75ZT Community

We want to have the drive done and are considering surface options. There are loads of options, but we are basically torn between block paving and tarmac (which we have now).

Block paving looks nicer to me but some people say maintenance is hard having to scrape moss out, though I reckon a pressure washer would soon fix that. I do suffer moos growth on the current drive as it's North of the house. On the other hand tarmac is a bit plain and does degrade and have loose grit. If it's hot, the jack can sink in a bit too.

I have seen the pattern imprinted concrete but reckon that would be too uneven for jacking and so on, even with a board for the jack. My parents have this too (and I know some others here as well).

So any experiences to share? Any alternatives, like maybe the resin bonded gravel?

We've got block paving, which does look nice, but the constant spraying for weeds and pulling them out, is a pain in the bum!

As you say blocks are uneven and can move/break, tarmac can soften enough in hot weather for a jack to sink into it. The patterned imprinted concrete I've seen is always sealed with something which invariably cracks and lifts after a couple of winters. Therefore I reckon the best solution is good old fashioned solid concrete - it's possibly the cheapest option too

Patterned concrete ( you've seen my drive several times of course) is very good. Very stable and I've used a jack under a car on a piece of board.

It isn't maintenance free however. You need to have the top dressing replaced every five years (assuming it was done properly in the first place).

Can be a tad slippery when wet if your shoes have no grip.

My choice would be patterned concrete as at Paul's.

Block seems the best looking and forgives harsh treatment, but can be expensive. There are alternative thicknesses of block, just as effective, which can be less expensive. Also salvage yards may be cheaper than large suppliers (for that 'lived in' look). To solve the weed problem all you need do is spray or surface-scrub with proprietary weed killer in Spring.

I see nothing wrong with a long Grass drive, just get the mower out to keep it down. Looks nice.

We have a Blocked Driveway and it has needed little maintenance over the two years we have lived here. It is also very level, ignoring the fact the drive is on a slope. Haven't had any problems working on the Car on the Block paving either

Have had concrete, it broke up and cracked. Tarmac, red, it faded, was too soft to jack under, sank and cracked because of the trees which were too near. Blocks, needed to be weeded and when oil dripped on them they stained, also they sank. Gravel, looked good but high maintenance, no weeds but needed to be hovered regular to get the falling leaves out of it before they decompose too much. Have now got the imprinted concrete which seems, at present, the best solution.

If you have the imprinted concrete Duncan ask them if they can put the MG or Rover badge in it for you; would look really cool.

Block paving is the way to go. If laid properly, ie with a good foundation and then a very thin layer of pounded sand then they won't sink. Having the sand layer too deep causes the sinking. We also had ours sprayed with a coating to repel oil. This should be done every couple of years or so. Get them to leave a few spare bricks just in case one breaks. If you brush soft sand into the gaps between the bricks every year they will not move laterally either. We have not had any weed issues yet, but if they do grow it will only be in sand so should be very easy to pull up. We had tarmac before and the block paving has transformed the front of the house.

My Dad did his himself with concrete. Over 20 years later and it's still fine, no maintenance required (bar the drains in the middle which are always partially blocked and drain slowly!)

stevemac wrote:Block paving is the way to go. If laid properly, ie with a good foundation and then a very thin layer of pounded sand then they won't sink. Having the sand layer too deep causes the sinking. We also had ours sprayed with a coating to repel oil. This should be done every couple of years or so. Get them to leave a few spare bricks just in case one breaks. If you brush soft sand into the gaps between the bricks every year they will not move laterally either. We have not had any weed issues yet, but if they do grow it will only be in sand so should be very easy to pull up. We had tarmac before and the block paving has transformed the front of the house.

Best of the lot if done on a sound base.

Sodium chlorate will stop ALL weeds growing and only needs doing once a year.




Colvert.

Thanks for all the input everyone. Some thinking to do, now.

Colvert wrote:

stevemac wrote:Block paving is the way to go. If laid properly, ie with a good foundation and then a very thin layer of pounded sand then they won't sink. Having the sand layer too deep causes the sinking. We also had ours sprayed with a coating to repel oil. This should be done every couple of years or so. Get them to leave a few spare bricks just in case one breaks. If you brush soft sand into the gaps between the bricks every year they will not move laterally either. We have not had any weed issues yet, but if they do grow it will only be in sand so should be very easy to pull up. We had tarmac before and the block paving has transformed the front of the house.

Sodium chlorate will stop ALL weeds growing and only needs doing once a year.

Shame it was banned by the EU in 2010.......

The proprietary substitutes for Sodium Chlorate are relatively good at clearing weeds but unfortunately make a poor substitute as an explosive.

Clinic Ace, an aqueous solution of glyphosate is the preferred industrial weed killer, do be careful though it is highly toxic to both man and beast as well as the odd weed or two.

Can anyone suggest anything that's both cat friendly and effective on weeds?

We put down a drive last month made from old bricks from a scrappy to keep costs down and made one part of the drive higher than the bottom to help with drainage. The gravel one we had before had the habit of accumulating puddles of water.

MrDoodles wrote:Can anyone suggest anything that's both cat friendly and effective on weeds?

I use Clinic Ace once a year, very unfortunately all the neighbourhood cats have survived, I have to resort to an air pistol to keep them off my vegetable patch.

MrDoodles wrote:

Colvert wrote:

stevemac wrote:Block paving is the way to go. If laid properly, ie with a good foundation and then a very thin layer of pounded sand then they won't sink. Having the sand layer too deep causes the sinking. We also had ours sprayed with a coating to repel oil. This should be done every couple of years or so. Get them to leave a few spare bricks just in case one breaks. If you brush soft sand into the gaps between the bricks every year they will not move laterally either. We have not had any weed issues yet, but if they do grow it will only be in sand so should be very easy to pull up. We had tarmac before and the block paving has transformed the front of the house.

Sodium chlorate will stop ALL weeds growing and only needs doing once a year.

Shame it was banned by the EU in 2010.......

Only near waterways.

That's good news. Where can I get it?