Which mortar or grout to use for brick floor?

[LizzieCro]

Hi Everyone,

In a couple of weeks I’m going to be installing a brick floor in my onsite caravan annexe. They are real, solid, ordinary bricks. It has an existing concrete slab, which needs a couple of spots levelled out. I’ll Ardit those, then roll a coat of Bondcrete over the entire floor. I’ll be using a masonry adhesive to attach the bricks. I was wondering what would be the best type of filler for the gaps? I’m thinking a cement sand mix might be OK, made into a slurry so it gets right into the gaps. I’m certainly open to suggestions. 
I’d be very grateful for any advice.

Thanks very much.

[EricL]

Hi @LizzieCro 

Thanks for sharing your question about filling in the gaps of your brick floor. If it is going to be exposed to wind and rain, I suggest using the sand and cement mix. It will provide a more robust seal to your bricks. Even in the harshest it will weather the storm and not get easily washed away.

Here is a handy step-by-step guide:  How to pave a pathway (the technique used in the end shows how to mix and spread the sand and cement mix.)

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[LizzieCro]

Hi Eric,

Thanks very much. It won’t be exposed to any weather as it’s inside a room. Shall I still just use the same cement sand stuff? It won’t hurt, I know, but am just wondering if there’s something better suited for the purpose.

Thank you.

[EricL]

Hi @LizzieCro 

If your not keen on the sand and cement the only other products that come to mind are the Dingo 20kg Powerloc Paving Sand and the Brunnings 20kg Landscape Paver Sand. These sand products will go in between your brick floor and will eventually be worn away and will need to be refilled at some point.

Would it be possible for you to post a photo of the brick you'll be using? This will give our members a chance to assess the brick. We can then make further recommendations regarding a filler for your brick flooring.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[LizzieCro]

Thanks Eric. Sand products are definitely out of the question. It’d just dislodge and the bricks will need the stabilising effect of some sort of hard mortar. I don’t have photos of the bricks, but they’re a dense, hard-edged brick, not sand stock type.

[EricL]

Hi @LizzieCro 

I just wanted to find out if they were porous or had a solid flat surface. Using grout on a porous surface will stain the surface of the brick as you spread the grout. It will be impossible to remove as the grout will travel into the pores of the brick.

Eric

[LizzieCro]

Thanks Eric. They are very dense. Sounds like the sand and cement mix will be the choice. I just thought there may be some other sort I wasn’t aware of. It should be fine. Thanks for your suggestions.

[neil_roberts_au]

Hi

i have an old  brick paved floor under cover in garage 

assume it has had sand prior 

but need to refill 

looking around looks like sand / cement mix was  used in area where still good 

 

so I’m guessing sand/cement mix per your comments above 

OR 

can I use acrylic render (as I have 1/2 a bag)

OR

can u buy small bags of premixed sand / cement ?

PS looks like the bricks are just laid on dirt (not concrete anyway) as u can see some sinking and movement has occurred 

thank you 

see photos 

[neil_roberts_au]

Yeah just sand underneath  

[EricL]

Hello @neil_roberts_au 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's wonderful to have you join us.

I'm not sure if render will be strong enough to hold the weight of the bricks. However, the good news is that a smaller bag of mortar mix is available. It's called the Dingo 10kg Mortar Mix. I believe this will be more than enough for you to make repairs.

The best part is that all you need to add is water. There is no need to add any other item to the mix.

Please remember to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when working on your project. 

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your bricks repaired.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric