I’m hoping to have my driveway and garden path repaved in the next few months and am currently obtaining quotes from tradespeople, when they bother to turn up.
Initially I was hoping to have pattern impressed concrete but I cant find anyone locally who does it (I prefer to use local people when I can) and the cost I’ve had from others is prohibitive.
The most popular surface seems to be bonded resin but again quotes are prohibitively expensive. Block paving, however, seems to be much more reasonable.
So that was a load of guff for what is essentially quite a simple question. One guy who quoted said he lays block on top of cement dust instead of the usual sharp sand. He claims it’s more durable although I’ve never heard of this before.
Is this true or is it bollocks that should be ringing alarm bells?
To be fair to him he showed me a large portfolio of work he’d done and online reviews don’t seem to be anything but positive.
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Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
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I've done loads of block paving and it's a simple case of excavating to accommodate a minimum of 150mm MOT type 1 sub-base (for driveways (100mm for anything else)), 50mm of compacted bedding (sharp sand) and whatever the depth of the paver used. The edges are laid onto concrete and haunched to anchor. The joints are then filled with kiln-dried sand.
I have a friend who has a national pattern imprinted concrete business
pm me if you want to be put in contact
But, like I say he has rave reviews - although I guess these could be spoofed, and a large portfolio of work to show, at all stages of completion.
Some pictures he showed me clearly showed the cement dust being used so looks like he’s been doing it this way for a while.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
You're still going to need the MOT-1 sub-base,
I put my paving down on MOT-1 with quarry dust and a sandy concrete mix where needed, then sand for the fine gaps between slabs (I had them essentially touching).
I'd say it's six of one and two threes of the other tbh.
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Block paving has its issues I’ll admit but many other surfaces do too. The tarmac that’s currently there has weeds growing through it. The only surfaces which are less likely to suffer are bonded resin and concrete, both of which are much more expensive.
There is no 'H' in Aych, you know that don't you? ~ Wife
Turns out there is an H in Haych! ~ Sporky
Bit of trading feedback here.
Concrete, and pattern-imprinted concrete often need digging up when some underground services need replacing
There's a reason we have tarmac on the roads, it's hard wearing and easier to fix
I suspect the cheapest option would be to lay a reasonably solid foundation, then cover (possibly with membrane) and grit/gravel, as used by rural car parks everywhere
My Mrs keeps wanting to brush cement into the joins on our block paving
I've gone off block paving
I need to do our driveway next year (or more accurately pay someone else to do it) so this thread interests me.
I have no idea how much it should cost though.
Chances are that you'll probably get Crusher Run which is a cheap by-product of the crushing/sieving process, it's essentially any old shit that falls off the belt. It *can* be suitable for what you want but it's a complete gamble as to what the grading result is, this is why it's cheaper than T1SB.
Generally speaking for a random bloke off the street you might pay £20 per ton for T1SB, usually £8 for a regular client with haggling skills. The material that it's composed of is the most important factor - shit limestone can easily be crushed to smithereens whereas good stuff is pretty solid, depends on the quarry it's from. If in doubt you can ask for the specification sheet and look at the BSEN grading result and the LA result. Same goes for concrete, most reputable firms will have regular tests on any concrete mixed up.
If you have a preferred material type just ring up a local quarry, they don't turn business away. Most will let you collect if you have a trailer and a tarp (essential if it's a limestone quarry, you'll most likely be turned away if you don't have a tarp). Builder's merchants sell the same stuff but they'll have bought it in from the local quarry anyway.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7728/pavingfrontgardens.pdf
is says it must drain to somewhere permeable, or otherwise you need planning permission
Though we didn’t have the best blocks it seems, our neighbours had a slightly more gloss finish block which seems to have lasted much better.
im looking to do a driveway now, and would go with the block edges and tarmac or resin.
my mate has the printed concrete which looks good, but the slightest frost and it’s deadly.
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