Tarmac CEMPAK Grey Ready mixed Paving Grout, 15kg

I would advise against buying this product. I bought this to re-point my patio slabs and mixed to the manufactures instructions, the weather conditions were perfect not too hot or wet but when it dried the grout doesn’t go rock hard and a few days after doing I’m was still able to scratch it out with my finger nails. This has been finished a week now and already looks rough where the patio chair legs have been been dragged over the joints and will need breaking out and doing again. I would have done better using traditional sand and cement in the first place . This is not the kind of quality I expected from a company like Tarmac and would definitely not use again.

I have recently used this product on both natural stone crazy paving and yorkstone paving. After reading the reviews I did use it dry. However the method of application is important. I used a small plastic funnel and an old coffee mug to feed the fine powder grout into the gaps to the required level. This is a very quick method and works just fine. You soon get the hang of it. Importantly, it prevents the powder from coming into contact with (and contaminating) the paving surfaces. Afterwards, I used a very fine water spray (not too much) and then again around four hours later.

I read reviews saying it could be put into the joints dry. This is what I done and hd a nightmare. My patio slabs were light pink after brushing the mix into the joints all the areas that the mix touched immediatley turned grey. No matter how quick you clean it they remain grey. Ended up having to power wash and scrub my slabs to try and get them back to original colour. Unless you have grey slabs do not let this touch any other surface.

I spent quite a while on the internet and asking in builders’ merchants trying to find what product I needed to repoint the wide joints in my patio. If the joints are small then ordinary mortar mix appears to be ok. If wider then it doesn’t have the strength to make a good joint. This is the only product I found that states it is for wide joints. After jet washing, raking out any old and loose mortar I also applied a strong weed killer to the joints. When applying using my method every thing has to be dry. It is best to empty the bag of mix and then use a trowel
to turn it over as i found some settlement of the sand and cement can occur. Trowel the mix into the joints and then run the trowel up and down the joint to help the mix settle into the joint. My slabs by their design had uneven edges. I used a 2 inch wide paint brush to ‘ smooth ‘ out the grout to where and how I wanted it. Use the brush to clean of any mix on the slabs. Ideally leave for 4-5 days to let it cure naturally. At one time rain was forecast the next day so with the hosepipe gun on ‘mist’ lightly sprayed the patio to help set the mix. If the rain had got onto the dry mix it would have splattered it. The mix was applied at various thicknesses and so far is looking good. Grout between slabs will wear and loosen for a number of reasons, one being the slab moving. So obviously if this is the case relay it first before grouting.

Been putting this off for weeks, but finally done with ease. Used it dry, then lightly sprayed with the hose. Had no weeds since and really pleased with the look. There is overspill doing it this way, so obvioisly it has to be the same colour as the slabs to get a pleasing result.