New driveway

moonpenny

Hi, I am considering having a driveway laid which at the moment is a broken path with a side strip of gravel.

My options would be concrete with block edging, pressed (patterned) concrete, tarmac with block edging and complete block paving.

Finances are restricted so am interested to know from anyone here which would be the cheapest option.

d0nkeyk0ng

Block paving would be more expensive (or at least it was when I had quotes done). We preferred tarmac with block edging in a contrasting colour.


In all honesty, the best thing to do would be to get a few people in to give quotes and timescales for each of the options.

Ant555

After 12 years of putting up with a knackered and uneven flagged driveway and swearing every time a flag tripped me up or splashed water up my work trousers when it 'see-sawed' after rain we took the plunge.

In our experience a black tarmac driveway with contrast block edging (my initial first choice) was not that much cheaper than the block paving we eventually went for.

I was also looking for a 'cheap' option but nothing actually turned out to be as cheap as I was initially expecting.

I did get a couple of quotes for each option from people doing work around our area and specifically asked them about drainage - which direction would the rainwater run, would it definitely be the required distance below the damp proof course, what prep work they will be doing and whether they would definitely be using the manufacturer blocks that they have quoted me for (a neighbour was quoted for a decent well known name brick but the delivery from the merchants was a cheap alternative) . + I took pictures at the end of each day to make sure it was dug out properly etc.

Many people have asked me if I am happy with the drive and my reply has always been the same that even a rubbish job often looks brilliant when its first done - i'll tell you in 5 years time if I am happy with the work!

markin

With blocks you can always pick them up, re-level with sand and relay them, But the cheapest will always be topping off the gravel.


Personally i just prefer concrete.

moonpenny

The path is really badly broken so topping up the gravel on the side strip would look just the same.

Dampproof course would not be a problem as mine is approx 5 bricks up from ground.

Would everyone say that the cheapest would be concrete then tarmac, block paving then imprinted concrete?

Silvertabby

I wouldn't have thought that block paving, properly done, would be cheaper than imprinted concrete.

We had our drive block paved 10 years ago and it still looks as good as the day it was done. Wasn't cheap, mind - foundations were dug out by a mini digger, proper drainage fitted, etc.

A neighbour admired our drive, but not the cost. He boasted that he had found a firm to block pave his drive for considerably less than we had paid - but he lived to regret it. No drainage, so heavy rains ran into his integral garage, and the blocks started to 'lift' within a couple of years.

EssexExile

Drives get driven on, walked on rained on, snowed on, oil spilt on, things dropped on, things dragged across, etc. Tarmac is hardy & cheap, block edging makes it look nice too! As others have said, get it done properly, not cheaply.

Slinky

There's little that won't require some maintenance. We replaced our concrete drive with a larger block paved one. Over time the grooves between the block trap dirt and weeds will invitably grow. And the blocks themselves get dirty, although less so where you park your car. So you end up with a slightly less dirty car sized area.



We will be looking for an alternative solution in our new house, don't think we'll have block paving again.

pollypenny

We had tarmac with a block edging flowing into a block path under the windows. That was in 2002 and it still looks great.

Proper local contractor, chosen on recommendation.

aylesby

In Cheshire found tarmac difficult to contract for other than with the occasional traveler. Maybe 80 sq meter is too small to be of interest. Plenty of interest in laying slabs though. Eventually went Indian stone at a similar price to the tarmac quotes.
Call in a few local contractors with good history and see what ideas and prices they come up with. Expect to wait a couple of months before they start.

moonpenny

Thank you all, I think block paving or tarmac with block edges is winning at the moment though have not priced anything up yet.

This may sound silly but my drive is fully south facing. Is it a possibility that the tarmac would be prone to "melt" when we get a heatwave?