Is 'grouting' block paved driveways a thing?

[lemoncurd99]

Hi, about to start a full house reno and a new driveway is going to be the last job; area of driveway to be renewed is going to be between 100 and 200 sq m - depending on how much we can afford to eat into the front garden to make space for vehicles, trailers, wood stores, bicycle stores etc.

Had wanted to do resin bonded gravel, but I believe areas of that size would be prohibitively expensive. Tarmac is an option but would prefer alternatives.

I like block paving, but at previous house, drove me mad with dealing with the weeds between the cracks. So - is it a 'thing' to "grout" block paving with mortar (or better, a resin-based product) so that weed growth is eliminated? I've not seen it discussed for driveways, only for patios, but I would be very interested if this were possible... thanks

 

[jj4091]

Imprinted concrete would be your best bet in my opinion but not cheap. I can't see grouting block paving with anything would last very long

 

[Alec_t]

For non-porous driveways above some minimal size don't you need planning consent these days?

 

[blup]

You can get flexible resin based grout that allows for movement/compaction if the blocks, but weeds will probably find a way to root.

 

[noseall]

Hi, about to start a full house reno and a new driveway is going to be the last job; area of driveway to be renewed is going to be between 100 and 200 sq m - depending on how much we can afford to eat into the front garden to make space for vehicles, trailers, wood stores, bicycle stores etc.

Had wanted to do resin bonded gravel, but I believe areas of that size would be prohibitively expensive. Tarmac is an option but would prefer alternatives.

I like block paving, but at previous house, drove me mad with dealing with the weeds between the cracks. So - is it a 'thing' to "grout" block paving with mortar (or better, a resin-based product) so that weed growth is eliminated? I've not seen it discussed for driveways, only for patios, but I would be very interested if this were possible... thanks

Tarmac every time. Lay and forget. I was so glad I did mine. A lot of the neighbours have block paving and they are always faffing with it.

 

[HayMaker]

We have block paving. Yes weeds come through but not huge clumps. It is fairly easy to control them once you let them grow a bit so they can establish enough to absorb whatever you put on them and they die from the root. We found salt was just as good as expensive weed killer. You can usually get salt for about £2/kg and just pour it on. Cement grouting is not recommended because it will crack, especially on a busy driveway. The Silka fastfix type stuff is very expensive and not good for even low bearing areas. It's intended for patios where you do more looking at than walking on. Ours has been down 18 months (on a largely unused patio) and still ok, no weeds, but if you scratch your finger on it, that's enough to wear it away instantly. It even says on the instructions that it is valued for it's aesthetic appeal and not longevity. A £33 bag will do 20 square metres, but on a driveway, plan to re-do it every 2 years or even yearly.

 

[Tigercubrider]

According to a quick google, 60-130 UKs for paving
And
70-150 for permeable gravel.
So not such a massive cost?

Bloke down the pub had a concrete drive already, and extended it via a bonded gravel Co. They drilled holes in the original concrete and maybe added more concrete ? But it looked good 10 years ago. Presumably covering the old drive was cheaper than removing it