Cheap ways to make car parking

crystaltips_68

Hi,

I need to make some extra car parking outside my house. I have had a quote for concrete, which has come in at about £1700 for roughly the area of 2 spaces. Can anyone think of a cheaper, but still hard-wearing, way of making parking? I dont like gravel!

Thanks,

Bex

BargainGalore

You can get these plastic things with spaces in where grass grows through not sure on costs implication but its hard wearing and used at my local church for church goers

There is always block paving but I suspect that costs as much as concrete

http://www.drivewayexpert.co.uk/BlockPavingCategory.html

what about tarmac

crystaltips_68

Thanks, block paving would be my first choice but is too expensive . I have seen the plastic thing that you fill with soil and grass, or gravel;
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220618048182&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Looks good, but i would appreciate other options if anyone can think of anything else!

Ebe_Scrooge

You could do it yourself - plain concrete slabs, some hardcore, sand and cement from Wickes or where ever. It's pretty heavy, tiring work but not particularly difficult. You could hire a cement mixer for the weekend when you come to laying the slabs, mixing it by hand is hard work but do-able if you're really watching the pennies.

Plenty of advice on the net, here's one pretty good site :

http://www.pavingexpert.com/

Like I said, it's heavy work but pretty easy - just take your time, and spend enough time getting the preparation right and the actual laying of the slabs will be relatively easy. The preparation is the key - you need to make sure the sub-base is tough enough to take the weight of cars, but any of the advice sheets on the net or in the DIY sheds will give you the necessary info. You're probably looking at a couple of hundred quid all in if you go the DIY route, it's the time that's the main thing, and it's the labour that costs if you get someone in to do it.

phill99

Try freecycle for hardcore and old slabs.

Also remember you need Planning Permission for hardstanding if the area is over 5 metres square. I've lifted this from Kettering BCs Website:

The rules about laying or replacing hardstanding have changed. A planning application will not be required for hardstanding, such as a patio or domestic driveway, in a rear garden. However, if the hardstanding is positioned between the "principal elevation" (generally the front) and a highway, AND the area of hardstanding would be larger than 5 square metres, then the surface must be permeable (or porous), or run-off must be directed from the hardstanding to a permeable area (eg flower-bed, soak-away or French drain).

crystaltips_68

Thanks, i already have the concrete slabs; thats what is there at the moment, but is very badly laid. It doesnt match the driveway either, so i think i will get rid of them. Plus i would have to get someone in to do the work anyway, thus pushing the price up.

As for the planning permission stuff; i thought if the parking surface had a run off into a flower bed/soakaway (or is permeable) that pp wasnt needed??