft. We came back the next day and asked that the customer doesn’t walk on it until it sets. The following day was dry and it did then set. Once set it seemed very hard, much better than we had anticipated.
Another downside is that the residue left over is hard to sweep off the paving slabs even with the stiffest of brushes. The next day you will see the product lightly covering areas of the patio. We have found that this is easier to brush off after a couple of days.
My thoughts on the Sika all weather jointing compound
As a hole, it’s well worth using and we have continued to use it since this job. Until we receive a bad review from a customer then we have no issues using this product. But until next year comes, I won’t know how it stands up against jet washing your patio etc., which is when the real test comes in to place so I will update the post when the time comes.
Despite the description saying that it is ‘all weather’, I definitely wouldn’t recommend using it in the rain. We have had it start raining whilst using the product and it washes it away. So make sure you do it in the dry, and providing that it stays dry then it will set quickly.
Overall it is a good product that does exactly as it says and the finish it gives it just as good as the good old fashioned sand and cement. For us, it saves us a huge amount of time and allows our apprentices to point patios whilst we get on with other things. If you are a company looking to start using this project, or a DIY person looking to do the work yourself then I would certainly recommend this product.
How ever, don’t just sweep it in between the gaps. At the very least use a pointing trowel to make sure that it is well compacted. It is also worth noting that all of the pictures in this post are patios that we have installed using this product!
Where to get your Sika Fast Fix All Weather paving jointing compound
We have partnered with Amazon to find you the best materials and tools for the job and thankfully their website does offer the jointing compound. Not only this but it is available in a variety of colours which includes Buff, Charcoal, Flint, Grey and stone. Just follow the above link to get yours now!
82 responses to “My review of the Sika Fast Fix Paving Jointing Compound”
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Having just bought a tub of this today and experimenting on the same sandstone pavement as you I found your review really helpful. I’ve used one bag from the box to try under our new corner sofa so if I have any issues, it will be hidden by the furniture.
It seems to have gone well and I’m hoping it will set in the next coupe of days. The only concern I seem to have is that I wonder if it has changed the colour of our stones or is this just an illusion. I applied it the same way as you have described and I don’t believe there is any of the compound remaining on the surface. However, the stones that have the compound in the joins look a little more ‘sandy’. I think that this is just because they now have a buff coloured join as opposed to grey cement which was there previously.
Did you experience anything like this?
Thanks for your post, it’s really helpful.
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Hi Paul and thank you for your comment. We are still using it with no problems as of yet…fingers crossed!
I’ve not experienced anything such as changing the colour of the paving slabs and I wouldn’t have thought it could as it uses a resin as opposed to cement…but then who knows! Although the sandy affect could be the jointing compound still left on the patio, even if it looks like none is there. It can be hard to get it all off!
If you leave it a couple more days and give it another sweep, if there is any residue left on the patio then it will be easy to sweep straight off once dry.
We always tell the customer now to give it another sweep in a few days if the wind hasn’t blown the surface paving compound off by then! We’ve not had a call back yet so no news is good news!
Let me know how you get on…
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Sorry for the delayed reply, I thought I had replied but it can’t have worked. My answer is going to be long as it might help address other questions in the thread.
Prior to using Sika we had a traditional sand cement joint which never fully set and allowed weeds to grow between the joints.
I jet washed this out using a Karthcha Power Wash and then refilled all joints using Sika. At first, I thought our stones had changed colour but it was an illusion due to having a cream compound in the joints compared to a much darker colour where no compound existed at all. I followed the instructions to the letter. It took a long time and I worked in subsections to make sure I compacted it thoroughly.
No Sika stuck to the stones afterwards and there was no discolouration of the stones. It’s now over one year since I’ve done this and the compound is still as strong as ever and there are no weeds coming through. The only small issue is some of the compound has the green mould from standing water, however this is easily cleaned using the blue patio magic cleaner tub. I’m so pleased with the results, especially as I changed what was a professional job for my own DIY job using Sika.
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[…] opinion, if you opt for the sawn edge then I would recommend using 10mm spacers and using a grouting compound for finishing off with the […]
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I have just had Sika fast fix put in a section of my Indian sandstone patio and i agree witb Paul that there is staining round the edge of the tiles even though it was put in with the utmost care . Do you need to wash the tiles as you go ?
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Hi Gill, I can honestly say I’ve never had this problem. We often come back the next day with a stiff broom to get the left over residue of jointing compound off the top of the paving slabs as it can be easier to remove when dry.
How did your paving look once you gave it a good sweep/clean? Has the staining gone now that it has had a few weeks to weather in? If you still have staining then could you attach a picture?
Thank you!
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Can’t believe the customer wanted buff on that dark paving
Charcoal would be better-
Although it’s not my cup of tea either we’ve been asked a few times now to use the buff coloured grouting compound for the Kota Black limestone – To be fair my business partner loves it so it must just be down to personal taste!
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Hi, do you know if you can top up any joints that seem a bit low (or have been washed away due to rain after laying?) or once it’s set can you not put new stuff on top?
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Hi Emma and a great question! As the grouting compound uses a resin I believe that yes you can simply sweep some more grouting on top of your paving to top it up. At least we’ve always done this when needed with no problems as of yet!
In an absolute worst case scenario you would need to scrape a small section of paving jointing compound out to then top it up again but as I say, we’ve always got away with just topping it up!
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how can I remove silka from paving blocks that have dried with a grey film
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Hi Peter, after a couple of days you should be able to brush it off with a stiff broom – Let me know how you get on!
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Hi
Can you advise me of the colour used with the indian sandstone please? Thank you-
Hi Julie, may I ask the name of your Indian sandstone so that I can recommend a colour of jointing compound 😀
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Hi,
We’ve have some charcoal grey slabs put down and the deep grey sika grouting compound used about a week later. The guys used a hosepipe to soak the slabs beforehand and the compound went down ok. Another week later there appears to be a grey film over some parts of the slabs which a hard brushing and even scrubbing with some washing up liquid, fails to remove.
Any thoughts on how to get rid of this?
Thank you
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Hi Robert, may I ask how long ago the grouting compound was put down? We often struggle to remove any excess residue within the first few days but brushes off fairly easily after this time frame.
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Hi,
We’ve had some charcoal coloured concrete paving slabs laid. A week later the guys returned to use the Sika grouting compound. They soaked the slabs first and the compound went down well.
We now notice that some of the slabs appear to have a grey film on them especially around the edges but some more so across other parts. We’ve dry brushed them several times and even scrubbed the larger affected areas with warm water and washing up liquid, but the “grey film” remains.
Any thoughts?-
Hi Robert, may I ask how long ago the grouting compound was put down? We often struggle to remove any excess residue within the first few days but brushes off fairly easily after this time frame.
I think sometimes it just needs time to weather in. Once we finish on a job we let the customer know that there may be some left over residue and to give if a sweep in a few days or let it weather in by itself. I’ve not had any calls back yet so no news is good news!
Let me know how you get on! There seems to have been a few people with this problem but with no updates!
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Thanks for the reply.
The compound went in a week ago today. No amount of stiff brushing or scrubbing with washing up liquid since has shifted it so far. Sadly it looks a bit of a mess in places and yet I know the builders followed the instructions carefully.
I’ve written off to Sika (Everbuild) about this problem and will post their reply when I get it.
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Please keep us all updated with the reply that you get! There have been a few people that have suffered with this grey film but I’ve not received any updates as to whether or not it came off in the end!
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I used sika deep grey on my new Indian sandstone patio. It worked very well and has gone hard. My only concern is the grout is more brown than grey, will it turn grey as it cures?
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Hi Andrew, I’m glad the Sika fast fix paving compound has worked well for you – Although it’s unfortunate that the grout I more brown than grey – I’ve never had this happen to me before! Do you have a picture?
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Hi I used the sika pave fix plus. I’m not sure if you’ve used that one before, but I did most of it dry without wetting the slabs first under that recommendation from a builder (that obviously didn’t know the product very well). Could this cause more of an issue with staining? I moved onto damping the tiles as I went along when I noticed staining on the tiles I had done dry, and the wet tiles don’t seem to have stained as bad. I’m wondering if the tiles I have done dry the staining will be removed by the brushing after a couple of days you said in previous comments? This was only done yesterday and it hasn’t set enough yet to much brushing and scrubbing
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Hi Joe, I don’t believe I have used the Sika Pave Fix Plus personally but I’ve just had a read through this product online and I’m not sure on the difference between this and the Sika Fast Fix as upon first glance at least, they look like the same product.
There have been some people in the comments that have had the same problem with staining, but so far no one has came back with any updates so I can only assume that no news is good news. Maybe once the paving/jointing compound has weathered in after a week or 2 that the stains go away. Please update us on how you get on!
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We have just grouted out pavings using the sika grouting compound and if I’m honest don’t think we removed the excess grout from the pavings sufficiently as it rained whilst constantly and therefore have not been able to remove it however now they are drying it seems to gave left stain marks on the pavings like sand grain stains? Any suggestions for safe removal internet suggests resin removal ? Thank for any advice
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Hi Tracy, we have had this problem ourselves but to be honest we just leave it a few days and come back with a stiff broom – We find it easier to brush off once a couple of days have passed so I would recommend waiting before purchasing any products – Please let me know how you get on!
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is it possible to partially fill the gap with sand to cut down how much compound is used , my slabs are two inches thick and the cost would be horrendous?
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Hi Ray, you’re definitely going to get through a fair bit of paving compound with a depth of 2 inches! Erm…I can’t guarantee that it would work but I would likely try dry mixing sand and cement to a ratio of 3:1 (instead of just sand) before using the paving compound. At least this way you would have peace of mind knowing that the sand and cement will go hard like the jointing compound when watered. Just be sure to brush it all in the gaps and leave none on your paving as cement staines. What I am suggesting is only something that I would try so I can’t guarantee that it’ll work – Let me know if and how you get on!
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Hello, lots of interesting comments here thank you. Do you know if its possible to get any sample colours of Sika grout please?
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Hi Ukanom, I haven’t came across any sample options as of yet! There are only a few different colours available so it could be worth a Google image search of each colour?
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[…] about – This one’s easy! All you need is some building sand and cement. Oh and some jointing compound! But if you’ve only got the odd loose paving slab to repair then you can use your sand and […]
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Hi. I’ve ordered Indian Sandstone in a light grey colour and I’ve also just received Sika flint colour jointing compound. It maybe an obvious question, but I’m struggling to understand which process should come first: should I lay the paving and then use a sealer on the stone ( to prevent staining generally), or should I lay paving, joint with the sika compound and then apply a sealant? I can’t understand what the standard process is and given the above comments whether there is a benefit or risk of applying the sealant before jointing? I worry whether the resin joint will fix to the stone if it has had the sealant applied.
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Hi Jay, I personally would joint the paving first, wait a few days for the paving jointing compound to properly set, give it a good clean and finally seal the patio.
Ultimately you’re supposed to re-seal the patio every couple of years or so (check the bottle of patio sealant for clarification) which means that next time you’ll end up sealing it with the jointing compound anyway.
I hope this makes sense!
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I’ve used this product twice, first when it was installed by the landscaper, after pressure washing the slabs 2 years after installation I succeeded in blasting the jointing compound out aswell. So had to re do the joints. I watched him use it and he did not wet the Indian sandstone to start just brushed it in. there were no problems with residue or staining and on both uses It set hard. Have you any experience with customers pressure washing their patio and loosening the compound ? Could it be because the patio was not wet at installation or is it common? Ive avoided cleaning the patio for a couple of years to avoid £70 for more joining compound each time!
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Hi Helen, although you are suppose to wet the area before applying the paving jointing compound, it does eventually harden either way. Unfortunately, whether you use a mortar mix or the jointing compound for your pointing, jetwashing your patio always runs the risk of blasting some out.
However, if you use a pointing trowel to properly compact the compound when applying (instead of just brushing it in), you should get better results!
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Hi i have used the sika fast fix buff on my modak indian sandstone patio and have done exactly what is said to do on the tub two days gone bye and still not set is this the set time weather dependent .
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Hi Robert, I wouldn’t worry! We’ve had the paving jointing compound take a good week before setting before, I think it often depends on the weather!
Apologies for the late reply, after 6 days has your Sika Fast Fix jointing compound hardened yet?
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Hello, we had our garden patio laid last year – gardeners used sika but I felt it never properly dried out. They used the charcoal sika on grey Indian sandstone and although looks great the residue is awful – no amount of sweeping seems to clear it completely. Any ideas? I’ve actually been looking in to outdoor hoovers as it bother me so much!
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Hello, after a year I would have thought that the residue would have cleared long ago! I wouldn’t have thought a hoover would pick the residue up, instead I would recommend jetwashing your new patio with hopes of removing the residue. If you blast any of the old paving jointing compound out of between the paving slabs then I would just re-appy the jointing compound, this time being careful to not get it everywhere (I know it wasn’t you that applied the compound previously).
Just apply what you need into the gaps and compact with a pointing trowel. I hope this helps!
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My patio (pale grey) always has darker edges next to the grouted joints after using this stuff. I suspect due to the resin leaching into the stone. Fades after a while though, and not noticeable if applying sealer after grouting.
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Hi Pete and thank you for your comment! This can also happen when we point a patio with a mortar mix instead of the paving jointing compound but as you said, it does fade after a while! Sealing the patio afterwards is great advice!
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Hi thanks for your reply yes it has solid now .
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After drying i have noticed some staining to my Modak sandstone and i have washed with warm soapy water and tryed hyperchlorite on one slab to see if it would get rid of them and it hasnt any ideas on how to get these stains out as i want to seal it .
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We have got stains on our Indian sandstone after using sika at the weekend. It was swept over but can’t remove the staining and it looks quite oil based on the slabs? My husband has sealed other areas before starting in case that helps. He has followed all instructions but it’s not looking like it will come off. Any help gratefully received!
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Hi Corinne, I see it’s been 5 days since you posted, has the resin started to come away from your paving slabs? In my experience and looking at other comments in this article, others have had the same problem when using the Sika fast fix paving jointing compound but after a week or so the resin does come off. Please share your results as time goes by.
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How long does it take to harden? I used it yesterday and the weather has been dry (wetted the area before hand), went out to check it this morning (almost 24 hours later) and it is still as soft as when I applied it nearly 24 hours earlier!
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Hi David, yes this is completely normal! Sometimes it has completely hardened within 24 hours but other times when I’ve layed the paving jointing compound it has taken a few days.
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Hi, I had a landscaper install new patio slabs in my back garden and they used the grey/charcoal coloured sika in between the joints. We had dry weather at the time and during the first week following the installation. However the few days after installation we noticed some areas the sika although it was hard/set (felt solid at touch) it was coming out of the joint – it appeared as solid strips, so I was having the stand on it to fix back into place. Four weeks later and there are now more areas where its either parts or completely missing or strips of joint sticking up as its loose. Whereas other areas seem fine..is there a reason why this could have happened? Thanks
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Hi Beverley, did the landscaper water the patio before applying the paving jointing compound?
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Hi yes I believe they did. I recall seeing an area covered in water (but I didnt see when they did the other areas).
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Your comments are so helpful. My supplier definitely didn’t wet the patio first. He had to grind out the old sand and cement mortar, but some places he missed, (got bored I reckon with a 200 sq metre patio!) and just lay the Sika over the top of the old grouting. This has now come out after pressure washing, although it was done by a professional, and he used a big circular head, not a jet and was very careful. How deep should the Sika have been laid? I had no problem with staining so found the comments interesting. Some weeds were starting to come through after only 6 months. I would really value your comments. Thank you
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We have just applied this to most of our patio (still to finish the other bit as the cracks are too large and need filling with sand first). However, where we have put the Fastfix, the next morning ants have dug tiny holes through the compound when it was still soft – and also lifted it in certain parts. I hadn’t realised there were ants underneath there in that part of the patio.
Any suggestions? I know the last part does have ants, and reluctant as I am to kill them, if they are just going to chuck out all the Fastfix where they want a ‘door’, there doesn’t seem any alternative!
Do you have any recommendations for the holes they have created already? Should I just top it up and try to stop them coming out? 🙂
It’s a rented property and this is an expensive solution but the patio cracks were so deep and the weeds were so bad, it was taking hours to de-weed it every few months. I try not to use pesticides and horrible things as we have so much wildlife in the garden, and despite making a salt and vinegar solution, our weeds are very vigorous!!
I still have another patio to tackle once I have finished this one, so want to make sure my little ant friends don’t fight back!!
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I wondered if you had had chance to read this? It’s been a few months now and big chunks of it have now come out, despite it my using a finger trowel and compacting (more than they suggest, which I did think was the same amount of work as normal grout?!)
I thought I had done it as the instructions stated so not that happy that it’s done this. Some areas that seemed fine have all come up since we had rain.I have a sachet left but bit reticent to use it. I’m tempted to just use normal grout on the other patio I need to do. Do you think I can fill in the gaps in the one I did with Sika? Not sure if it would bond?
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Oh no, not good! Did you wet the patio before applying the Sika paving compound? The only other thing I can think of is if you have loose or wobbly paving slabs since any movement will cause the jointing compound to crack.
If the gaps are deep enough then yes I would just fill the bad areas with jointing compound. We’ve done this before with no issues.
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Are there any updates on the staining issues please? My husband has just used this product on our sawn and honed light grey Indian sandstone patio which he’s just compound. He followed the instructions to the letter, and is an experienced tradesmen, having always used sand and cement in the past. We are gutted as the patio now looks absolutely awful, covered in oily, dark looking stains, patches and residue. The stones are smooth but the product has left an oily finish making them very slippery. Any help or advice would be most welcome.
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Hi Jo, how did you get on with this? It seems that the residue left over seems to go away in time.
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Hi we are in the middle of having light grey sandstone put down and I have been asked to choose a colour for the Silka. I don’t want a dark joint (I had old fashioned sand and cement on my previous house with the same sandstone) so what colour jointing would you recommend? I am worried the grey would come up either too dark or be a different colour grey to the slab which might look funny?? Or what’s the closest colour that looks like sand and cement?
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Hi Hayley, how did you get on with this? Apologies for the late reply as I have been away! We usually use the deep Grey jointing compound with any grey colour sandstone (usually Kandla Grey)
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Hi
I used Sika Fastfix brush in grouting compound on my newly layed granite paving slabs, i followed the instuctions to the letter, the grout went very hard and has done the trick, but i have been left with heavy staining on my granite slabs, and it looks really bad, i got in touch with Sika Everbuild, to get advice on the staining, they said the staining was the result of the polymers in the resin, and they dont have another product to remove the stains,they said the staining should go away over time, anything from 1 day to 6 months, if i knew this was going to happen, there is no way I would have used this produced, i am very disapointed with Sika fastfix, and would not advise anyone to use it, Sika should high light the staining problem on the product container. -
Just wanted to say thanks to the OP replys to comments make you stand out. thank you so much – i was very scared to do this after breaking my back getting builders sand cement bode out – hehe
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Thank you for the kind words! How did you get on with the jointing compound?
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After finding the original patio layer jsut skimmed 2-4 mm of compound over sand cement, I had to chissle it all out to 2CM depth
No wonder it was all falling out with the rain ehehe
Anyways after that I tried to brush it in but the gaps were so small (5-7 mm wide) So i had to use marigold glove and Pokey Pokey method :¬)
Seems to be hardening very well this is probaly all the heatwaves i dunno
This is good stuff IMO thanks again
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A lot of my Sika has turned to sand and is washing away. The person who put it in won’t get back to me. Anyone know of any reason that not all, actually most, of it has not hardened. Would really appreciate your advice.
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Hi Sonia, I’ve never had the paving jointing compound not harden before. I’ve even had customers lay it themselves without wetting the paving first (as per the instructions) and its still hardened. Very strange! At this point I can only recommend jetwashing the patio with hopes of it blowing out and them replacing it with some new jointing compound. I hope this helps!
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Thank you for your prompt reply. I have rather come to the same conclusion! I reckon the product must be faulty, but because the person who did it won’t get back to me, I don’t know where he bought it.
How deep do you think the grouting needs to be? In some places he just laid it over the cement and sand, but even where I know it was deep, it has still gone sandy, and every time I brush the terrace it comes away. -
Hi Sonia, according to the instructions, the joint depth needs to be at least 20mm with a minimum width of 5mm. If some parts the paving jointing compound was layed directly on top of old pointing/mortar then there’s a good chance that the depth may not have been 20mm.
It could be worth reading my article titled ‘how to point and re-point a patio) as this explains my way of removing the old mortar (sand/cement). Please see the link below.
https://hankintech.com/2022/01/02/how-to-point-and-repoint-a-patio/
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Hi Sonia.
I had to chisle out all the original builders sans and cement to go down to 20mm
when i did that i found they never put any drainage in chich can cause it to never set hard if it is always wet
having gone down 20mm and 5-6mm wide i had to poke it in and compact it using gloves and fingers instead of brush ing it in as it leave air pockets
so far seems solid but the finger method has left stains i am hoping i can find a way to remove or wait(if that works)
all the best
mac
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So helpful of you. Thank you so much
I have an Indian sandstone drive which now needs repointing. I this product going to be durable for this purpose.
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Hi Kim, I once layed an Indian sandstone drive and we used a wet mortar mix (sand and cement) as we were unsure on the durability of the paving compound.
If you are driving on the slabs then any movement will cause them to crack so I would recommend sand and cement. If using a wet mix then you will need a sponge and bucket on the go as the mortar will stain your new paving. Ideally, its best to get an experienced landscaper to do the work.
I hope this helps!
We used it for an old patio with Yorkshire stone. The old sand and cement was badly cracked in the joints which was done many years ago. We were not looking forward to using this old method again as very time consuming and wanted a finer looking finish. We are always keeping our house and garden in good order.
My grandson first introduced us about SILKA FAST FIX and so glad he told us. We used the product and were a little dubious as we thought the mixture would stain the existing Yorkshire stone but followed the instructions and it turned out really well. My partner found it easy to apply and very quick and effortless to achieve a final result. Even though more expensive than usual methods but the rapid results and worth every penny in time and effort.
It took longer to set than first thought but being in September / October the heat was not so high. When we thought it would rain we put cover over the section he done. We were probably being over cautious. Our patio looks very natural and clean lines. Will definitely use it for our next project.
I’ve just finished using sika on my patio , but I had to use two lots, the first batch I used was set hard the next day how ever where I had used the second batch it was still soft the following morning, is it normal
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Hi Nigel, yes this is normal – I think it really depends on the conditions outside as I’ve even had the jointing compound take 3-4 days before fully setting before!
Concrete paver patio laid, reconstituted stone slabs from Bradstone. Need to point. V Joints throughout. Is SILKA compound a good option for this? Obviously want something that is going to last. Or would mortar be better/stronger. It’s proper stressing me out :S Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you, Ste
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Hi Ste, Paving jointing compound, in my opinion, is a more user-friendly and a much quicker way to point but it doesn’t last as long as mortar.
What you save in money when using mortar will be more than made up for in labour. Just be sure to keep a wet sponge nearby as you won’t want to stain the paving. You can read more below.
https://hankintech.com/2022/01/02/how-to-point-and-repoint-a-patio/
Ultimately, paving jointing compound is more expensive to purchase, but so much quicker to lay.
Mortar is much cheaper, but takes much longer to lay. Mortar will last longer, providing you don’t use too dry a mix ofcourse.
Hi, I am about to start laying Marshal textured slabs on patio and was wondering if you have ever used Sika FastFix for pointing this type of slab. Reading about the staining problems I was thinging that these textured slabs might be even more difficult to clean up afterwards. I was considering laying them up tight without joints, What are your thoughts. Thanks.
Hi Just jet washed a 30 year old patio and have 50/50 big gaps/sound old grout. What’s best for topping up – I find all the widths/depths a bit confusing E.g. 20mm deep – is this a maximum, will it work if just topping up?
Thanks
Hi,
Having a landscaper do my patio in my garden, they are planning to use MOT type 1 as sub base, then put weed membrane on top and then sharp sand on top of the weed membrane. They will then lay the slabs on top of the sand, then fill the gaps between the slabs with Sika Fast Fix, which they say will bond slabs together and slabs won’t move. But overtime will the slabs move if they just use sand to lay the slabs on rather than cement?
They are saying with Sika Fast Fix, this will fill the gaps between the slabs, this will stop the slabs from moving.
Thanks
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Hi Hussain, unless these are heavy concrete paving slabs then I personally wouldn’t recommend laying them on sharp sand. I would always lay paving slabs on a mortar mix (sand & cement). I also don’t believe that the Sika Fast Fix will bond the slabs together. Do you know which paving slabs are being used? Thank you
Hi,
Thanks for getting back to me, the slabs being used are Marshalls Richmond Smooth Natural Paving Slab 450 x 450 x 32 mm.
Could the slabs crack over time if laid just on sand, even when Sika Fast Fix is used between the gaps?
Thanks.
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Hi Hussain, you need to use a mortar mix when laying natural paving. Otherwise, they’ll never set. Please see below my guide on how to lay a patio.
https://hankintech.com/2019/08/23/how-to-lay-a-patio-in-your-garden/
Make sure to use a Slurry too to create a proper bond. I don’t think I included this in the article, so I’ll add it shortly.
Thanks for this.
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