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Ask The Trades › DIY Forum › Building Questions › Block paving driveway

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Block paving driveway (Read 6582 times)

mcelec

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Block paving driveway
Jul 20^th, 2006, 3:16pm

Hi guys im looking at the option of block paving my front garden to make a drive way, just need some advice,
firstly i have hired a mini excavator to excavate my garden i just need to know how deep to dig? and how you keep your level i.e. string line
then i need to know how much hardcore to order and what type and how much sand and what type, also what is the best way to set out i.e. putting edgings in etc and how to start the pattern of the blocks,
so basically i need the dummies guide with pics if anyone has any,

also i will be putting a four foot fence at the front should i do this before i put the paving down?

also timescale wise could i say put the hardcore down one weekend then the sand the following weekend and then the blocks the weekend after? or does it all have to be done in consecutive days?

thanks for any replies i get.

p.s. my garden is about 60m2 is this too much of a big job for a novice?

« Last Edit: Jul 20^th, 2006, 3:47pm by mcelec »

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JerryD

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Re: Block paving driveway
Reply #1 - Jul 20^th, 2006, 5:37pm

[quote author=mcelec link=1153404990/0#0 date=1153404990]
p.s. my garden is about 60m2 is this too much of a big job for a novice?

[/quote]

From what you have asked above I would say definately yes.

You don't appear to know anything about how the job should be done! Shocked

Block paving and site preparation is a skilled job and cannot be done properly by a novice. I have seen several driveways done badly and the state of them has devalued the property by ten times the money saved by diy'ing.

Get a reputable block paving firm (not some cheap-jack outfit) to do the lot. Just watch how they do it and you'll be thanking me that you did not attempt this yourself.

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woodsmith Global Moderator Trade Member Author Offline Posts: 4397 Total Thanks: 135 For This Post: 0 Gender: Trade: Joiner	Re: Block paving driveway Reply #2 - Jul 20^th, 2006, 9:20pm It's bloody hard work too and it particularly does your knees in
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CWatters Super Member Offline "Daddy fick it" says James Posts: 5150 Total Thanks: 58 For This Post: 0 Gender:	Re: Block paving driveway Reply #3 - Jul 20^th, 2006, 10:02pm Lots of advice here http://www.pavingexpert.com/ See the index http://www.pavingexpert.com/pavindex.htm Typical diagram from the site... PS: You hired the digger too soon.
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MarkS GDPR opt-out Total Thanks: 58 For This Post: 0	Re: Block paving driveway Reply #4 - Jul 20^th, 2006, 10:25pm My missus says 'Behind that post there is a very long suffering wife' I have visions
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TIMBA-WOLF

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KENT,(under a tree!!!!)
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Re: Block paving driveway
Reply #5 - Jul 21^st, 2006, 12:23pm

about 3 years ago i paved a 126m² front for a friend, over a 2 week period, removing large bushes etc, excavating , then the paviours, all fancy curves, and still to this day wish i had not!!!
and that is knowing what i was doing!! as JD would say!!

definately fet in a good set of guys to do the job!!

and MarkS, where did you get the photo of where my missus was "dibbing" the ground for her plants!!!! Grin

AS HONEST AND LOYAL AS THE TIMBER-WOLF. --VAR@*SH, DON'T YOU SWEAR AT ME!! PAL!!&&I DON'T SUFFER FROM INSANITY- I DAMNED WELL ENJOY IT!!!!!

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mcelec

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Re: Block paving driveway
Reply #6 - Jul 23^rd, 2006, 12:05am

well i have just finished excavating my garden (me and a couple of mates) measured 150mm below damp course for finished height and then excavated 200mm below this, filled 2 x 8tonne skips with soil, i know in my previous post it sounded like i never had a clue but i had bit of an idea from reading the resources on the net i was just looking for independant advice as a lot of the info on the net is not so good,

i will get take some pics of each stage and put them on here for you guys to view

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MarkS

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Re: Block paving driveway
Reply #7 - Jul 23^rd, 2006, 11:23am

Wolf,

We are near Ripon, N.Yorks which has a problem with Gypsum deposits. The gypsum is erroded by underground water and what happens is that every so often a garden or house just falls through the floor. Pics in the local paper every year. So anyone with a little bit of subsidence can count themselves lucky.

Its those cheap plasterers digging it out when nobodies looking.

Actually Rev. Charles Dodson (Lewis Carrol) lived here and it is thought the idea for alice going down a big rabbithole came from the big rabbitholes!

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TIMBA-WOLF

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KENT,(under a tree!!!!)
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Re: Block paving driveway
Reply #8 - Jul 23^rd, 2006, 11:37am

not far from where i live , there is a place, that constantly has "dean holes", that just appear, get bigger for a while then seem to stop,
well many years ago, a large hole appeared in the side garden of a place,and instead of doing what is legally required around here and notify the L.C, the guy was charging the locals, £15 a go to bung rubbish and even the odd car down the hole before the council got wind of it, and roped it off, letting it stabilize, then filling up with hardcore and soil !!!

AS HONEST AND LOYAL AS THE TIMBER-WOLF. --VAR@*SH, DON'T YOU SWEAR AT ME!! PAL!!&&I DON'T SUFFER FROM INSANITY- I DAMNED WELL ENJOY IT!!!!!

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