Would you be happy with this?

jaggyjim

So i was having some work done in the garden and some materials were stored on the driveway. It was really mucky in the end and so they powerwashed it. It now looks like the top pic. The bottom pic is the before. Has the powerwasher damaged the monoblock? It seems like its taken the facing off the block. Would you be happy with that? I dont know what can be done now to rectify. They do have insurance so only thing i can think of is to turn each block upside down or lift and replace the lot and they’ll need to claim on their insurance.  As an alternative does anyone whether i would be able to claim on my insurance? Im absolutely gutted as we’ve always looked after the drive and the blocks are about 14yrs old but still looked in great condition.  Thanks for any advice. 

DB1904

Are you seriously suggesting replacing the whole drive? It's been down for 14 years, who accepted delivery of the items stored on it?

neilmcl

They look fine to me.

Jeepers_Creepers

The top pic is much nicer. I know that doesn't help...

That's weird. I can't imagine that these paving bricks do have a 'coating' - they are surely the same solid material throughout?

Perhaps they were polished smooth by 14 years of movement over them, and now the power-washer has removed the softer, smaller particles, leaving a coarser surface?

Surely power-washing such paves is normal practice across the country - I've never heard of it causing such issues. Unless the PW they used was a super-dooper one?

What make are the paves? Contact the manufacturer and ask them - show them the photos and ask their thoughts.

If they have been 'damaged' - ie changed in a non-reversible way - then a solution could be to PW the whole lot to make it match (I honestly do prefer it...), and then - regardless - have fresh paving sand brushed into all the joints.

(I don't think the undersides have edge 'grouting' ridges, so you couldn't reverse them anyway.)

maisie_cat

Taste aside I can't see anything wrong with the drive blocks.
If power washing "damaged" them they weren't very good in the first place and I cannot see any insurance company or court for that matter forcing the trade involved to replace the drive.

FreeBear

jaggyjim said: They do have insurance so only thing i can think of is to turn each block upside down or lift and replace the lot and they’ll need to claim on their insurance.

Whilst you can (in theory) lift each block and flip it over, you will be wasting your time. The top face has a beveled edge which the bottom doesn't. You may well find quite a few of the blocks will have chipped bottom edges. The ones around the perimeter will be set in concrete, so you won't be able to get any of them up..

Marshalls (on of the major manufacturers of paving blocks) suggests a 20 year life span for most domestic blocks. Yours are looking good for 14 year old - I would suggest brushing some kiln dried sand in to the gaps where the jet wash has removed the old stuff.

jaggyjim

DB1904 said:

Are you seriously suggesting replacing the whole drive? It's been down for 14 years, who accepted delivery of the items stored on it?

The materials were just the soil removed from the back garden 

jaggyjim

I dont know what make the bricks are as this was a new build when we moved in. 

jaggyjim

If i knew the powerwashing was going to leave them like that i would have told them to leave it and given it a hose down and brush myself.  It was a petrol powered industrial type powerwasher not like the karcher i have at home. 

stuart45

Jeepers_Creepers said:

The top pic is much nicer. I know that doesn't help...

Exposed Aggregate Concrete - Decorative Pebble Finish - The Concrete Network
It's because exposed aggregate is a decorative finish. Often done on multi storey car park floors on the edges. Once the shuttering was struck the sprinkler was put on it to take the top layer of laitance and leave the finish you can see. 
Actually gives a better grip as well.

jaggyjim

stuart45 said:

Jeepers_Creepers said:

The top pic is much nicer. I know that doesn't help...

Exposed Aggregate Concrete - Decorative Pebble Finish - The Concrete Network
It's because exposed aggregate is a decorative finish. Often done on multi storey car park floors on the edges. Once the shuttering was struck the sprinkler was put on it to take the top layer of laitance and leave the finish you can see. 
Actually gives a better grip as well.

Thank you for this. Thats really helpful. Unfortunately i much preferred how it looked before. Would sealing it help to return it back to the way it was?