laying driveway without MOT / hardcore etc Will it crack?
Discussion
Well, to be honest (I didn't really want to say!) the actual price went up to 7k. He was quoted 5k but said they starts putting the price up as the base (concrete etc) ended up getting deeper and deeper as they tried to even out the area, and also as (not shown) they raised it higher near the house so water would drain back towards the drain.
He paid about 1.5k for materials I believe.
I didn't say anything negative to him as don't want to make him feel bad.
He paid about 1.5k for materials I believe.
I didn't say anything negative to him as don't want to make him feel bad.
CoolHands said:
That's why I didn't want to tell you - you'll put your prices up! 
for every one like that at 7k theres a long line of idiots doing them for 2.5k. to an extent i have to compete, I'm just amazed people can get 7k for that and for that type of quality too, its shocking.OpulentBob said:
That slot drain isn't going to do a thing. As said above, very shoddy job. Give it a winter of vehicles driving on and off, the stones will be wobbling and breaking IMO. I'd go with a little bit of type 1 on a geo membrane. (eta not yours SP, yours looks spot on)
so i'm going to have to get bent over by one of these "pavers" at some point in the not too distant future!
Poor neighbours! That's gunna be a very bitter pill to swallow one day - in the not too distant future with parking cars on it! 
Always over-order by 10-15%, using the maximum size you measure. Running out & then bodging it with concrete like that is criminal on a ''long term'' feature of the house.
OP - I would absolutely ensure they have as much/all paperwork & documentation from it all so that in 6 months time they can at least vaguely try to go through Moneyclaim to get some back to have it re-done. Use the excuse of wanting to get it done, but wanting to ensure you get a builder which does it by the books....
Always over-order by 10-15%, using the maximum size you measure. Running out & then bodging it with concrete like that is criminal on a ''long term'' feature of the house.
OP - I would absolutely ensure they have as much/all paperwork & documentation from it all so that in 6 months time they can at least vaguely try to go through Moneyclaim to get some back to have it re-done. Use the excuse of wanting to get it done, but wanting to ensure you get a builder which does it by the books....
Finished mine last week.
Total cost
- £1250 in materials
- 6 weeks of weekends (had to pull down a garage first, bring levels up etc.)
- One knackered left knee.
It's not perfect but it's a million times better than what went before it. And its laid on a mix of the old patio, 250mm+ hardcore/crusher run to bring levels up (wackered to within an inch of its life), grit sand/cement full bed and sbr slurry under each flag.
That is an immense spec for simply a patio, I'm almost tempted to say overkill! Are you putting vehicles on there too, or was the mass of fill mainly to make levels work?
(That's not a criticism, by the way, it looks beautiful. But it looks like a huge amount of work in a week if it was just you. No wonder you've got a knackered knee!)
(That's not a criticism, by the way, it looks beautiful. But it looks like a huge amount of work in a week if it was just you. No wonder you've got a knackered knee!)
Cheers!
The old patio only really sat in the centre 3rd of the space - there was an old concrete section garage to the right and then a lower level patio to the left. The garage was knocked down and used to partially bring the level up on the left then the rest made up with hardcore. The old garage base had to be broken out too as it was too high so that left more to infill - I probably could have scabbled it down somehow but it had cracked to buggery so best to get rid. There now stands a lovely big shed on the left hand side.
I also put that fencing up too.
There was a LOT of barrowing through the house as the scaffolding down the side was in the way but once the donkey work was done getting the flags laid is fairly quick, large format ones at 900 x 600 so a faster lay I suppose.
No cars going on it as only accessible on foot. Probably is overkill but it's not going anywhere soon (I chuffing hope!).
Front drive next.
Not sure whether to block pave ot a mix of part golden gravel, part grass all retained in the plastic grids so can be parked on (room for 2 cars).
The old patio only really sat in the centre 3rd of the space - there was an old concrete section garage to the right and then a lower level patio to the left. The garage was knocked down and used to partially bring the level up on the left then the rest made up with hardcore. The old garage base had to be broken out too as it was too high so that left more to infill - I probably could have scabbled it down somehow but it had cracked to buggery so best to get rid. There now stands a lovely big shed on the left hand side.
I also put that fencing up too.
There was a LOT of barrowing through the house as the scaffolding down the side was in the way but once the donkey work was done getting the flags laid is fairly quick, large format ones at 900 x 600 so a faster lay I suppose.
No cars going on it as only accessible on foot. Probably is overkill but it's not going anywhere soon (I chuffing hope!).
Front drive next.
Not sure whether to block pave ot a mix of part golden gravel, part grass all retained in the plastic grids so can be parked on (room for 2 cars).
Edited by dave_s13 on Wednesday 7th June 10:05
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