Driveway ideas and advice needed.

[LeeDowner]

Hello this is my sorry looking driveway. The plan is to build a waist height wall where the grass meets the swing and slide, swing & slide area will be artificial grass and the rest will be block paving or slabs of some sort.

I had two quotes for Indian sandstone. One builder wants to leave the existing concrete down and build on top of it and the other wants to pull it all up. £3,500 and £5,600 respectively.

Would it be ok to slab on top of the concrete? Also in one of the pictures you can see where the driveway meets the road, how would a step up work? I think it would look messy.

The sandstone I saw is from jewsons at £17.50 per sqm. Is there a cheaper option?

Total area is around 55-60sqm to slab.

 

[^woody^]

You can go over the concrete as long as it's properly cleaned and prepped to receive the bedding layer.

 

[LeeDowner]

Good to hear, that's £2,100 saved!

The £3,500 quote he says that's £2,000 on materials so is there a cheaper option ? Doesn't have to be Indian sandstone I like some stone slabs aswell and the paving bricks look OK too. Is printed concrete expensive ?

 

[garyo]

I saw a cladding system once that was specifically intended for existing concrete drives. They were only 10mm thick and applied more like bathroom tiles.

I take it you've looked at epoxy coatings too?

 

[Notch7]

Pricing sounds about right, I reckon £100/m2 for base and slabs, £60/m2 slabs only.

I cant see you getting cheaper than £17.50 for paving.

 

[LeeDowner]

Wasn't sure what epoxy coating was, I googled it and it looks more like factory floor type of surface unless I'm looking at the wrong thing.

I thought Indian sandstone was an expensive material but per sqm I'm seeing standard paving bricks that are more expensive.

£3,500 looks a good quote then if going on top of the concrete is ok. I'll have to ask him how he would do the step up from the road.

How would you lot do it?

Cheers.

 

[Ian H]

Is the Indian stuff not a bit thin for a driveway?

 

[garyo]

Wasn't sure what epoxy coating was, I googled it and it looks more like factory floor type of surface unless I'm looking at the wrong thing.

I think they're refered to as 'resin bonded' - it's effectively a fine grade coloured gravel suspended in resin then trowelled flat. I don't know much about them but I've seen a few around my areas and they look very neat and tidy, and come in all colours apparently. You'll get the idea from

 

[LeeDowner]

I've seen that before, old lady over the road just had it done. I quite like it but my fair lady does not and this indian sandstone is something we agree on. Also I heard the resin is expensive.

https://www.jewson.co.uk/landscapin...an-sandstone-thin-845x560x15-25mm-grey-multi/

That's the stuff I've been quoted for, 15mm - 25mm thickness does seem quite thin. Is there a risk of them cracking? We'll park that focus on it from the picture and a transit connect.

 

[Ian H]

I'm not sure, I guess if they are on a full bed of sand/cement they should be solid enough.

 

[Notch7]

Im not sure indian sandstone is suitable for a driveway. I dont think Ive ever seen a drive made with it.

I thought it was for patios and paths

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

The old 3'x2' concrete slabs will crack if enough weight rides over them and/or the base is too soft and allows movement. I'd be very wary of using anything thin, any slight movement and they'll snap like matchsticks. Block paving is a minimum 50mm thick for a reason.

 

[JohnD]

If the surface you are paving onto has cracks or joins in it, the new paving will crack at that point because there will be movement. You can manage it by putting a break in the slabs, but you'll be lucky if the base crack is in a neat straight line. This will be a problem with your old concrete which is quite large and has angles in it.

Paving bricks are more accommodating of slight movement.

 

[LeeDowner]

I'm leaning more towards paving bricks now, about £20 per sqm and 50mm thick.

Nightmare! Already agreed to the quote now having to cancel it, disappointed he didn't know they wouldn't be thick enough. I checked with jewsons and the sandstone slabs are actually 22mm.

Neighbour has 22mm sandstone paving but where they park is just concrete, he's a retired builder and says he wouldn't park on it.

Cheers all.

 

[JohnD]

I have paving bricks. Don't lay them on sand, ants will dig it out and you will get settlement or movement. Very annoying and very difficult to fix without taking up an expanse.

I believe there is a sort of tweezer system for taking out bricks one at a time, never seen it done.