What base do you need to lay porcelain slabs?

Laying porcelain pavers correctly is essential if you want them to be stable. Using the wrong sub-base, or applying it incorrectly, is certainly something you should avoid, so be sure to take your time and plan each stage of a project

2nd Nov 2023

Becki Bell

What base do you need to lay porcelain slabs?

Laying porcelain pavers correctly is essential if you want them to be stable.

Using the wrong sub-base, or applying it incorrectly, is certainly something you should avoid, so be sure to take your time and plan each stage of a project.

If you are unsure, then call on an expert’s help.

When you buy porcelain paving slabs from Forward Builders’ Supplies, you not only get a quality product but can also call on years of know-how to select the right one.

What is a sub-base for porcelain paving?

A sub-base is a layer of aggregate material that prevents soil from shifting.

It not only helps to hold paving slabs in place, but also ensures they have longevity.

The sub-base needs to be properly prepared, and the area assessed for drainage before you begin.
This means a patio should ideally drain away from the building at a fall of 1:80, that is for every 80 units of distance away from your home, it should drop by one.

The type of sub-base you use needs to provide strength and stability. A sub-base’s strength can be derived from a compressed granular material like MOT Type 1.

If you are installing the paving using mortar and compacted Type 1, then your base should be at least 100mm so that the pavers have a solid foundation and can absorb the volume of foot traffic.

How do I lay a sub-base for porcelain paving?

The aggregate needs to be an even layer, roughly 30mm below the line you’ve market with string.

Using a mixer, your bedding mortar will be four parts of sharp sand to one part cement, and an SBR additive should be added to help the materials to bond.

You also need to ensure the mortar is firm, and not sloppy, before it is trowelled onto the surface.

It is essential to ripple, or roughen up, the surface of the bed to allow for compression of the paving tile during final placing and mortar should be spread on one slab at a time.

Remember, because porcelain pavers are non-porous they also need to be primed on the underside with slurry to ensure they adhere properly to the sub-base.

It is also worth noting that your porcelain slabs need to be laid on a full mortar bed.

There is something called a dot and dab method, in which spots of mortar are applied to the slabs.

This is also called void bedding because it leaves gaps beneath the paving slabs, which is not a good idea because it means they will not be supported fully and will rock.