Patios & Paving · Problem & repair
Cracked, crumbling or missing patio pointing
Pointing is the part of a patio that fails first, and usually because the wrong product was used for the joint width or the slab type.
Getting it right matters beyond appearance: open joints let water beneath the slabs, which is how re-pointing turns into re-laying.
How to tell this is your problem
- Mortar crumbling out when brushed
- Weeds and moss establishing in the gaps
- Hairline cracks along every joint line
- Loose slabs where the joint has failed completely
- Staining or haze on the slab edges
Repair or replace?
Repair. Re-pointing is routine maintenance, and doing it promptly is what prevents the slabs beneath from moving.
Why it happens
Dry-brushed sand and cement
Brushing a dry mix into joints looks fine on day one but never fully hydrates. It crumbles within a couple of seasons.
Movement in the paving
Rigid pointing over slabs that are moving will always crack. The joint is reporting a bedding problem, not causing one.
Wrong product for the joint width
Most brush-in compounds have a minimum joint width and depth. Used in narrow joints they fail early.
Applied in poor conditions
Frost, heavy rain or baking sun during cure all compromise the finished strength.
Repair options, cheapest first
- 01
Rake out and re-point with a wet mortar
Joints are cleaned to depth and filled with a properly gauged wet mix, ironed off. Labour-intensive but long-lasting on stable paving.
- 02
Slurry-applied jointing compound
A flowable compound washed across the surface into the joints. Fast on large areas and effective where joints are consistent.
- 03
Brush-in resin jointing
Suitable where joints meet the minimum width and depth. Flexible, weed-resistant and quick.
- 04
Fix the bedding first
Where slabs rock, re-bedding those slabs comes before any pointing, otherwise the new joint cracks in the same place.
Cost and time on site
Indicative cost
Re-pointing is priced per square metre and is far cheaper than re-laying a patio.
Typical duration
Most domestic patios are re-pointed in one to two days, weather permitting.
Every quote is priced after seeing the site. Re-pointing now is a fraction of the cost of re-laying later.
Cracked patio pointing: common questions
- Why did my pointing crack within a year?
- Either it was dry-brushed sand and cement, or the slabs beneath are moving. Both are common and both need addressing before re-pointing.
- Is resin jointing better than mortar?
- It is faster, more flexible and resists weeds, but requires minimum joint dimensions. On wide, irregular natural stone joints, a wet mortar is often the better fit.
- Can pointing be done in winter?
- Not in frost. Most jointing products have a minimum application temperature and need a frost-free curing window.
- Does open pointing cause slabs to lift?
- Indirectly, yes. Open joints let water into the bedding, which then washes out or freezes - and that is what moves the slab.
Services that fix this
Related reading: Porcelain vs Sandstone: Which Patio Material Wins?
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