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Author: Subject: What surface do you guys have on your driveways?
Antnicuk

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:02 PM Reply With Quote
What surface do you guys have on your driveways?

I am looking to pave my new driveway/patio with something suitable and not to expensive. It is the drive down the side of the house and to the end of the back garden to the workshop. It wont really have heavy cars on it and nothing will be parked on it as its separate to the drive at the front of the house. I would like it to look nice and decorative and prefer dark grey or black. The options seem to be slate, limestone or sandstone, all of which are quite expensive. I wouldnt mind some sort of man made slab but cant seem to find them in dark colours. Some sellers have said limestone is not strong enough to cope with any car driving on it, even with a solid cement bed. Sandstone comes up a bit thicker and is said to be suitable. Slate is very nice but too expensive. I have 70 sq metres to cover. I wan to lay it myself and although i like the look of block paving, i am not sure if i could lay it neatly myself. Most of the drive now has 6 - 8 inches of compacted crushed concrete and the last bit in front of the workshop is a 6 inch reinforced concrete slab. Both are now the same level.

Does anyone have any suggestions?





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scootz

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:18 PM Reply With Quote
We have hardcore (and the occasional weed!)... we'll tarmac it WHEN we win the Euromillions!





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flibble

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:19 PM Reply With Quote
Block paving is actually quite easy to lay, but come winter it's as slippery as glass. I regret doing the side path of our house in it!
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Antnicuk

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:22 PM Reply With Quote
i didnt know that about block paving. I am quite surprised at that. I would have thought slate would be lethal in the wet or cold





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McLannahan

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:33 PM Reply With Quote
We have gravel but the drive is on a slope and it all rolls to the bottom. Kc always used to spin the wheels trying to get into the garage!

Really annoying. Like Scooty.... I'll tarmac when we can afford it!






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Talon Motorsport

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:35 PM Reply With Quote
Road scalpings ie the top layer that gets removed cheap as chips and it's the right colour. Use hard core as a base tip 3-4 inches over the top and wacker wacker wacker.
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flak monkey

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:38 PM Reply With Quote
Concrete, about 18" thick

Block paving is lethal in the winter...





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lewis

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:45 PM Reply With Quote
Block paving driveway and large gravel to the garage.

Oh and concrete outside the garage.

[Edited on 28/7/11 by lewis]

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Steve Hignett

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:52 PM Reply With Quote
Tarmac
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van cleef

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:54 PM Reply With Quote
what about imprinted coloured concrete?

You would need a descent mixer and need to measure the amount's in every batch you make to get it all the same colour.

also you would need the to buy a pattern stencil.

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skodaman

posted on 28/7/11 at 09:55 PM Reply With Quote
Concrete.





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mark chandler

posted on 28/7/11 at 10:20 PM Reply With Quote
years ago I watched some chaps floor a pub with imprinted, coloured concrete.

The had a large wooden former around 6' x 6' which was devided into 1' x 1' squares made out of 2" x 1/2" wood, a big grid.

They poured the concrete on the floor around 2 " deep, covered with thin plastic like cling film, the stuff you get from storage companies for wrapping sofas etc then pressed the former on top and flattened the concrete by hand roughly, plucked out the former then repeated across the room.

When the concrete could hold its shape they pulled off the plastic, looked just like dark stone paving slabs, the plastic leaves a smooth finish on top every slab a little different then just grouted, it looked fantastic ! Where the plastic overlaps and wrinkles you get a slate like finish

Worth a little practice with a 2.99 bag of ready mix and a pot of black ink maybe?


[Edited on 28/7/11 by mark chandler]

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aka_shortie

posted on 28/7/11 at 10:48 PM Reply With Quote
Friends have got that printed concrete, although its 10 years old it is as good as the day it was laid.

They do pay £200 every year to have it cleaned an re sealed though.

Something like this http://www.screedprint.co.uk/

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PSpirine

posted on 28/7/11 at 11:21 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by aka_shortie
Friends have got that printed concrete, although its 10 years old it is as good as the day it was laid.

They do pay £200 every year to have it cleaned an re sealed though.

Something like this http://www.screedprint.co.uk/


+1

We've got that in Cyprus and it's amazing. I would say you need to definitely clean and re-seal it though otherwise it tends to deteriorate (visually)

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trextr7monkey

posted on 28/7/11 at 11:36 PM Reply With Quote
Tarmac up front then lots of red gravel around side and back- dog wakes up if anyone walks on the gravek when it is snoozing in the garage.





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JoelP

posted on 29/7/11 at 06:47 AM Reply With Quote
ive never found my block paving to be slippy.





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foskid

posted on 29/7/11 at 09:13 AM Reply With Quote
Two concrete strips with decorative stone chips to the sides with a few persisant weeds inbetween to add a little colour.
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edsco

posted on 29/7/11 at 09:21 AM Reply With Quote
lovely tarmac....and NO weeds.





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sprouts-car

posted on 29/7/11 at 09:29 AM Reply With Quote
Decking?





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mangogrooveworkshop

posted on 29/7/11 at 10:06 AM Reply With Quote
hardcore and a p100 ....was going to block pave but a divorce has stalled that idea.



note to lawyer monitoring my posts
I was going to pull the weeds out ...
shall i keep half of them for ******* as well

ps tell her to collect half the wheelie bin of grass cuttings as well

[Edited on 29-7-11 by mangogrooveworkshop]






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Stott

posted on 29/7/11 at 10:10 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
ive never found my block paving to be slippy.


I concurr

Block paving is not slippery, I think that's a myth supported by everyone who chose something else to lay on their drive.

It's no where near as bad as a concrete slab in the ice. The road in Aberdare is made from block paving with yellow lines made from yellow stones and it's no ice rink.

Check out marshalls eby store as they sometimes have large quantity batches at good prices in stuff like granite topped drivesett like the councils use for city centre pedestrianised areas, top quality stuff which looks good too.

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AndyW

posted on 29/7/11 at 10:30 AM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Stott
quote:
Originally posted by JoelP
ive never found my block paving to be slippy.


I concurr

Block paving is not slippery, I think that's a myth supported by everyone who chose something else to lay on their drive.

It's no where near as bad as a concrete slab in the ice. The road in Aberdare is made from block paving with yellow lines made from yellow stones and it's no ice rink.

Check out marshalls eby store as they sometimes have large quantity batches at good prices in stuff like granite topped drivesett like the councils use for city centre pedestrianised areas, top quality stuff which looks good too.



Marshalls e-bay store is good. I have blocked paved drive on quite a slope down to the garage, and with all the snow we had the lst couple of years never had a problem getting either cars out.

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Antnicuk

posted on 29/7/11 at 09:21 PM Reply With Quote
thanks guys, i have to say when i have seen the imprinted concrete i have always liked the look of it.





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