Block paving or inprinted concrete......and rough price if poss?

you don't get tram lines if its done properly ie. at least 6" of MOT. If your doing it, are you following this new regulation regarding block paving front drives as it adds a lot of cost. Plus its hard to give you an idea of cost for block paving as it depends on the type of blocks. you can get blocks from £9 per m2 to over £20 per m2. Try the AJ mcormack website. last time I looked, it gave a good idea of block paving costs

 

AS lb says, new regs are tough on non-pervious drive surfaces due to the lack of rainwater funding its way into natural underground storage - instead it runs off into our drains.

You can get pervious concrete, but I don't know what types of finish are available.

I personally wouldn't risk trying to 'get away with it', 'cos an eagle-eyed council fellow could make you rip it all up again.

Blocks, in my view, are much nicer anyway, and can be laid in many different patterns and colours - have a really good look on t'web for ideas. Some near-neighbours have a large shared imprinted concrete drive which I think looks dreadful - not my cup of tea at all - but others think looks good.

 

'tough'!!!!!!!!! All you do is make sure the rain water doesn't shed onto the street and soaks into the ground on your property. Hardly difficult, even with impervious blocks!

 

Oh yeah - imprint is horrid.
Cheap blocks aren't much better.
Try something original!

 

Have you considered a resin drive as opposed to concrete or block finish?

 

Sorry i thought it was a serious question and i gave a genuine alternative to your other options.And you seem to have a complete misconception of how resin drives are laid.Regards mjp

 

My apologies. Just put resin drives into your search engine and it will bring up various firms etc Regards mjp

 

Stone or good quality concrete paving, cobbles, creative mix of materials, see what's sitting at your local reclamation yard. I've even started having a fond liking for crazy paving!

 

My own preference is - gravel!

Just finishing building low walls to contain the drive area, and will be laying green Welsh granite chippings - yummy colour, especially after rain.

Mind you, it does require the application of a specialised product.

What's it called again? Oh yeah - weedkiller.

 

whats wrong with roofing felt?

doesn't it stop the weeds?

 

With any gravel (I quite like it too) no matter what membrane you put down, things still grow. I'm near the sea, so all the stuff that grows on the shingle just above high tide (Sea Kale, Thrift etc.) grows along with all the other colonizing weeds.

 

Don't you find, if using a membrane, the gravel just slides around when you drive over it?

My gravel is simply laid over the substrate which keeps it nicely in place. Yep, lots of weeds, but that's because I haven't done anything to control it since the current gravel is cheap stuff which was designed to make the drive usable while lots of outside work was being done.

The new gravel will haver regular coats of 'pathclear', or better still, sodium chlorate (which you must ensure can't drain through onto your flower beds...)

Just spread a fresh ton over it every couple of years

 

Depends what membrane you use and how much coverage/at what layer you put it I suppose (put it under crushed base & no problem). I haven't bothered either. Only trouble with liberal use of weedkiller is other nearby plants you might like! A rake over in a dry spell and a few minutes pulling does for 99% of the weeds anyway.

 

I second the recommendation for a Resin Bonded Driveways or Resin Bound Driveways they offer great value and are durable and aesthetically pleasing.

 

Can anyone else smell a blend of spiced pork and ham in a tin?