Lowest maintenance driveway
Discussion
Hello. Fed up with gravel, looks crap and patch and the weeds are incessant.
It's 90 square metres approx.
What are the alternatives that require low / no maintenance?
I don't mind having it jetwashed yearly or similar but don't want something that needs re-sanding, repointing that sort of work
Resin looks good, are there any downsides?
What about that printed concrete that creates texture like pavers?
It's 90 square metres approx.
What are the alternatives that require low / no maintenance?
I don't mind having it jetwashed yearly or similar but don't want something that needs re-sanding, repointing that sort of work
Resin looks good, are there any downsides?
What about that printed concrete that creates texture like pavers?
Tarmac. Apart from fading ours has been faultless. You need to request the best smallest grained tarmac for it to look good.
Anything with cracks will get weeds.
Anything coated ie printed concrete in the case of my parents drive seems to need regular recoating with the slipperiest shiny paint known to science. Apparently if you don’t, it’ll eventually flake.
Anything with cracks will get weeds.
Anything coated ie printed concrete in the case of my parents drive seems to need regular recoating with the slipperiest shiny paint known to science. Apparently if you don’t, it’ll eventually flake.
stemll said:
The lowest maintenance by a country mile is tarmac. Not fashionable but eminently functional and mine is 29 years old and is only just starting to turn a bit green having never been cleaned in that time.
There's no other answer. Even the 1 inch of tarmac the developers put down on my parents drive is looking ok. It's had 1 coat of black driveway seal in that time but that was purely for cosmetics.
We have imprinted driveway from a it 17 years ago and it's brilliant for us. It was black and some parts are fading to dark grey and 1 crack but otherwise no issues. Since we moved here 13 years ago,, zero maintenance. I dint even jet wash it and looks OK. Only downside is that if ever you need to dig it up then it's PITA...
Tarmac 100%. My 80 year old mother needed a new drive and wanted block paving, I talked her out of it as yours truly would have got the job of cleaning and weeding it, she settled for tarmac with a block paving border, 5 years later its never been touched and still looks brand new. It does need protection if using a jack though. I need a new drive, but its 8m wide and think it will be too much tarmac, although I know I will regret block paving in a few years time.
I have a large (Eight car) Marshalls block paved drive that was put down professionally, (MOT1) etc.
In a small area it has gone wonky donkey, sunken and wavey, which I will get rectified soon, but small weeds have always been a problem, so I have to keep on top of them, which I do with very strong Glyphosate.
In other words, it looks very nice but is not maintenance free by any means
In a small area it has gone wonky donkey, sunken and wavey, which I will get rectified soon, but small weeds have always been a problem, so I have to keep on top of them, which I do with very strong Glyphosate.
In other words, it looks very nice but is not maintenance free by any means
ARHarh said:
Concrete. Just poor some BAC50 over if once a year. Can jack up cars on it without and damage, won't sink or move, cheap to install. Only downsides are it looks pants, and the neighbours wont be impressed by your lovely new drive.
Polished concrete can look good. What the yanks tend to do it seems. Little Lofty said:
Tarmac 100%. It does need protection if using a jack though. I need a new drive, but its 8m wide and think it will be too much tarmac, although I know I will regret block paving in a few years time.
Split it into two with block paving work some block paving jacking points into the design.Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff