Repointing paving, setts & stone driveways
In short
Raking out failed mortar joints in stone, sett and flag paving and repointing them properly — with a mortar that suits the stone, or a resin jointing compound where that is the better answer. Failed pointing is nearly always a specification problem rather than an age problem.
Also called: Repoint paving joints · Failed pointing driveway · Mortar joints cracking · Resin jointing compound
Signs you need this
- Mortar joints cracked, crumbling or missing altogether
- Weeds and moss established along the joint lines
- Setts or flags that have started to rock or lift
- Water standing in open joints after rain
- Spalled, crumbling edges on old flags where hard mortar was used
- A stone drive that has been repointed before and failed again
Pointing on a driveway does more than look tidy. It stops water getting under the units and into the bed, it stops individual pieces working loose, and it takes some of the load transfer between them. When it fails, water gets into the bedding, frost lifts the units, and what was a pointing job becomes a relaying job. It is worth dealing with while it is still the former.
Almost all failed pointing failed for one of three reasons, and none of them is simply age. The joints were too narrow to be filled and compacted properly — anything under about 5mm cannot be pointed reliably. The mortar was too weak, or was a dry sand-and-cement mix brushed in and watered, which never develops strength. Or the mortar was too strong for the stone, which on soft or reclaimed stone means the movement gets taken out on the edges of the units and the arrises spall away.
That last point deserves emphasis on old work. A hard modern cement mortar against soft old sandstone or Yorkstone is actively destructive: the mortar is stronger than the stone, so every bit of thermal and structural movement damages the stone rather than the joint. A lime-based mortar at a strength suited to the stone is the correct answer on old paving, and it is both technically right and visually right.
Resin jointing compounds are the modern alternative and, on the right job, an excellent one. A two-part or moisture-cured resin mortar is brushed into wet joints, works down and cures into a flexible, permanent, weed-proof fill. It is far quicker than hand pointing, it tolerates joint movement better than cement, and it is well suited to sett work and to driveway paving. It needs joints of a minimum width and depth, and it needs laying in the right conditions, so it is not universal.
Preparation decides the result on either system. Failed material is raked out to a proper depth — generally at least the joint width and often more — rather than skimmed over. Loose material, moss and vegetation are removed. The joints are cleaned and, for resin, thoroughly wetted. Pointing over old failed mortar is the commonest shortcut and it buys about one winter.
There is a seasonal point worth respecting. Neither cement mortar nor resin compound is happy in frost or heavy rain, and repointing done into a cold, wet joint will not develop strength. Around here that window is genuinely narrower than on the Cheshire plain — Buxton records 51.5 air-frost days a year against 40.0 at low-lying Woodford, and much of the patch east of town sits well above it. Waiting for a settled spell is a real quality decision rather than a delaying tactic.
What the job covers
- Failed material raked out to a proper depth, not skimmed over
- Moss, vegetation and loose debris cleared from every joint
- Mortar specified to suit the stone — lime on soft or reclaimed work
- Resin jointing compound used where it is the better answer
- Joints filled and compacted properly rather than brushed in dry
- Loose or rocking units relaid on a proper bed while access is open
- Work timed for settled weather so the joints actually cure
- Surface cleaned down on completion
What it costs
We don't publish a price for this yet, because a number pulled out of the air is worse than no number at all — your contractor has to honour it. On driveways it would also be close to meaningless: the groundworks are usually the biggest single factor, and how deep the dig has to go varies enormously house to house. You'll get a firm price for your actual job when they ring you back, before any work starts. The quote itself is free and there's no obligation either way.
Common questions
Why does my pointing keep failing?
Usually because the joints are too narrow to fill properly, or because a dry sand-and-cement mix was brushed in and watered, which never gains strength. On old paving it can also be that a mortar too hard for the stone was used, in which case the joints survive and the stone edges break up instead. Age alone rarely explains it.
Is resin jointing better than mortar?
On many driveway jobs, yes — it is flexible, permanent, weed-proof and far quicker. It needs joints of a minimum width and depth and the right laying conditions. On soft, historic or listed stonework a lime mortar is usually the correct answer both technically and visually, so it is not a universal replacement.
Can I just brush new mortar over the old joints?
It buys a winter. Pointing has to be raked out to a proper depth and the joint cleaned, or the new material has nothing to bond to and sits as a thin skin over failed mortar. The raking out is the bulk of the labour, which is why a suspiciously quick repointing quote is usually quoting for the skim.
What time of year should repointing be done?
A settled, mild, dry spell. Neither cement nor resin cures properly into cold, wet joints, and frost on green mortar ruins it. Spring through early autumn is the sensible window, and it is worth waiting for. On the high ground east of the town that window is genuinely shorter than in the Cheshire lowlands.
Need this doing in Macclesfield?
Tell us the job and it goes straight to our local contractor — one call back, usually the same day. Free quote, no obligation.