General Chat

jan i think that is the trouble some times
people see all this nice new paving ect have it done
then don't think and look in to wear and tear and how long its going to last
with out paying out more money

i think brenda is right as well a good underlay to stop the weeds
even if it may cost a little more to have done
and probable will look better than this new block paving in about ten years time
as well

Thanks Dame Shelly.
Yes, the more I look into patterned imprinted drives, I am realising that it costs much more than block paved ones. We are wanting maintenance free, - no weeds etc. Brenda has given me food for thought, when she said about a good membrane underneath block paved one and that can be sealed too.
Will have to get prices for that sometime, and compare it with the imprinted drives.

i google and yes this block paving looks really nice
nice colors and pattens
wouldn't mind having it in my front and back garden

but wouldn't like to pay all that money out and then have to re-pay more to maintain it every 2 or so years and how much is that going to coast
probably as much to lay it in first place

Jan i would look for some think that is going to last for about 20 years

Thanks Brenda. I do like block paved drives, but I didn't realise you could seal them to stop the weeds from coming. That's another option for us.

I looked into it as I saw one nearby that looked nice and shiny...but the shine does wear off.
I decided against it and had a block paved one which is lovely and it had a good membrane underneath,so only an odd small weed that comes up In the sand.that is brushed into the joins,but You can get that sealed anyway.
My drive is on a slope and I drive straight into my garage so don't want it slippy.
I prefer mine to the one that was printed .

Thanks very much everyone for your replies. Will have to think about it, and also will look into other types of drives too.

Gwyn - yes we can use any material - we are not restricted. Your suggestion sounds good too.

Some of the garden centres around here have done their pathways with it. A few years ago we looked into replacing our block paving drive with it and had a quote (expensive!). They told us they would have to dig out the drive a foot deep to get a good enough base for it not to have problems like cracking. We were told it would need sealing every couple of years and were a bit concerned about slipping as our drive slopes quite steeply. In the end we never got around to it but I must admit the garden centre paths are still looking good.

My neighbour has had one laid probably around 4-5 years ago. It is beginning to look dull and the colour has definitely faded. It does have a wet-look appearance and I would be concerned about the grip of this sealant. Hope this helps in deciding.

Are you permitted to use whatever material you want?

I know some areas have tried to put limits on non-porous surfaces, because of flooding.

A popular material locally is more of a standard concrete mix, but bordered and sectioned by brick blocks.
Small flower beds can be inset if wished and grid-covered drainage channels built into the drive, to allow soak-away.

We had our front garden done with pattern imprinted concrete just over 3 years ago. The pattern is "York Stone" and we had it done in a buff colour (light sandy sort of colour).

We had a few problems with it but only because the firm who did it decided to dig up the front garden on a day when we had a horrendous storm and I felt sorry for the two lads doing the work - they looked like drowned rats!!. At about 3p.m. they said they would have to leave it because the ground was like a quagmire. They went off and about 10 minutes later came back and said they would have to carry on because the boss said it had to be finished that night as he had ordered the concrete for the next morning. They poured the concrete whilst it was starting to snow! They also jet washed it all (which they have to do) but did it a bit too soon and we had problems with some of the surface having bits of damage to it. They did offer to put it right but to be honest by then we were glad to just get rid of them. Unfortunately the boss was a mate of my husband's so it made things a bit difficult.

I have to say though that on the whole I like the overall look and as long as whoever does the job chooses a dry day I think you will be pleased with the look. You certainly don't get weeds growing through and we haven't found it slippy. We have both had both knees replaced and wouldn't want anything we would slip on.

Kath. x

Thanks Gwyn. Hmm that crack doesn't sound too good!
I've been going for walks in my neighbourhood looking at all the different types of drives. It's so difficult trying to decide on which one is the best to get, that will last longterm.

Thanks Andysmum - will go and have a read of it.

There is one not far from me and it does look quite good. The lady of the house often hoses it down, as she likes to see it clean.It always looks shiny, as if it's wet.
Not sure how old it is.

I have noticed recently that a crack has appeared right across it. Probably no fault of materials, but rather because underlying clay soil has shrunk or swollen.

I had never heard of them, but found this on Google. It's some years ago, and there are pros and cons, but several people have said that they are very slippery - no grip at all - so, if it were my drive, I think I'd give it a miss.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=2218339

Has anyone got imprinted concrete drives? We are thinking of having one done, but want to know if they are any good in the long term.
They say they are maintenance free (apart from having to re-seal it every 2 years or so) It would be good to have something that the weeds don't grow in!
So, does anyone recommend them?