New Driveway

[(RIP) PLANK]

seems i may have to inbestigate the larger gravel route, i think i have 22mm something like that...

gravel can be a pain in the backside, it goes everywhere expecialy if your drive is on a slope, chippings on the other hand like costwolds or similar do bed down and pack together and are quite stable.

I am thinking of captain limeys exposed agregate idea for my drive, good looking, not to difficult for diy and fairly cheap, it seem a good middle ground! i found this link
http://www.pavingexpert.com/concxag1.htm#popups


another tip! dont by chippings in small bags or even jumbos, if you can get a decent trailer buy it loose from a builders merchant!

 

[clivvy]

ive had a look at the exposed aggrgate, and it looks like the stuff ive been seeing a lot of lately, such as in town centres and garden centres etc, and ive always thought it was very nice, so certainly something id like to know more about!

what are the costs of such a project??

 

[Deleted account DD]

Clivvy, if you do a search I asked a similar question earlier on this year and there were some bang on points made :thumb2

In the end we went for patterned concrete and absolutely love it.

Gravel, discounted, noisy and messy well discussed earlier but also we spent quite a bit on oak flooring, I couldn't bear to think of someone in chunky shoes trampling it in

Block paving and slabs, look good to start but ALWAYS shift. We had block paving, properly done and it looked tatty after about 3 or 4 years, getting on our nerves by 7 over the moon to see it skipped

We did a lot of research (on line and wandering the streets being nosey) and fell lucky with a good local tradesman via the rugby club to do the concrete. He explained the ins and outs at great length down to the different concrete mixes, expansion gaps, depth for base, surface finish, maintenance....the lot. very anoracky but interesting :augie

His CV was impeccable. Amongst the jobs he's done is the national contract for Kentucky fried chicken drive through, Blackpool Sea Front, Flamingo Land and loads of other big uns.

Best of all he did a drive just down from us nearly 5 years ago and it still looks great.

He's good and theres loads of ideas on his site http://www.scottpatternedconcrete.co.uk/

As far as lifting the drive for work goes that was one we asked and he didnt bat an eye lid and referred us to one where that had been done, you couldn't see the join in any case I aint lifted our drive to do anything in over 25 years!

The point Im making is research and select carefully. The cheapest isnt always the best option and you do get what you pay for :thumb2

 

[Deleted account DD]

ps we went for the Grand Ashlar in a colour combo that looks like lakeland slate. We've had soil, garden rubbish and all sorts piled on it over the past couple of months during the rest of the garden work)
It shrugs off all the stuff that makes concrete slabs and gravel a mess like water, oil ,mud, dog piss the lot and comes up great with just a hose down :thumb2
I think it was March we got it done and to date no probs at all.

 

[clivvy]

Cheers Daved, ill seek out your old posts.

I DO like the pattern concrete, I really do. As our driveway is as basic as can be-oblong, straight edges and not huge, the decision is tricky. However, I have lots of time to research and save up. I am hoping to get some esitimates sometime maybe this year, to get an idea of how much money to save up!

I think slabs is a no no, block paving a no no, gravel a possible and pattern concrete/aggragate the favourite...

 

[solarman216]

Just for reference, this is a drive I did 22 years ago, Rick

 

[solarman216]

Close up

 

[clivvy]

wow Rick, 22 years ago??? that looks really good!

i think i need to get some serious money saved. i feel that if i go the cheap and easy route, i might let myself and the garden down. it would be so nice to have a driveway along those lines-tidy, flat and pretty. Im not planning to have this done until next year, so hopefully plenty of time to save up...

 

[Thomas-the-Terrano2]

love the block busters pattern Rick, I'll have a P please Bob etc.
very 80's I did my mums patio with light weight hexs about same
time.

beware on front gardens of solid areas, there are regs now on
drainage, i as understand it you cant just let it slope so flows
to roadway, it might be that no more than 50% can be solid
so gravel types are long term answer.

I would suggest decent or ex council 2x3s as runways for tyres
and fill centre(s) with gravel. benefit also if get oil spills can
replace gravel. also cheaper all round.

 

[Deleted account DD]

love the block busters pattern Rick, I'll have a P please Bob etc.

:jesterbg

l if get oil spills can
replace gravel.

or on a sealed surface just mop up or wash off :thumb2

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

gravel in the middle sounds good, looks good, but try pushing a trailer with a jockey wheel, or parking your reliant ! :lol

 

[Darwin]

We did a lot of research (on line and wandering the streets being nosey)

Isnt that in your Job description anyway ?

 

[stevecrm]

I turned part of my driveway into mud so I can do a little bit of offroading every day

 

[tony46]

Just one thing to remember before you decide to have block paving:

From 1 October 2008 new rules have applied for householders wanting to pave over their front gardens.

You will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway of any size uses permeable (or porous) surfacing which allows water to drain through, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally.

If the surface to be covered is more than five square metres planning permission will be needed for laying traditional, impermeable driveways that do not provide for the water to run to a permeable area.

I only say this as a few of my neighbours have already been cought out, and had to dig it all up again.

 

[(RIP) PLANK]

I turned part of my driveway into mud so I can do a little bit of offroading every day

sorted :thumb2 :lol

 

[clivvy]

I turned part of my driveway into mud so I can do a little bit of offroading every day

is that your driveway in your picture??
!!

 

[clivvy]

Just one thing to remember before you decide to have block paving:

From 1 October 2008 new rules have applied for householders wanting to pave over their front gardens.

You will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway of any size uses permeable (or porous) surfacing which allows water to drain through, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally.

If the surface to be covered is more than five square metres planning permission will be needed for laying traditional, impermeable driveways that do not provide for the water to run to a permeable area.

I only say this as a few of my neighbours have already been cought out, and had to dig it all up again.

thanks for that :bow i read that the other night and im pretty sure id need permission, and im oneof those people who doesnt like needing permission for his own home but better to be safe than sorry!

 

[Deleted account DD]

Isnt that in your Job description anyway ?

:thumb2

 

[Deleted account DD]

thanks for that :bow i read that the other night and im pretty sure id need permission, and im oneof those people who doesnt like needing permission for his own home but better to be safe than sorry!

We came across that one and basically its to do with flooding or at least preventing it.

If you want your new drive to drain into a surface water/grey water drain as opposed to letting the water soak through the driveway into the ground, bang on, you do need planning permission. ie youre filling the drains instead of dissipating it into the ground where dissipating it prevents a concentration and hopefully localised flooding.

However the way round it is incredibly simple. You get the people laying the drain to put in a soak away pit. Thats dead easy for yourself, gets rid of the gravel. You then slope the drive (as you should) for drainage but into some kind of channel or guttering just like into a drain but instead to the soakaway and mimicking the effect of a porous drive. You dont need to maintain borders or any other muddy or gravelly porous mess.

No planning permission needed :thumb2

Our drive is definitely non porous and drains superbly. I asked the council and they had no problem at all :clap trust me............we had to check because our neighbour is an anal jodrell banker who reports anyone and everyone for anything and he's lost face confronting us on more than one occasion so hes always up for it :augie:augie

We were looking forwards to the porous or not drive argument

 

[Liam]

Our drive is definitely non porous and drains superbly. I asked the council and they had no problem at all :clap trust me............we had to check because our neighbour is an anal jodrell banker who reports anyone and everyone for anything and he's lost face confronting us on more than one occasion so hes always up for it :augie:augie

We were looking forwards to the porous or not drive argument

It's a real pain when the other team refuses to come out and play. You probably spent a lot of time rubbing your hands and preparing for it only to have the tosser give you a walkover.:doh:doh:doh Never mind,there's always next time.:thumbs