how to lay slabs for a driveway

baron777red

i am currently digging up a lawn (5mtrs by 5 mtrs) and am going to put slabs down so I can park on it at the front of the house.

I have done a bit of research and know that I need to dig out the soil to a minimum of 3 inches, so I am going to get some hardcore for the sub base and lay that 2 inches thick, then I am going to get some sand (not sure which type of sand is best) to level it out, and then place the slabs on top.

the thing that I am not sure about is how do I get the slabs to stay in place once they have been laid, do I need to mix some cement with the sand? or is there some thing I can buy ready mixed, bearing in mind I am trying to keep my costs to a minimum, and I have got 25sq mtrs to cover

I will be using 600 x 600 slabs so have calculated I wiil need 8 across and 8 down, so a total of 64, and a tonne of sand and 2 tonnes of hardcore,

any advice would be much appreciated,

thanks

colin

any advice

smashingyour...

Have you got planning permission to do it?

The way you are doing it won't last with a car going on it.

ian103

2 inches of stone maybe a bit thin if you're parking on them, I would suggest 4" of MOT and a max bed of 2" of sharp sand / cement mix for strength. The MOT should be compacted as well.

One point to note is can you actually have a hard surfaced parking area without the necessary consents (these will require drainage provisions) the other option is the MOT and then 2" of largish gravel (either 14 or 20mm) as no drainage is required

rs65

baron777red wrote: »

I will be using 600 x 600 slabs so have calculated I wiil need 8 across and 8 down, so a total of 64, and a tonne of sand and 2 tonnes of hardcore,

How wide is your car?

You could do two runs, one for each sides wheels.

Will you be turning the wheels to park or straight on and straight off?

Ebe_Scrooge

Drainage & permission issues aside ... don't be buying bags of this ready-mixed mortar stuff, buy sand & cement separately, much cheaper. Places like B&Q will offer discounts on bulk buys, but it's well worth talking to the the likes of TP, Jewsons, local independant, they are often cheaper ( and you can haggle and play one off against another ! ) And yes, the slabs need to be cemented down, you can't lay them on loose sand if you're running a car over them, they'll be all over the place.

As for how much you need and how to do it :

http://www.pavingexpert.com/

Hope this helps :-)

baron777red

thanks for the advice, seems i will have to get somebody in to do it for me, as its just too big a job to do myself, what would be a fair quote for this, i live in halesowen b62, is about £1000 right or would it be more?