# Driveway surface..



## potsy (31 Jan 2022)

Hi all, looking at finally getting my drive re-surfaced and was wondering what the CC gang would recommend I do with it..
Its only a 5x5 metre space, so enough for 2 cars, just. 

Originally fancied block paving, but I keep seeing resin and imprinted concrete ones that look very nice for a lot less cash... 

Any pros and cons of any of those I should know about? 

Cheers.


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## Dave7 (31 Jan 2022)

potsy said:


> Hi all, looking at finally getting my drive re-surfaced and was wondering what the CC gang would recommend I do with it..
> Its only a 5x5 metre space, so enough for 2 cars, just.
> 
> Originally fancied block paving, but I keep seeing resin and imprinted concrete ones that look very nice for a lot less cash...
> ...


Most of the block paving drives I see on my walks have weeds growing through the 'gaps'.
I like some of the resin/printcrete I see, very nice. Some of them look slippery though.
I have always like black tarmac with red bits in..... just appeals to me.


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## annedonnelly (31 Jan 2022)

My neighbours got a resin one when they moved in two years ago. It looked smart enough that passers by took photos. Still looks pretty good now though it has a few marks on it. They get a lot of water lying when we have heavy rain but it seems to drain fairly quickly. 

Puts mine to shame, but I use the gravel edges of mine as a rockery to get more plants into the garden for the bees and other insects.


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## Brandane (31 Jan 2022)

Dave7 said:


> Most of the block paving drives I see on my walks have weeds growing through the 'gaps'.



This. I used to work as handyman at a care home which had a large area of patio done in block paving. It was a complete and utter PITA to keep it looking good. See a lot of block paving drives where the weight of cars has caused the blocks repeatedly driven over by cars to form a slightly sunken trench for water to gather in. That's probably down to poor workmanship, but you're not going to know for a year or two. By which time Bodgit and Scarper will be trading under a new name.


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## fossyant (31 Jan 2022)

Seeing how bad my neighbour's block pave gets, don't bother - he's even lifted the lot, cleaned and replaced, only for the jungle of weeds to be back within a year.

Other option, tarmac edged with a single strip of block paving ? That's what my folks are doing this year, and it's a 3 car drive.

We've got tarmac, and it's been pretty good. I re-painted it with driveway paint this year and it's come up like new. Cost to repaint was less than £40


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## raleighnut (31 Jan 2022)

Any 'hard surface' will not allow water to drain unless provision is made i.e. a slope to a 'soakaway' or a drainage channel.


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## potsy (31 Jan 2022)

fossyant said:


> Seeing how bad my neighbour's block pave gets, don't bother - he's even lifted the lot, cleaned and replaced, only for the jungle of weeds to be back within a year.
> 
> Other option, tarmac edged with a single strip of block paving ? That's what my folks are doing this year, and it's a 3 car drive.
> 
> We've got tarmac, and it's been pretty good. I re-painted it with driveway paint this year and it's come up like new. Cost to repaint was less than £40


The tarmac with edging is another option I am considering, good to know its a decent one. 

Knowing my lack of aftercare with most things, I will be looking at something I can forget about for a few years


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## potsy (31 Jan 2022)

raleighnut said:


> Any 'hard surface' will not allow water to drain unless provision is made i.e. a slope to a 'soakaway' or a drainage channel.


The drive slopes towards the house so was thinking of having a drain to hopefully keep things dry, will discuss options once I decide on a surface


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## bagpuss (31 Jan 2022)

What ever surface you have its all down to the quality of workmanship in putting it down and follow on maintance .
Our tramac has been down 25 ish years .It has never cracked etc . Ok it has lost its colour , but hey it is for standing a car on . Once the cars on it I cannot see it . The said company laid the back yard at the same time . Apart from the odd jet washing over the years it still looks good .
As with all thing you get what you pay for . Ask for details of their work in your area .


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## ebikeerwidnes (31 Jan 2022)

We have Indian Stone - which is OK as long as it is laid properly
AT one bit the slabs were not perfectly lais and became loose - and cracked pretty quickly then - the bloke next door knows about this stuff (he owns a property maintenance company) and says they are brittle and have to be done well or crack easily
They also grow moss and stuff - but I have found some stuff by a company called Smart Seal that cleans them up - but it does need a good going over with a power washer a couple of times a year - or more - as well

The bloke who owns the property maintenance company has a resin drive which was new when we moved in - 7 years later it still looks good and he does very little with it
Only problem with that is that if it needs to be dug up in one small area then it can;t really be put back to look the same without redoing the whole thing
As our drives go over some cables and stuff this is a risk - but it does look good


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## T4tomo (31 Jan 2022)

Border with blockpaving or similar and cover with membrane and pea shingle


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## fossyant (31 Jan 2022)

bagpuss said:


> What ever surface you have its all down to the quality of workmanship in putting it down and follow on maintance .
> Our tramac has been down 25 ish years .It has never cracked etc . Ok it has lost its colour , but hey it is for standing a car on . Once the cars on it I cannot see it . The said company laid the back yard at the same time . Apart from the odd jet washing over the years it still looks good .
> As with all thing you get what you pay for . Ask for details of their work in your area .



Ours is 26 years old, but was looking rather messy as there had been a few 'engine' oils spilt on the drive by my son and his mates. 2 tins of tarmac paint from Wickes and it looks like new. It also seals the surface so you aren't losing 'stones' from it again, and it resists oil spils.


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## DCLane (31 Jan 2022)

We're in a similar position; a mixture of 25 year-old tarmac, some slabs, a bit of concrete and a gravel section which currently can take 3 cars at a squeeze. The intention's to replace all this whilst slightly widening it but again it's on a slight slope.

SWMBO will get people in to quote, but if they don't consider a drain/soakaway then they'll be automatically excluded.


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## T4tomo (31 Jan 2022)

You defo need a grid & soakaway, especially if it slopes towards the house!


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## MontyVeda (31 Jan 2022)

My next door neighbour is very fussy about his driveway. He's had several paved driveways, which inevitably had weeds and moss occupying the gaps and he'd spend half his summer trying to get rid of them, before spending a small fortune on a 'better' driveway, which was paved again and soon had the same problems as the other paved one regardless of what miracle stuff the pavers claimed they're putting between the paving. 

Then about five or seven years ago he splashed out on imprinted concrete and he's much happier. Looks dapper too.


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## MontyVeda (31 Jan 2022)

bagpuss said:


> What ever surface you have its all down to the quality of workmanship in putting it down and follow on maintance .
> Our tramac has been down 25 ish years .It has never cracked etc . Ok it has lost its colour , but hey it is for standing a car on . Once the cars on it I cannot see it . The said company laid the back yard at the same time . Apart from the odd jet washing over the years it still looks good .
> As with all thing you get what you pay for . Ask for details of their work in your area .


also bear in mind what's growing nearby... tree roots can be a bugger, regardless of how well the surface has been laid.


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## PK99 (31 Jan 2022)

potsy said:


> Hi all, looking at finally getting my drive re-surfaced and was wondering what the CC gang would recommend I do with it..
> Its only a 5x5 metre space, so enough for 2 cars, just.
> 
> Originally fancied block paving, but I keep seeing resin and imprinted concrete ones that look very nice for a lot less cash...
> ...



Whatever the paving material it must be SUDS compliant [essentially any new or replacement driveway over 5m^2 MUST NOT drain onto the roadway without a full planning application].: It MUST be Either porous to allow through draining or have a catch drain and soakaway within the garden or laid to falls within the garden. It cannot drain to the foul or surface drainage systems,

Existing driveways have "grandfather rights" but these lapse if the area is repaved.

Friends have just had a new SUDS compliant block drive - Poruous base layer and blocks with nibs giving a wide sharp-gravel filled gap. Already (6 months) weed seedlings are sprouting in the wide gaps.


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## roadrash (31 Jan 2022)

Gaps mean weeds whatever the surface, tarmac, done properly or imprinted concrete would be the only choices for me


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## si_c (31 Jan 2022)

One of my friends is in the process of getting an imprinted concrete driveway, looks really good so far. From what I understand he's also getting a polymer coating on top too so the concrete doesn't pick up any oil or other stains.


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## vickster (31 Jan 2022)

Weeds are all God's little plants too


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## CXRAndy (31 Jan 2022)

potsy said:


> The drive slopes towards the house so was thinking of having a drain to hopefully keep things dry, will discuss options once I decide on a surface


You'd better put in proper drainage to protect your house!

A wall constantly wetted, will lead to rising damp, brick erosion from frost jacking. Ensure the water is taken completely away from the house. Consider installing a soak away furthest point from house. 

Or consider a top dressing that allows water to soak through.


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## Once a Wheeler (31 Jan 2022)

Have you thought about Grasscrete?





Basically, concrete blocks with a pattern pierced right through them. Dig out to lay the blocks, fill the voids with earth, plant with grass seed, maintain with a Strimmer. The great advantage is that it lets rain water through so your surrounding plants and trees do not suddenly find themselves in drought conditions. It also helps the overall environment in keeping the ground water where it should be — in the ground — and not contributing to potential flooding. Worth considering.


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## DCLane (31 Jan 2022)

@Once a Wheeler - it appeals to the environmentalist in me, and they're local. But ... I can't get an idea of cost and I'm sure it wouldn't help the probable future house sale (although that'll be a bit longer since SWMBO isn't keen on moving just yet) since the likely buyers of my house will want a 'proper' drive.


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## Arrowfoot (31 Jan 2022)

You can bind block pavers with polymeric sand. Its looks like sand but it hardens. The pavers can't move and there are no space for weeds to take root.


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## jowwy (31 Jan 2022)

Arrowfoot said:


> You can bind block pavers with polymeric sand. Its looks like sand but it hardens. The pavers can't move and there are no space for weeds to take root.


ive just bought some for the paving stones down the side of my house, leading to the back garden.


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## MrGrumpy (31 Jan 2022)

Just had my drive redone in block paving. The old paving was not bad little weeds in it . If done correctly new blocked drive should last a couple of decades at least. Did think about a resin drive but I’m not sure how good they would be if anything caustic was to drop on them ? Decided that the risk was not worth taking. I know if one that ended up with a crack and it had to be lifted completely. 

It’s all about the prep on the base end of the day . Seen some horrors round my way .


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## I like Skol (31 Jan 2022)

Once a Wheeler said:


> Have you thought about Grasscrete?
> View attachment 629044
> 
> Basically, concrete blocks with a pattern pierced right through them. Dig out to lay the blocks, fill the voids with earth, plant with grass seed, maintain with a Strimmer. The great advantage is that it lets rain water through so your surrounding plants and trees do not suddenly find themselves in drought conditions. It also helps the overall environment in keeping the ground water where it should be — in the ground — and not contributing to potential flooding. Worth considering.


In a similar style to this there is a product that I have always thought would be ideal for 'green' parking areas and even better than the concrete.
Used by 4x4 off-road competitors as grip boards, bridging planks or jacking mats when cut into planks about 12" wide and 4-5' long and often called 'waffles'. Strong enough to drive across its length without additional support in the middle.

https://evergrip.com/products/grating-systems/moulded-gritted/

With grit on the upper side it offers more than enough grip for driving on but by filling and seeding the mesh with grass it would form an attractive lawn and only require mowing like a lawn. If the green mesh was used it would be pretty much invisible but laid in full size sheets would never move or sink so a totally flat surface forever, regardless of where you repeatedly park.
The only downside is that I wouldn't recommend walking on it in your high heel shoes! 

Maybe a full driveway using this system would be a step too far? One place I have always thought it would be perfect is for those grass verges outside houses where the residents park on the grass as if it is a parking spot even though it gets chewed into a sunken muddy mess! Simply dig out the mess, chuck in a few sheets of the grp mesh and re-grass the area. Now you have a car resistant verge that continues to look good regardless of how selfish the house owner is!


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## bagpuss (31 Jan 2022)

" a few 'engine' oils spilt on the drive" thats patina is it not .


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## I like Skol (31 Jan 2022)

bagpuss said:


> " a few 'engine' oils spilt on the drive" thats patina is it not .


I have an old land rover. SWMBO doesn't let me park it on the drive....


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## presta (31 Jan 2022)

ff


Dave7 said:


> I have always like black tarmac with red bits in..... just appeals to me.


Don't. Just don't. Mine started crumbling in no time, if I want to do something as simple as sweeping the drive with a broom I have to find somewhere to dispose of a couple of barrowloads of tarmac (and it's hard work pushing that much tarmac around with a broom, too). You'll need a stout board under jacks/axle stands/ramps, otherwise they poke holes in it. If I try to pull weeds out they pull a load of tarmac with them.


Brandane said:


> This. I used to work as handyman at a care home which had a large area of patio done in block paving. It was a complete and utter PITA to keep it looking good.


Yup. Both my neighbours lay block paving for a living, and the one who shares a drive with me is miffed because I won't let him do ours. He assures me that weeds won't grow between the blocks if he puts polythene sheeting underneath them, so he obviously never grew a bean in a jam jar when he was a kid.


Brandane said:


> See a lot of block paving drives where the weight of cars has caused the blocks repeatedly driven over by cars to form a slightly sunken trench


That's what happened to the ones in our High St., they've just finished replacing it with resin bonded pea gravel. Looks nice, but we'll see how it lasts.
(Those paving slabs are too porous and absorbent, they looked shabby and second hand before the job was even finished because they blot up every bit of mess and spillage.)

My choice of drive is plain concrete, all day long. Looks tidy and lasts a lifetime.


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## Twizit (31 Jan 2022)

Had block paving before in a previous house. As others have said, mare to look after and keep clear of weeds. 

Just had current drive done in bound resin. Not cheap but looks great and has the benefit of being porous - it's laid on a large grain size tarmac so drains freely. We still have drains near the house as the drive slopes a bit that way, but water generally doesn't stay on the surface long enough to make it that far. 

Maintenance should be a twice yearly pressure wash to stop build up of anything that could give rise to weeds. As said already though, the key is in doing your homework and checking up on who is doing the install. We took a long time asking questions, checking on prior work and ensuring we were comfortable with everything said and decisions made - and then checking the work as it was done.


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## T4tomo (31 Jan 2022)

Once a Wheeler said:


> Have you thought about Grasscrete?
> View attachment 629044
> 
> Basically, concrete blocks with a pattern pierced right through them. Dig out to lay the blocks, fill the voids with earth, plant with grass seed, maintain with a Strimmer. The great advantage is that it lets rain water through so your surrounding plants and trees do not suddenly find themselves in drought conditions. It also helps the overall environment in keeping the ground water where it should be — in the ground — and not contributing to potential flooding. Worth considering.


or plant with creeping thyme or similar


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## cyberknight (31 Jan 2022)

Dave7 said:


> Most of the block paving drives I see on my walks have weeds growing through the 'gaps'.
> I like some of the resin/printcrete I see, very nice. Some of them look slippery though.
> I have always like black tarmac with red bits in..... just appeals to me.


i can confirm slippiness , went arse over tip once on a printed concrete drive


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## CXRAndy (31 Jan 2022)

Tarmac road tillings is robust, porous and reasonably immune to weed growth


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## ebikeerwidnes (31 Jan 2022)

I should add - the Indian Stone has a tendency to grow moss in the winter in places that stay damn for any length of time
The front of our house faces North and last year the area where I park the car became so slippy that I had to power wash it twice in the cold weather
which was not fun - I don;t mind cycling in the cold and wet but working is just too much


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## MontyVeda (31 Jan 2022)

Arrowfoot said:


> You can bind block pavers with polymeric sand. Its looks like sand but it hardens. The pavers can't move and there are no space for weeds to take root.


I think that's what my neighbour had on paved drive number three... whether the pavers had conned him or not i don't know, but after a few years, the weeds still got through


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## derrick (31 Jan 2022)

potsy said:


> The tarmac with edging is another option I am considering, good to know its a decent one.
> 
> Knowing my lack of aftercare with most things, I will be looking at something I can forget about for a few years


Had ours tarmacked. Black with white specs, holding up really well, took a while to harden, had to be careful with it for a few weeks.


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## MrGrumpy (31 Jan 2022)

MontyVeda said:


> I think that's what my neighbour had on paved drive number three... whether the pavers had conned him or not i don't know, but after a few years, the weeds still got through


Still think it’s all about the prep in the sub base . Everyone round here has mono block drives and there are none with weeds sticking up . Bits of moss etc but nothing a power wash wouldn’t fix and resand. Drives that have been down for 20odd years . There are pros and cons to all types . I did fancy resin it looked clean and tidy but was scared that some brake fluid or something would ruin the surface. Once a crack or hole formed it’s game over .


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## Salad Dodger (31 Jan 2022)

We had block paving put down at great expense. It looked gorgeous. But now that I park on it regularly, it has sunk fractionally in places. Not enough to see by eye, but enough to cause shallow puddles after rain.

I haven't been unduly bothered by weeds.

We pressure wash it every couple of years and brush in some sand each summer.

All things considered, I don't think I would choose blocks again.


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## Chislenko (31 Jan 2022)

Have just this week had an imprinted concrete drive laid. Gotta come back to seal on the next dry day. Drains fitted and running into the drain at the bottom of the house down spout.

After the last 25 years of trying and failing to beat the weeds in the block paving one we had I could take no more.

I am using some of the old pavers to build dwarf walls around the front and back lawns thus eliminating that awful plastic edging that the strimmer likes to eat!!


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## I like Skol (31 Jan 2022)

Now here's an alternative view on block paving....
I had some done 20+ years ago, quite a long driveway between house and garage and in front of garage. Big enough to take a LWB van and two cars in front of van and garage.
I don't think the install job was done badly and we never had a big problem with weeds, but keeping a pristine appearance was never the aim, not my style really, which is why we chose tumbled blocks in muted colours to try and give an 'old' feel to it.
It did settle a little and developed a definite pair of grooves where the van was repeatedly driven and parked.

In 2013 a large single storey extension meant big changes to the driveway and I no longer used a van so parking was now just two cars at the front. The original blocks were relaid with minimal additional sand for leveling and because all the groundwork was now nearly 15yrs old all the settlement had taken place and the blocks were laid on rock solid ground. They haven't budged since and provide a hard wearing, low maintenance surface that will last for decades to come.
Sure, it might not be bling, but it is subtle and in keeping with the locale. It also looks good with an occasional sweep and some light weeding maybe once or twice a year.


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## Arrowfoot (1 Feb 2022)

Block pavers are ascetically pleasing and somewhat classy. It is costly as levelling and stamping have to be done well and the use of polymeric sand to stop weed growing. There are just too many cowboy builders out there. Resin and imprint concrete pavers are affordable and requires less skill and effort if they can get the drainage right. Between Resin and Imprint Concrete, the former looks better. The colour of concrete unfortunately gives it away no matter what imprint is used.


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## MontyVeda (1 Feb 2022)

Like most things, concrete can take a pigment and be many colours


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## MrGrumpy (1 Feb 2022)

There are alot of cowboys laying resin drives as well !!  As attested by my neighbours horror show.


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## ebikeerwidnes (1 Feb 2022)

I think it is all down to the preparation and base layers
Hence the quality of the workmanship is critical - but you can;t really judge that at the time - or at least the average person can't.
So the only chance you really have is to try and check previous work and references and then hope for the best.
Often you only find out is was sub standard a few years later - unless it is REALLY bad


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## PK99 (1 Feb 2022)

ebikeerwidnes said:


> *I think it is all down to the preparation and base layers*
> Hence the quality of the workmanship is critical - but you can;t really judge that at the time - or at least the average person can't.
> So the only chance you really have is to try and check previous work and references and then hope for the best.
> *Often you only find out is was sub standard a few years later -* unless it is REALLY bad



indeed. And for that reason, it is always best to use an established local contractor trading on reputation.

More expensive but more peace of mind.

This < https://www.pavingexpert.com/ > is an outstandingly good source of guidance on all things paving and landscaping.
Good way to use this is to gen up on the industry norms for the Job in hand and judge the contractor by what they propose - and get a specification not just a price.


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## ebikeerwidnes (1 Feb 2022)

We used a parent from the school where I used to teach
He had a good reputation according to the staff at the school - and I knew that his kids were clever, sensible, polite and well behaved

He mostly did a good job when he did it himself - but he also had to manage some bigger jobs elsewhere so he left he 'lads' to get on with it quite a lot and some of the work they did then was not so good
He did come back and fix some things - but I think he was growing the company too fast and was let down by some workers he thought he could trust - when he came back it sounds like he had reverted to just doing jobs he could do himself - or at least be on site himself most of the time.

Luckily enough the main driveway was done with him there - so it seems mostly OK - just about 3 slabs came loose which the bloke next door fixed when he was building his massive extension as a "Thank You" for putting up with the noise and mess and letting the diggers go over our drive


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## PK99 (1 Feb 2022)

ebikeerwidnes said:


> We used a parent from the school where I used to teach
> He had a good reputation according to the staff at the school - and I knew that his kids were clever, sensible, polite and well behaved
> 
> He mostly did a good job when he did it himself - but he also had to manage some bigger jobs elsewhere so he left he 'lads' to get on with it quite a lot and some of the work they did then was not so good
> ...



Local .... tick
Reputation .... half a tick
Established.... no tick

We have a local Roofing company. Guy who runs it has been in the business for 40plus years.
Reputation is for excellent work but high price.
He gave up the tools many years ago, but he prices every job and visits every job in progress. On our job, he visited on each of the three days.

Sounds like your paving guy was like many in the business - good on the tools but less able at running concurrent jobs.


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## ebikeerwidnes (1 Feb 2022)

PK99 said:


> Local .... tick
> Reputation .... half a tick
> Established.... no tick
> 
> ...


Yes - that is what it looked like

but he was established - been well know for quite a few years but had a new contract which involved a lotof extra work 
as you say - not so good at running concurrent jobs - i.e. management


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## postman (1 Feb 2022)

We also need the driveway doing this year.Its paving slabs.So its going to be paving slabs again,we will need a better base we are going to reuse those that can be saved plus we are pulling up the short paved patio under the conservatory door.Reuse them on the driveway,put down membrane and pebble the patio.The plan is to retire to Northumberland so a better driveway can be done by the new owners.


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## ebikeerwidnes (1 Feb 2022)

As far as weeds are concerned - is it not better to just spray some weedkiller all over once a year
it doesn't matter how good the base layer is or what membrane you use
if you have the smallest gap that some organic matter can get into a weed will find it and grow

personally I use one of the butane flame weed burners
probably inefficient and time intensive
but far more manly

or maybe I just like playing with fire??


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## Dave7 (2 Feb 2022)

ebikeerwidnes said:


> As far as weeds are concerned - is it not better to just spray some weedkiller all over once a year
> it doesn't matter how good the base layer is or what membrane you use
> if you have the smallest gap that some organic matter can get into a weed will find it and grow
> 
> ...


That will work well on a tarmac drive


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## Chislenko (2 Feb 2022)

ebikeerwidnes said:


> As far as weeds are concerned - is it not better to just spray some weedkiller all over once a year



To be honest modern day weedkillers are so diluted down they don't really do the job and new growth starts almost immediately.

Now if you could still get that kill all stuff they banned !


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## CXRAndy (2 Feb 2022)

Salad Dodger said:


> But now that I park on it regularly, it has sunk fractionally in places


Sorry to say, shoddy workmanship. The installer should have dug down minimum 6" more like 10" covered in inch clean limestone, wacker plated to create a hard substrate

My drive has been down 18 years, no sinking even with delivery trucks over it. Full of weeds though

Never again will I block pave a drive


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## pawl (6 Feb 2022)

CXRAndy said:


> Sorry to say, shoddy workmanship. The installer should have dug down minimum 6" more like 10" covered in inch clean limestone, wacker plated to create a hard substrate
> 
> My drive has been down 18 years, no sinking even with delivery trucks over it. Full of weeds though
> 
> Never again will I block pave a drive




That’s exactly why I had a tarmac drive laid I have block paving paths but even with a pores membrane weeds still manage to grow in the cracks


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## nickyboy (14 Feb 2022)

ebikeerwidnes said:


> As far as weeds are concerned - is it not better to just spray some weedkiller all over once a year
> it doesn't matter how good the base layer is or what membrane you use
> if you have the smallest gap that some organic matter can get into a weed will find it and grow
> 
> ...


I have a large block paved drive/parking area...about 100m2. It has fairly large gaps which fill up with organic matter

Spray in April with a Glyphosate-based weed killer and apart from a few dandelions in the Autumn, no weeding required. I do scrape out the moss and organic matter during particularly dry spells


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## Chislenko (14 Feb 2022)

nickyboy said:


> I have a large block paved drive/parking area...about 100m2. It has fairly large gaps which fill up with organic matter
> 
> Spray in April with a Glyphosate-based weed killer and apart from a few dandelions in the Autumn, no weeding required. I do scrape out the moss and organic matter during particularly dry spells



Imprinted concrete drive now down and sealed.

Made up with it and more made up that I won't be weeding the replaced block paving anymore 😀


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## keithmac (15 Feb 2022)

There's two types of resin drive, porous and waterproof.

I think we will go porous resin with ours when the time comes, been a few done down our street and they've all stood up very well to cars and foot traffic.


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## JhnBssll (15 Feb 2022)

My block paving is 2 months old and still pristine, I don't know what you guys are talking about 😋


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## potsy (15 Feb 2022)

keithmac said:


> There's two types of resin drive, porous and waterproof.
> 
> I think we will go porous resin with ours when the time comes, been a few done down our street and they've all stood up very well to cars and foot traffic.


I am leaning towards porous resin myself now, just been looking at a local firm that has been putting pictures of their work up on FB, will get a couple of quotes soon and see


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## Gunk (15 Feb 2022)

ebikeerwidnes said:


> As far as weeds are concerned - is it not better to just spray some weedkiller all over once a year
> it doesn't matter how good the base layer is or what membrane you use
> if you have the smallest gap that some organic matter can get into a weed will find it and grow
> 
> ...



Our block paved drive is 35 years old now. Over the 20 years I’ve owned the house, the only maintenance has just been to spray it with weed killer about three times a year, takes about 30 minutes.

IMO the resin drives look like plastic, nice quality cobbled block paving is the way to go


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## MrGrumpy (16 Feb 2022)

potsy said:


> I am leaning towards porous resin myself now, just been looking at a local firm that has been putting pictures of their work up on FB, will get a couple of quotes soon and see


Non porous = ice rink is my thought ! Resin drives look nice but I’d be worried about them getting damaged.


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## JhnBssll (16 Feb 2022)

I was tempted by resin but ended up laying permeable block paving. This was largely because I could do the work myself, but I also prefer the look of block paving and believe it will last longer than what is essentially a plastic surface under constant UV assault 🤞


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## MrGrumpy (16 Feb 2022)

JhnBssll said:


> I was tempted by resin but ended up laying permeable block paving. This was largely because I could do the work myself, but I also prefer the look of block paving and believe it will last longer than what is essentially a plastic surface under constant UV assault 🤞


Been a few laid round my way , be interesting to see how they last , I’m just not convinced they have longevity. Weeds on block paving is not imo a huge issue. Jet wash some weed killer stuff and then resand ? Not hard unless your drives a mile long


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## ebikeerwidnes (16 Feb 2022)

We have an Indian Stone driveway - main problem with it is that the area where the car is parked doesn;t get much Sun. 
As a result it can remain damn for quite a while after rain or dew - and gets green and slippy
It takes an hour or two to power wash the whole thing properly.
AT the same time the stones seem to have a thinner version of the problem on all the stones - last year we found some stuff that returns the whole thing back to the original colours.


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## fossyant (16 Feb 2022)

Folks drive just done.

Tarmac and big block paves.

And not far from you @potsy


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## nickyboy (16 Feb 2022)

MrGrumpy said:


> Been a few laid round my way , be interesting to see how they last , I’m just not convinced they have longevity. Weeds on block paving is not imo a huge issue. Jet wash some weed killer stuff and then resand ? Not hard unless your drives a mile long


No resanding necessary if you use a simple pump action weedkiller dispenser. As I mentioned, we have about 100m2 of block paving and it takes me about two hours to do the spraying. Once a year is plenty. Do it in the Spring and I will get a few weeds in the Autumn which I pull out by hand


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## potsy (16 Feb 2022)

fossyant said:


> Folks drive just done.
> 
> Tarmac and big block paves.
> 
> ...


That's probably my 2nd option at the minute, who did theirs? 

Message me please..


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## fossyant (16 Feb 2022)

potsy said:


> That's probably my 2nd option at the minute, who did theirs?
> 
> Message me please..


I'll find out.


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## Dec66 (16 Feb 2022)

potsy said:


> Hi all, looking at finally getting my drive re-surfaced and was wondering what the CC gang would recommend I do with it..
> Its only a 5x5 metre space, so enough for 2 cars, just.
> 
> Originally fancied block paving, but I keep seeing resin and imprinted concrete ones that look very nice for a lot less cash...
> ...


Having mine done right now, in resin bonded gravel with paviers around it (also having the front garden walls rebuilt at the same time). Our friends in the same street have just had theirs done in patterned concrete, which is awaiting a coat of whatever it is they coat it with.

With any of them, it's all about prepping the ground well. So obviously make sure that's done properly.

Block paving looks nice, but you'll spend forever weeding it. Resin bonded gravel looks nice, but you need a base put down first (asphalt or concrete) so you're effectively having it done twice which bumps the cost up. Patterned concrete looks OK when done well, but if it cracks you're knackered. I sense it might be a bit slippy on wet and icy days too.

Different strokes for different folks. Go with your gut to choose what you likenthe look of best, then ensure that your tradesperson comes recommended to do that kind of work.

Good luck!


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## Gunk (16 Feb 2022)

MrGrumpy said:


> Been a few laid round my way , be interesting to see how they last , I’m just not convinced they have longevity. Weeds on block paving is not imo a huge issue. Jet wash some weed killer stuff and then resand ? Not hard unless your drives a mile long



Never jet wash a block paved drive, it destroys the sand layer below.


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## Scottish Scrutineer (18 Feb 2022)

We have a mix of block paving at the front of the house, and tar in front of the garage, both are north facing so it seems ideal for moss and weeds. The tarmac was laid properly by the local council as they were resurfacing the footpaths and I contacted the council to enquire about getting them to tar our drive whilst they were working right next to it. The surface was properly prepared and compacted, and a decent depth of tar laid and is still in good condition despite having Land Rovers, and now 2.4t Caravelle parked and washed on it. The block paving has, as many do, suffered from moss and weeds growing between the blocks. It has also sunk, most notably where a street lighting column was removed (at the same time as the footpath/drive was tarred).
We're going to get the blocks lifted and the sub-base levelled and compacted this year and may try the polymer sand/grout to attempt to reduce the weed growth. A sealant may reduce the moss growth. 
Resin drives look good, but can be slippery and can beak up.
For appearance block paving is good, if aesthetics are not key, then tar. However in any case, preparation is key, compaction of the sub-base is essential if you expect it to stay level.


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## Twizit (20 Feb 2022)

Scottish Scrutineer said:


> Resin drives look good, but can be slippery and can beak up.


Just to note when our resin was put down they dusted the top of it with some form of ground glass whilst it was wet. Nothing you can see or notice but no issues with it being slippy.

I'll let you know on the breaking up bit in 10 years once I've had time to assess properly 🤞


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## BoldonLad (20 Feb 2022)

We have block paving. It has been down for 35 years, no problems. I. spray it with weedkiller once a year, and, re-sand every other year. It has a car and a 3.5 Tonne motorhome parked on it.


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## AuroraSaab (3 Mar 2022)

We had imprinted concrete at our last house. Looked good and easy to maintain. It was a huge area though so they had to cut occasional channels in it otherwise it would be prone to cracking. These were the only bits that got mossy. We had a cobbled style surface but if I was having it again I'd get a flatter one - much better for the kids to play on.

In our current house we had the front drive flagged, which has lasted well, but I'm thinking of tarmac or concrete again for the drive that leads to the side garage due to car oil leaks etc. and low maintenance. As said, it really is down to the quality of preparation - properly excavated and laid most drives will last well, whatever material you choose.


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## MontyVeda (4 Mar 2022)

An urban driveway, surrounded by houses, tarmac and concrete will have much less organic stuff trying to take root than a suburban driveway with treelined streets and verdant verges flanking everything... maybe that's the difference between those who get away with one application of weed killer a year, and those with drives that need constant attention.


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## Dec66 (4 Mar 2022)

Mine was finished last Friday, resin bonded gravel with paviers around the edge. I'm very pleased with it, and we've had lots of people ask who did it for us.

I'll check back in here in five years with an update ☺️


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## MrGrumpy (2 Jun 2022)

Well just out for a walk with my dog and saw a resin drive , not long down. Weeds popping up on it


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## mustang1 (5 Jun 2022)

bagpuss said:


> What ever surface you have its all down to the quality of workmanship in putting it down and follow on maintance .
> Our tramac has been down 25 ish years .It has never cracked etc . Ok it has lost its colour , but hey it is for standing a car on . Once the cars on it I cannot see it . The said company laid the back yard at the same time . Apart from the odd jet washing over the years it still looks good .
> As with all thing you get what you pay for . Ask for details of their work in your area .



What he said: workmamship quality. 

We have blocks and have zero weed and zero sinking. It really is as good as the day it was set up. 

Caveat: we have maintenance crew who add pathclear, but even so, its very minimal amount of growth (we went without the crew for a couple of years and still no weed).


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## bikingdad90 (5 Jun 2022)

I’ve got a double width driveway that takes two cars on it and it is tarmaced. It’s about 25 years old now and apart from losing some colour so it’s more grey than black it’s solid, no cracks and no problems with it. It’s on a decline too so the surface water runs off to the sewers. It would be my choice of driveway if I ever had to get one done.


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## Gunk (5 Jun 2022)

bikingdad90 said:


> I’ve got a double width driveway that takes two cars on it



they generally do


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## bikingdad90 (5 Jun 2022)

Gunk said:


> they generally do



Never been to Toy Town then, round here most are usually only big enough for one family car or an estate car, perhaps two small cars as most drives are 1 1/2 width which is bloody annoying. Everyone ends up ripping up the front lawn to extend it out to two widths or they park on the path outside the house. 

Other common trend is backwards housing with the driveway and garage at the rear and the front of the house on a roadway.


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## Phaeton (5 Jun 2022)

As others have said the preparation is everything I did our block paving over 20 years ago over 10 inch of foundation stone wackered on every level. We've had all sorts parked on it including 7.5 tonne horse boxes, it has no 'tramlines' & is rock solid. 

Parts of it has been dug up this year by Severn Trent to find a blockage, one of them sunk almost immediately as instead on putting the filling in & wackering each 10 inch they dumped the lot then wackered. They came back, dug it out & did it properly the 2nd time.

We have not had issues with weeds & I HATE gardening


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## Gunk (5 Jun 2022)

bikingdad90 said:


> Never been to Toy Town then, round here most are usually only big enough for one family car or an estate car, perhaps two small cars as most drives are 1 1/2 width which is bloody annoying. Everyone ends up ripping up the front lawn to extend it out to two widths or they park on the path outside the house.
> 
> Other common trend is backwards housing with the driveway and garage at the rear and the front of the house on a roadway.



Mine is tight for 2 cars, built in the mid 1980’s


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## JhnBssll (5 Jun 2022)

We can just about fit 2 cars on the new front drive and we can fit another 2 on the original rear drive. We tend to just leave one at the front where the van is in the photo as its a bit of a faff getting the second one on!






My DIY block paving has held up well for the first 6 months, here's hoping it continues to do so  There are a few weeds popping up where the water runs off from the sprinkler system so I'll be putting down some path clear in the near future


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## Gunk (5 Jun 2022)

How are you getting on with the Tesla @JhnBssll ?


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## JhnBssll (5 Jun 2022)

Gunk said:


> How are you getting on with the Tesla @JhnBssll ?



Really well, brilliant car. A few silly niggles but the overall package is phenomenal. It's only done a little over 5k miles but I've enjoyed every one of them so far 

The van is also doing me proud, it flew through an MOT recently and gets used at least once a week for one reason or another


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## keithmac (8 Jun 2022)

We've got 3 cars on our drive, at the moment.


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## Phaeton (8 Jun 2022)

keithmac said:


> We've got 3 cars on our drive, at the moment.



I wish that was all I had, currently there is the son's BMW 3 series drift car, bearing in mind he doesn't live here, my MEV Exocet kitcar which I'm trying to sell, my MEV Mevster kitcar which I am keeping, my wife's Rav4 our daily driving car, an Ifor Williams horsebox trailer, my Shogun which primary used is to tow previous mentioned drift car & horsebox trailer, then a newly arrived today a Lister Petter ST2W narrowboat engine.


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## keithmac (8 Jun 2022)

Phaeton said:


> I wish that was all I had, currently there is the son's BMW 3 series drift car, bearing in mind he doesn't live here, my MEV Exocet kitcar which I'm trying to sell, my MEV Mevster kitcar which I am keeping, my wife's Rav4 our daily driving car, an Ifor Williams horsebox trailer, my Shogun which primary used is to tow previous mentioned drift car & horsebox trailer, then a newly arrived today a Lister Petter ST2W narrowboat engine.



We nearly had Caravan on there as well but decided storage was a better option for that.


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## fossyant (8 Jun 2022)

We currently have 5 vehicles..... oh the shame.., only two on the drive..... one on parking space, two on pavement tucked away... it is not good.. 

And I ride to work, so my car sit's on the drive alot - it's old though.


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## biggs682 (9 Jun 2022)

Our neighbors have just had block paving done or finished yesterday looks nice and the people who did it seemed to have a good work ethic. 

Time will tell .
We still have the original tarmac and weed variety and can think of better things to spend £5k on


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## keithmac (9 Jun 2022)

I think it's a good investment if you have the money available to do it.

Saying that I work on our cars so wouldn't be long before I'd knock a drain tray full of old diesel engine oil or similar all over the new drive..


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## potsy (9 Jun 2022)

biggs682 said:


> Our neighbors have just had block paving done or finished yesterday looks nice and the people who did it seemed to have a good work ethic.
> 
> Time will tell .
> We still have the original tarmac and weed variety and can think of better things to spend £5k on



I'm leaning towards tarmac again now, with a nice simple border. 

The budget has been spent elsewhere so it might get done later in the year


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## MrGrumpy (9 Jun 2022)

potsy said:


> I'm leaning towards tarmac again now, with a nice simple border.
> 
> The budget has been spent elsewhere so it might get done later in the year



As been said countless times , it’s all in the prep. Seen some tarmac drives that look great and others which have cracked and broken up . Brake fluid and other car nasties melts it as well


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## GuyBoden (9 Jun 2022)

It never ends well, when the Gas Board come around to renew their pipes and dig up your new driveway, replacing it with a 100% guaranteed facsimile, which in reality turns out to be a non-matching strip of hideous replication.


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