Driveways

Author
Discussion

Evanivitch

19,803 posts

121 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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Reading this thread with interest.

Current driveway is 45sqm of sound concrete. It was never dressed though, and appears to have just been the cheapest thing at the time. I'm told it's significantly thick by another neighbour that had his ripped up for block paving.

The other issue is my driveway has a considerable downward slope towards the house, making access for many cars difficult as the transition to the pavement is poor. So it'll need considerable reprofiling.

I've dismissed block, but I think I'll get a quote because resin and tarmac haven't come in particularly cheap, and I have questions about the durability of the former and dislike the latter.

Ted2

567 posts

77 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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Ref the concrete driveway pics a few posts back -

Those look particularly bad because there's nothing else going on and so they stand out a mile. I've seen plenty of nice concrete driveways over here that look great, usually because the owner adds some vibrant coloured shrubbery around the edges or some other features to break up the "wall" of concrete.

g3org3y

20,606 posts

190 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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PositronicRay said:
What a lovely view. coolsmile

sooty61

686 posts

170 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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ghost83 said:
Apart from the water issue does it look nice?

Any pics?
This is the only photo I have and the cars are on it but you can see the colour. We are pleased with the overall look despite some minor niggles with attention to detail. One of the companies who came round, measured up but never bothered to quote thought he was very artistic and that grey was the best colour to go for but I prefer this. The guy who actually did it made it up as he went along so we had to stop him on three or four times to rip it up and start again. He was such an arrogant prick I was pleased to see the back of him .



PositronicRay

26,957 posts

182 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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sooty61 said:
ghost83 said:
Apart from the water issue does it look nice?

Any pics?
This is the only photo I have and the cars are on it but you can see the colour. We are pleased with the overall look despite some minor niggles with attention to detail. One of the companies who came round, measured up but never bothered to quote thought he was very artistic and that grey was the best colour to go for but I prefer this. The guy who actually did it made it up as he went along so we had to stop him on three or four times to rip it up and start again. He was such an arrogant prick I was pleased to see the back of him .


That looks good but around £200 sqm? Is that right?

sooty61

686 posts

170 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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PositronicRay said:
That looks good but around £200 sqm? Is that right?
£190 so yes - seems to be the going rate in London/Surrey. I had 2 quotes and this was slightly less until he added on a new soak away (i.e. dug a bigger hole) and charged me another £750. Two others came round - one I never heard from and the other didn't want to quote - so frustrating dealing with these people. At our last house we had the drive done a couple of times and the last one was a local company who have been around the area a long time (they don't seem to "travel") and they did a better job than this guy and would probably have been cheaper. Live and learn...

ghost83

Original Poster:

5,476 posts

189 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
quotequote all
sooty61 said:
This is the only photo I have and the cars are on it but you can see the colour. We are pleased with the overall look despite some minor niggles with attention to detail. One of the companies who came round, measured up but never bothered to quote thought he was very artistic and that grey was the best colour to go for but I prefer this. The guy who actually did it made it up as he went along so we had to stop him on three or four times to rip it up and start again. He was such an arrogant prick I was pleased to see the back of him .


Looks nice that, fitting for the house shame you're having problems

m3jappa

6,391 posts

217 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
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£200 a meter! wow! i need to be moving to surrey. Half that in essex is considered expensive (which for a proper job isn't btw).

Btw, ghost that picture you asked if it was granite setts, no it was the argent blocks i mentioned.

ghost83

Original Poster:

5,476 posts

189 months

Saturday 11th November 2017
quotequote all
m3jappa said:
£200 a meter! wow! i need to be moving to surrey. Half that in essex is considered expensive (which for a proper job isn't btw).

Btw, ghost that picture you asked if it was granite setts, no it was the argent blocks i mentioned.
Looks stunning, your work looks amazing mate

m3jappa

6,391 posts

217 months

Sunday 12th November 2017
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Thanks mate, i do try smile

ghost83

Original Poster:

5,476 posts

189 months

Wednesday 15th November 2017
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If I get the blocks or dawn granite

What sort of labour price do I want to be paying? Don't want to get ripped off!

I found out previous owner only paid £1,100 for the current drive back in 1990 lol


shedweller

545 posts

110 months

Wednesday 15th November 2017
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Some nice work on this thread.......I have done a few with quartzite tiles (very thick) now and that will be what I choose to do mine with when the time comes.

No pics because I'm poor at documenting our work but it looks great in most properties and if you buy from the right places it can be well priced comparatively.

m3jappa

6,391 posts

217 months

Wednesday 15th November 2017
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ghost83 said:
If I get the blocks or dawn granite

What sort of labour price do I want to be paying? Don't want to get ripped off!

I found out previous owner only paid £1,100 for the current drive back in 1990 lol
Very difficult to say, prices differ up and down the country due to material costs, overheads and living costs. Lots more overheads in this type of work as opposed to say a plasterer or bricky for example. Also the blocks are a small part (depending on what type of block) dig out and base costs can sometimes be more than the blocks themselves.

ghost83

Original Poster:

5,476 posts

189 months

Monday 20th November 2017
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Just as a little update: they rang me today to see if I want to go ahead I told them my concerns and I was shopping around and they offered to knock a grand off the price instantly! This has annoyed me somewhat and rly does my head in! If they can do it at that price in the first place why try and rip off furious

So I've decided to follow advice on here and either go for the argent blocks or save for the sawn granite, if I go that route I'd have to buy the blocks over time then get someone to come and fit them

TA14

12,722 posts

257 months

Monday 20th November 2017
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It looks like there'd be a fair bit of digging for the path round the side of the house. Why not do that first? Do you want a mini retaining wall or a steeper slope?

ghost83

Original Poster:

5,476 posts

189 months

Monday 20th November 2017
quotequote all
TA14 said:
It looks like there'd be a fair bit of digging for the path round the side of the house. Why not do that first? Do you want a mini retaining wall or a steeper slope?
yeah thats whats happening hence why I'm getting quotes based on the drawings, but they won't be doing resin down the path that will be nice paving

davgar

347 posts

96 months

Monday 20th November 2017
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Any downsides of having a new driveway ( blocks) laid over winter months. (clay soil)

GTIAlex

1,935 posts

165 months

Monday 20th November 2017
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We have a gravel drive and love it.
Great for working on the cars and looks good in the right setting but most of the houses in our street are gravel as well.


Why dont more people consider gravel?



TA14

12,722 posts

257 months

Monday 20th November 2017
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davgar said:
Any downsides of having a new driveway ( blocks) laid over winter months. (clay soil)
When clay gets wet it gets soft and can cause settlement. It dries out quickly in the summer but not in the winter. If it's dry weather you're OK. If it gets wet you need to do a quick skim and get the stone down fast then compact it before that gets wet. A good contractor can cope.

northwest monkey

6,370 posts

188 months

Monday 20th November 2017
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GTIAlex said:
We have a gravel drive and love it.
Great for working on the cars and looks good in the right setting but most of the houses in our street are gravel as well.


Why dont more people consider gravel?
I would have thought gravel was the worst surface for working on cars?

Bloody PITA if you ever drop anything on it.