How to lay crazy paving

MitchellMc

Difficulty: Beginner

Crazy paving is a fantastic way to make a statement from the ground up. Use this mosaic-like paving to liven up your courtyard, driveway or outdoor shower base. You can also use crazy paving for tricky projects such as curved pathways.

Steps

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Step 1

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Start by preparing your concrete surface by sweeping away any dust and debris.

Cut your L-shaped tile trim with your mitre saw to fit around the perimeter of the concrete slab. Each corner of the trim will need a 45-degree angle and can be stuck down to the concrete with your adhesive sealant.

1.1 Preparing concrete slab.png

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Step 2

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Once the tile trim adhesive is dry, put on your safety gear and lay out your builder’s plastic. Take your mallet and start breaking up the tiles into large pieces. Use your sanding block and sandpaper to remove any sharp edges or corners of the broken pieces.

2.1 Breaking tiles into pieces.png

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Step 3

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Mix your tile adhesive in your bucket. Working in sections, use your square-notched trowel to apply a 3mm layer of adhesive across the concrete surface, making sure to cover the edges of the trim as well.

Start with the flat factory edges of your broken tiles and place them against the tile trim. Work your way around the perimeter trim placing tiles as you go. Use the odd-shaped tile pieces to fill the middle section. Remove any excess glue from the surface of the tiles with a wet sponge, and then allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.

3.1 Tiles laid onto adhesive base.png

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Step 4

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Mix up your grout using your bucket again. Take your rubber trowel and push the grout into the gaps between the tiles with a swirling motion. Smooth from different directions until the joints are full.

Wipe over the tiles with a dampened sponge to remove excess grout. Allow the grout to dry for 10 minutes.

4.1 Trowelling grout into gaps.png

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Step 5

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Take a damp cloth and wipe over the tiles to remove any grout haze that is left. It’s essential to remove this now, as it will be much harder to clean off once dry. Allow to dry overnight thoroughly.

5.1 Cleaning grout from tile's surface.png

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Step 6

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Wipe over the surface again with a damp cloth and then apply two coats of the grout and tile sealer. Leave this to dry for a few hours before walking on it.

Add garden edging, decorative pebbles and plants around your new crazy paving to finish the job.

6.1 Adding garden edging and pebbles.png 6.2 Finished crazy paving.png