Driveway

[Deleted account DD]

then some w@@ker from the council expectd me to dig some up if it failed planning that i was told i did not need. but as it exceeded 5.5 metres square it posed a risk to flooding the road, best to check local planning rules.

Thats cropped up too. There seems to be some dispute wether we need planning permission because we're doing like for like, just a slightly larger area :augie

 

[zippy656]

i would say on a average drive 9 to 10 inches! some times more if it blue clay

under the top soil we got a green sand..

 

[CaptLimey]

Hi Daved

You might want to consider an exposed aggregate finish for a concrete drive.

I've recently laid 75 square meters of it at our place. I laid it in separate bays divided by expansion joints and each bay is bordered with terracotta tiles to give a decorative finish. It is a relatively inexpensive and easy method of providing a very hard wearing but attractive finish.

You can determine the texture and colour of the finished surface according to the aggregate you choose. There is a knack to doing it right but it it is not too difficult. Just Google search 'exposed aggregate', there is a wealth of professional advice on the subject.

Tip - don't pay a lot for the 'retarder' that delays the setting of the top 5mm of the concrete. If you can't get it at a reasonable price you can use a sugar/water mix of approx. 1kg per 5 litres of water. PM me if you need more info.

Regards CL

 

[sidsid06]

under the top soil we got a green sand..

green sand ware you live!!!!! mars sand it a good base as long as its not running sand ie move all time!!! as for concrete drives i would not recommend for a couple of resons say your water pipe or gas pipe needs replacing!!! thats a big area of drive which has to be cut out for the work to be done!! and then when its reinstated! your see it for ever more!! at least with blocks you can lift and stack the blocks then relay! and it looks as no work has been done!!! yes the concrete dose have fibers in it unless it been renforceing steel in it any movement under the concrete and it will crack! i have seen it for myself, any move ment with blocks at least you can repare the area easly and cheeply as for the planning no planning needed if its already a drive way you like to have replaced!usually you can make it bigger without any one saying any thing!!! if not you can allways put in drainage and no 1 can say a word!!! or have the main part of drive block ect! then say you want to dive on your lawn area,have that as a shingle held in round the edge with block paving! looks nice

 

[4x4onarret]

Heres my 10p's worth,

I laid a block paved driveway 3 years ago. Used the 60mm blocks. I spent a lot of time on the base, plent of well compacted hard core and a good level covering of sand to lay the blocks on.
It has not moves at all, still level with no signs of tram lines where we repeatedly park the cars.:clap
Weeds in the joints are a pain in the butt but are easier to deal with than cracks in the concrete!
Another bonus is if you have to dig it up for services (Gas Water etc) or have a bad splill you can, I had an old escort mk2 RS2000, great car but it leaked like the house of commons!
When it was sold I just lifted out the stained blocks and replaced them. Good as new and not visible.
I would suggest keeping a spare 50 or more behind the shed to weather incase they are required, will be almost the same colour then.

Blocks All the Way!

Cheers

Steve.

 

[supertaff]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but could the "Green Sand" that Zippy mentioned actually be ground (pulverised) glass ? I know that it has been used as foundation for some roads.
Matt.

 

[zippy656]

ah , nope. its about 18" down quite soft to dig.

 

[sidsid06]

ah , nope. its about 18" down quite soft to dig.

not glass!!!!!!!!!!!!! just a different planet the god seem to live on is it a sand or their more soil content? how green we talking? like a lawn!?

 

[zippy656]

dark green..

just sand top soil 6" sub soil about 8" then green sand

 

[sidsid06]

just had a look in 1 of my books at soil and sand types!!!!! and yes their is a green sand which has quite a high acidity content!! so will be excellent for you to be planting some rhododendron"s:thumbs so zippy get planting

 

[sidsid06]

also its a rare sand your are specail

 

[zippy656]

your are specail

oh i know, i know

 

[Deleted account DD]

Thanks again for the info folks,

CL, we havent really considered the exposed aggregate, no idea why not :doh

Steve, v good point re the weathering of the bricks :thumb2

All this info and I've got less idea what to do now :nenau

(we were going to get it done last November but got rained off , not sure if that was helpful or not )

 

[sidsid06]

Thanks again for the info folks,

CL, we havent really considered the exposed aggregate, no idea why not :doh

Steve, v good point re the weathering of the bricks :thumb2

All this info and I've got less idea what to do now :nenau

(we were going to get it done last November but got rained off , not sure if that was helpful or not )

more ideas you could go for a clay block which will not fade look the same in 10 year as the day they were layed they look the nuts to look like a drive at beckhams:clap their quite expensive tho!!!

 

[zippy656]

you can also colour the concreat...

geen to look like grass..

 

[sidsid06]

you can also colour the concreat...

geen to look like grass..

green is a sign of money ive always been told look like a big lawn

 

[paulp]

drive

Hi if a bucket of water disapates from the top (house) side of the drive before it hits the pavement you are exempt from planning - but again please check local rules

paulp