Please do not use concrete block paving!!!

martin1959

I have noticed a couple of posts on here relating to block paving.


Please Please Please DO NOT use concrete block paving. Whoever supplies it, it will over a few years fade. It will stain from oil leaks, and after a few years it will look like it was laid a few years ago..


The cost for laying concrete blocks and clay pavers is similar, but clay pavers will cost maybe 20% more to buy the actual blocks. So if you are paying c£60 per sqm for supply and fit, clay may increase this to c£65 per sqm. It will be money very well spent.


Ask your contractor to show you a clay v block drive laid 5-6 years previously. The clay will look like the blocks were laid yesterday...


Clay blocks DO NOT fade, and they do not absorb oil, it can be scrubbed off.


We had 80sqm of clay laid 13 years ago, and after a jet wash and resand, which I do every 2-3 years, it looks like it was laid yesterday.


Most contractors will push you towards concrete block for the simple reason they are easier to lay as they can be cut with a block splitter, and they are after a easier life. Concrete blocks have to be cutted with a disc cutter.


I promise you, you will never regret laying clay blocks over laying slightly cheaper concrete blocks......

Plumber90

I have block paving that is 14 years old, quick jet wash and it looks brand new, and that is made of concrete.

SailorSam

We got just concrete, you know these fellas that come with a ready-mix wagon. They were suppose to be here in the morning but didn't turn up untill the afternoon. They'd been on other calls and we were last of the day, but 'cos of that they never had enough concrete to finish the job. He said they'd come back the next day but i wasn't happy with that 'cos i thought the two lots wouldn't dry properly, i wanted him to go back to depot and come back. Good job it was the Summer 'cos it was mid-evening before we finished.
But when the concrete dried it was rubbish, you could tell there had been to much sand and it flaked which i thought would go worse over the years. After lots of letters & phone calls he offered a discount which i refused, i wanted the complete job done again and i wanted the cost of digging up the drive to be on him. We got a specialist in to analyse the concrete to prove it was a poor mix and took the guy to the Small Claims Court, on the day he never even turned up to try and defend himself. We got all we asked for and eventually after more threats that we'd take him to Court again he paid up.

martin1959

Plumber90 wrote: »

I have block paving that is 14 years old, quick jet wash and it looks brand new, and that is made of concrete.

Here is a test for you....lift 3 or 4 of your blocks and turn them upside down, and replace them. They will stick out like a sore thumb. The blocks you have will have faded (likely considerably after the time you have had them down).


The point I am making, is for very little extra cost, you can have blocks that are made of a natural material that will never fade.

Furts

martin1959 wrote: »

Here is a test for you....lift 3 or 4 of your blocks and turn them upside down, and replace them. They will stick out like a sore thumb. The blocks you have will have faded (likely considerably after the time you have had them down).


The point I am making, is for very little extra cost, you can have blocks that are made of a natural material that will never fade.

But there is also a variation in quality with the concrete pavior manufacturers and this seems a bit hit and miss. Adjacent to me is a red concrete block road laid 27 years ago. It has faded but I consider the colour retention has been fine. It has never received any cleaning. The fading is probably because it is south facing.

IMHO around 10-20 years ago the worst blocks were made by Formpave. But there is a Formpave driveway near me that still looks superb after 20+ years. The secret here may be that it does not receive direct sun - it is north facing and in shade.

I would second your comments about clay paviors with a couple of provisos. First, if anything is dropped on them they can chip. Second they are slippery when wet. On both these counts concrete is a better bet.

martin1959

Thanks Furts, do agree with both of your provisos....


When we had ours laid the contractor used a standard vibration plate and after breaking a few blocks in the first 30 seconds realised there was an issue. With clay pavers, the vibration plate has to have a rubber mat to stop the pavers chipping.


Not really noticed the slipping issue, but when it rains, the blocks look superb as they show their full colour.

Fruit_and_Nut_Case

martin1959 wrote: »

...after a few years it will look like it was laid a few years ago...

Seems reasonable.

Mothman

Just had a couple of quotes for block paving our drive of around 57 sqM and difference is around £15 sqM between concrete v clay.

Marshalls Driveline 50mm concrete pavers = approx £77 sqM

Blockleys Hadley 50mm clay pavers = approx £92 sqM

Like the idea of the clay pavers not fading, just need to work out if the extra cost is affordable.

thescouselander

No doubt you're referring to one of my posts earlier. Concrete is an excellent material for drives in my opinion - I'm not talking about blocks but solid sheets of concrete. I helped my old man put down a concrete drive at his house years ago (over 25 years) and it seemed to keep really well over the years. I saw the house come up on right move a while back and the original drive still looked good in the pictures.

Yes, it does stain if your car is prone to dropping oil but if the job is done properly the drive should be extremely durable.

In my experience block pavers and Tarmac just aren't strong enough to take the weight of a stationary car in the same spot for long periods. Also if you have a lot of joins that also means a lot of trouble with weeds and other unwanted growth.

I'm certainly thinking about swapping the Tarmac drive in our current house for a concrete one.