Discussion
ghost83 said:
I'd have thought ppl would have added some cool driveway pics by now to give some inspiration
Come on ph
houzz is your best bet for housey stuffCome on ph
BERGS2 said:
Cheers for that just downloading the app,Won't block paving on concrete cause flooding and standing water issues
ghost83 said:
Cheers for that just downloading the app,
Won't block paving on concrete cause flooding and standing water issues
Id have thought so,the water on my drive soaks away very well with no standing water......another reason not to have imprinted concrete unless you have drainage channels but they soon block if you have local trees which i do.Won't block paving on concrete cause flooding and standing water issues
Before the block paving was done we had crazy paving......oh i hated that
blueveloce said:
Id have thought so,the water on my drive soaks away very well with no standing water......another reason not to have imprinted concrete unless you have drainage channels but they soon block if you have local trees which i do.
Before the block paving was done we had crazy paving......oh i hated that
Yeah I'm not going pattern imprinted, even after looking on that app and Pinterest nothing's jumping out at me atmBefore the block paving was done we had crazy paving......oh i hated that
It all comes down to costs, looks and maintenance. Block paving looks better than tarmac imo but you also need to maintain it, otherwise it will lose its look very quickly.
I went with tarmac on my drive with block paving edge. The 2 cars are about 2 ton and 2.5 ton and no issues, albeit only down 3 years.
Also 3 years ago, did block paving in a patio area. Pain to keep on top of it. 2 or 3 times a year I'll spend a full day cleaning it. Hasn't been done since April, and this is what 6 months of no maintenance does.
I can bring it back to 'as good as new' quite easily, I do it to stop it getting too bad, but you can't lay and ignore like you can with tarmac. Not much different prices for block paving v a good tarmac but as I say, it's a balance of costs, looks, and maintenance. A nice granite driveway would look amazing for example, but it'll certainly cost a fair bit.
I went with tarmac on my drive with block paving edge. The 2 cars are about 2 ton and 2.5 ton and no issues, albeit only down 3 years.
Also 3 years ago, did block paving in a patio area. Pain to keep on top of it. 2 or 3 times a year I'll spend a full day cleaning it. Hasn't been done since April, and this is what 6 months of no maintenance does.
I can bring it back to 'as good as new' quite easily, I do it to stop it getting too bad, but you can't lay and ignore like you can with tarmac. Not much different prices for block paving v a good tarmac but as I say, it's a balance of costs, looks, and maintenance. A nice granite driveway would look amazing for example, but it'll certainly cost a fair bit.
g7jtk said:
Block paving with a good thick layer of concrete beneath shouldn’t sink at all.
Maybe but blocks tend to 'bounce' on concrete. Blocks are best layed on cpmpacted sand on compacted stone with a good border - for good border read, house, garden wall, kerb or path edging well bedded etc..
TA14 said:
g7jtk said:
Block paving with a good thick layer of concrete beneath shouldn’t sink at all.
Maybe but blocks tend to 'bounce' on concrete. Blocks are best layed on cpmpacted sand on compacted stone with a good border - for good border read, house, garden wall, kerb or path edging well bedded etc..m3jappa said:
This is one of my favourite concrete block drives we install. Marshalls drivesett argent in dark with a light border.
Due to the extra aggregate on top they weather really well, better than pretty much any other concrete block imo. Joints are fairly tight so weeds not so much of an issue as opposed to tumbled blocks which due to having tumbled edges means more space for stuff to be trapped in and get more weeds.
Block paving is fine if done properly or if the ground doesn't having underlying ground movement issues.
Resin is nice but i wont be getting involved, too much to go wrong and too much to repair if it does. I've got a mate who does it and he's had to replace several jobs (fair play to him for replacing them?) at a cost of thousands. cracking, peeling, fading all stuff he mentions. He even had one recently where he used a plastic permeable crate underneath and the shape of the crates is now showing through.
It can't be done if its too hot, too cold or wet. So basically as a commercial interest in this country it isn't really that feasible imo. Everyone who does it is an expert, which is confusing as it hasn't been about that long and it appears everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. Everyones product is the best because of xyz. I expect to see a lot being ripped up in future. It can be a real good earner if everything goes well.
When i can afford to do mine one day ill probably use sawn granite blocks laid on a wet bed with a proper solid joint, basically modern day granite setts. But thats only because i can do it myself, doing that for a customer is no where near cheap hence why you don't see it a lot. I also park my fully loaded van on it which most people don't.
So job might be more than I thought, how much would something like that be on roughly 85sq meterDue to the extra aggregate on top they weather really well, better than pretty much any other concrete block imo. Joints are fairly tight so weeds not so much of an issue as opposed to tumbled blocks which due to having tumbled edges means more space for stuff to be trapped in and get more weeds.
Block paving is fine if done properly or if the ground doesn't having underlying ground movement issues.
Resin is nice but i wont be getting involved, too much to go wrong and too much to repair if it does. I've got a mate who does it and he's had to replace several jobs (fair play to him for replacing them?) at a cost of thousands. cracking, peeling, fading all stuff he mentions. He even had one recently where he used a plastic permeable crate underneath and the shape of the crates is now showing through.
It can't be done if its too hot, too cold or wet. So basically as a commercial interest in this country it isn't really that feasible imo. Everyone who does it is an expert, which is confusing as it hasn't been about that long and it appears everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. Everyones product is the best because of xyz. I expect to see a lot being ripped up in future. It can be a real good earner if everything goes well.
When i can afford to do mine one day ill probably use sawn granite blocks laid on a wet bed with a proper solid joint, basically modern day granite setts. But thats only because i can do it myself, doing that for a customer is no where near cheap hence why you don't see it a lot. I also park my fully loaded van on it which most people don't.
Here's our driveway at the moment. It could be an in and out, but I'd rather keep some sort of pretty garden in front of the bay window, so am actually going to do two driveways: one in front of the front door where that skip is, and one on the right had side of the house that has space for 3 cars parked end to end, one under a garage/car port tacked onto the side of the house.
Both had hardstanding but this has crumbled and been grown through at the front of the house. It is relatively intact down the right hand side of the house.
Having been burgled twice in recent months, I'd like gravel, as burglars aren't too keen on the stuff. It is also cheap, so good as the rest of this renovation is burning my cash at the moment. Probably a grey marble or similar, rather than the traditional multicoloured stuff.
Had block paving at my old house (1930s), and it was practical and suited the house, but I don't really like the look of it in front of Victorian houses.
Gravel is a pig if you actually want to use the driveway for anything but parking, though e.g working on cars. I think I will keep the hardstanding that already exists down the side of the house (where carport/garage will be, and gravel the front.
We will also need an iron fence and two sets of gates, preferably electric. I am sure that this will require selling a kidney.
Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr
Both had hardstanding but this has crumbled and been grown through at the front of the house. It is relatively intact down the right hand side of the house.
Having been burgled twice in recent months, I'd like gravel, as burglars aren't too keen on the stuff. It is also cheap, so good as the rest of this renovation is burning my cash at the moment. Probably a grey marble or similar, rather than the traditional multicoloured stuff.
Had block paving at my old house (1930s), and it was practical and suited the house, but I don't really like the look of it in front of Victorian houses.
Gravel is a pig if you actually want to use the driveway for anything but parking, though e.g working on cars. I think I will keep the hardstanding that already exists down the side of the house (where carport/garage will be, and gravel the front.
We will also need an iron fence and two sets of gates, preferably electric. I am sure that this will require selling a kidney.
Untitled by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Monday 6th November 12:08
m3jappa said:
This is one of my favourite concrete block drives we install. Marshalls drivesett argent in dark with a light border.
Due to the extra aggregate on top they weather really well, better than pretty much any other concrete block imo. Joints are fairly tight so weeds not so much of an issue as opposed to tumbled blocks which due to having tumbled edges means more space for stuff to be trapped in and get more weeds.
Block paving is fine if done properly or if the ground doesn't having underlying ground movement issues.
A 3t digger is arriving this afternoon in preparation for our driveway, and this is the nearly identical pattern and colour to what we have chosen. We are on bedrock so movement shouldn't be an issue, but a concrete base is going down to level it first. We've got about 100sqm depending on how big the borders and beds are going to be - once it's scraped this week we need to decide on the outline. Due to the extra aggregate on top they weather really well, better than pretty much any other concrete block imo. Joints are fairly tight so weeds not so much of an issue as opposed to tumbled blocks which due to having tumbled edges means more space for stuff to be trapped in and get more weeds.
Block paving is fine if done properly or if the ground doesn't having underlying ground movement issues.
We had the same warnings about resin, and given the size, tarmac would look a bit harsh and imposing.
My experiences with different types of driveway construction of the years has taught me a few things, namely :
A. Do you have any trees overhanging or close by, or any kind of foliage that will shed or otherwise end up on the ground?
B. How much time do you want to dedicate to maintaining it?
If you have trees/leaves/foliage then forget gravel and block paving. Gravel turns into a horrible goop of rotted leaves, twigs and starts growing its own weeds which is the point where your previous love of gravel turns to hate, oh and every cat in your town will come to use your lovely gravel as a giant litter tray. Block paving requires weekly maintenance if you're under trees as the tree sap goop from when it rains collects in the cracks between your blocks then seeds that blow about start growing weeds and grass in them. If the driveway is on the north side of your house and spends much of its time in the shade AND you have trees nearby then you'll also have moss to deal with which quickly takes a foothold if you neglect on regular maintenance.
Block paving and gravel are fine if there aren't any trees within quarter of a mile and no hedges. Even then, block paving still requires fairly regular maintenance to keep it looking tiptop and I can tell you from experience that using a Karcher jetwash (or similar) to blast the crud away is not as easy as it sounds as you get absolutely covered in all the crap when the jet hits the edges of the paving stones!
Tarmac and concrete are your safe bets - particularly if you have trees nearby - as they're both comparatively easy to keep clean and free of crud. You can get both in different colours so don't let their default colours put you off. Also note that moss likes to grow on tarmac in damp, shaded areas if there are trees overhanging but it's much easier to keep on top of than blocks.
Also don't rule out paving slabs as an option. Easy to maintain and you can add small areas of block paving to give it a bit of detail if you want. I had something very similar to this at my last place which was under a large oak tree and it was a piece of piss to maintain and keep looking decent. Just be mindful of vehicle weights as some slab designs are too thin and unsuitable.
A. Do you have any trees overhanging or close by, or any kind of foliage that will shed or otherwise end up on the ground?
B. How much time do you want to dedicate to maintaining it?
If you have trees/leaves/foliage then forget gravel and block paving. Gravel turns into a horrible goop of rotted leaves, twigs and starts growing its own weeds which is the point where your previous love of gravel turns to hate, oh and every cat in your town will come to use your lovely gravel as a giant litter tray. Block paving requires weekly maintenance if you're under trees as the tree sap goop from when it rains collects in the cracks between your blocks then seeds that blow about start growing weeds and grass in them. If the driveway is on the north side of your house and spends much of its time in the shade AND you have trees nearby then you'll also have moss to deal with which quickly takes a foothold if you neglect on regular maintenance.
Block paving and gravel are fine if there aren't any trees within quarter of a mile and no hedges. Even then, block paving still requires fairly regular maintenance to keep it looking tiptop and I can tell you from experience that using a Karcher jetwash (or similar) to blast the crud away is not as easy as it sounds as you get absolutely covered in all the crap when the jet hits the edges of the paving stones!
Tarmac and concrete are your safe bets - particularly if you have trees nearby - as they're both comparatively easy to keep clean and free of crud. You can get both in different colours so don't let their default colours put you off. Also note that moss likes to grow on tarmac in damp, shaded areas if there are trees overhanging but it's much easier to keep on top of than blocks.
Also don't rule out paving slabs as an option. Easy to maintain and you can add small areas of block paving to give it a bit of detail if you want. I had something very similar to this at my last place which was under a large oak tree and it was a piece of piss to maintain and keep looking decent. Just be mindful of vehicle weights as some slab designs are too thin and unsuitable.
Yorkshire resin company are coming to quote on Wednesday morning,
I reckon they're going to say between 7000/10000 which might make me wait till late next year or year after,
It has to be as maintainance free as possible but still look impressive, I like that granite sett BUT would a dark drive suit my house? I was hoping for something fairly bright so when you see it you go wow rather than thinking it looks dull
I reckon they're going to say between 7000/10000 which might make me wait till late next year or year after,
It has to be as maintainance free as possible but still look impressive, I like that granite sett BUT would a dark drive suit my house? I was hoping for something fairly bright so when you see it you go wow rather than thinking it looks dull
Could you lay blocks or granite setts on top of Tarmac so thee would be no standing water issues?
I'm liking the look of these granite setts
These 2 driveways look nice if you had a nice border
So over 85 sq meters and then an extra 10sq meter down my side path how much is it going to cost me?
I'm liking the look of these granite setts
These 2 driveways look nice if you had a nice border
So over 85 sq meters and then an extra 10sq meter down my side path how much is it going to cost me?
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