canalsiderenovation

No idea! I'm thinking thinning down the first coat with some white spirit won't do any harm?

I've been given some QAD garage floor paint. Our garage has a concrete floor that has had some levelling applied. It'd been over a month and I want to paint it. Should I mix the QAD paint with some white spirit for a first initial thin coat? Had planned to do this today but I'm getting mixed messages on whether I should thin down the first coat (dad says yes, stepdad says no)!

Forward planning to electric gate ideas. The builder will be doing the drive and brick wall/brick gate posts after Xmas. We are thinking either powder coated aluminium or something like this https://www.charlesandivy.co.uk/products/hudson-dark-grey-curved-top-driveway-gate Then we would need to get it automated (opening inwards not sliding). The power won't be buried underground. What sort of automation kit would people suggest please? The width pilar to pilar would be the max of 13ft and just under 2m high. We currently have 18ft non automated old farm type gates but obviously getting something this length and automated is not really viable and I suspect ridiculously expensive.

Sorry had a new phone after dropping mine in a bucket of oil and didn't get alerts as I wasn't signed in. No developments.... focusing on getting the garage sorted and watertight and driveway planning and quotes..... I think we are back to getting the path in porcelain but perhaps a different colour. Until spring we have sort of abandoned it.

Although we have plenty that's not really the look we want!

We have about 30 different samples s d this was the only one!

She doesn't have one other than the Trex stuff (none of the cheaper samples she liked).

Now to try and convince other half who hates the idea!

Yes I found a few more ideas. The thought of Trex decking costing about £2k plus for just the materials is just ridiculous. I reckon with some soft planting this could look pretty good. I think my dad knows where to get it second hand.

Wouldn't you have shoes on anyway regardless?

Nope but we don't want wooden decking.

Come on @SteamyTea, I was hoping for some sensible comments ... oh wrong forum 🤣

Right OK, this may turn into another motorway crash barrier idea but we need some kind of boardwalk/path between the patio terrace and the pergola. It's about 8 metres in length. Bungalow as you look at it from pergola area (needs some softer planting etc we haven't long laid turf and about 40 tonne of topsoil to get it relatively even). We do like mixing colours and textures and we liked the look of Trex composite decking but it's very expensive (over £2k and the cheaper decking samples we have had look naff). We don't want more porcelain and we want it slightly raised and then I came across this. Thinking some nice gravel underneath, edging and planting with succulents or ferns to give some character. Can get it fairly cheap second hand too. Thoughts....

We were on cosy before Flux and we will be moving back to Cosy as soon as I decide to put the heating on (holding out for at least mid October)!

Has anyone heard of porcelain driveways? https://www.marshalls.co.uk/gardens-and-driveways/driveways/porcelain-driveways

Yep chickens chasing me they thought I had food! Sorry filming not my strong point, won't give up the day job yet! It's going to cost a fortune - tarmac, drains and edging coming in at just over £20k. We are exploring some kind of paving/porcelain near the house combined with some softer landscaping like gravel and then block paving closer to the gate where the existing stuff is but a bit bigger area. It's the weeding with gravel so we need to limit it (we have gravel in some areas with membrane and we still get oak and sycamores sprouting because the damn squirrels keep burying the acorns)!

We actually were looking at this. We are back to looking at block paving sort of thing with some softer areas like some gravel bits we can put pots on etc. We only have two cars but need to make sure tractor can get down for emptying septic tank etc (local farmer does it). The driveway is unusually large as there was groups of dead connifers in large borders which have now gone and there was a couple of old outbuildings which have also gone although our double garage is taking the place just clearing the ground of rubbish and crap gave us more area! Video 20230801_171559.mp4 This is from our gate looking down (there is old block paving probably 20 years plus which has had lots of abuse, never been cleaned etc). The border on the right we are moving the shrubs back to widen as the border is so big it's a nightmare to even weed. Where the blue car is was full of dead connifers which have been long gone and gravel put down from when we had the house done to make the drive bigger to get all the vehicles in so this can be part of the drive (keeping the Xmas tree). And this is from the front door looking up.

We are waiting for a quote for tarmac and also now looking at block paving to compare cost. Do we need planning permission for tarmac as it's over 5m2 (we will be putting in aco drains to go to our soakaways). If we have to go through planning permission this will be a game changer and I think we will look at block paving.

This is the second patio area which will be flagged in porcelain by the end of the week (ignore the height all our levels need sorting on the garden) - it was originally the old septic tank area which is why it's larger than we really wanted. Anyway, I digress. We have bought this https://www.costco.co.uk/Garden-Sheds-Patio/Garden-Structures/Gazebos-Pergolas-Conservatories/Paragon-Modena-12ft-x-16ft-36-x-48m-Aluminium-Pergola-with-Canopy/p/1321630 The builders have the template of where the legs will go and will reinforce under the porcelain (it will be on the middle and there will be a good gap either side of it). My question is, anything in particular we need to drill through the porcelain? The pergola comes with the concrete bolts - are these suitable for going through the porcelain?

Red tarmac reminds me of cycle lanes!

Most definitely not! It was bad enough doing a concrete base for the shed/chicken coop.

It's a nightmare for us here. It's been a mix of gravel/bit of block paving from the beginning and even with membrane - the weeds, trees (we are surrounded by oak, sycamore and other trees) the wet (we are on a slight slope), it's awful. I just can't justify the cost though. We are getting some quotes for tarmac so we can compare. It's a large area - I'd guess close to 300m2.

We are in the process of of also getting quotes for tarmac and looking at if this can be made 'prettier' and establishing cost, e.g. how it compares to the £28k price of imprinted concrete. I'm worried about concrete cracking. I'm not a fan of tarmac though and really don't think it looks attractive!

Spotted it! We will continue with our research and it would be interesting to compare prices against other surfaces. I presume resin is even more expensive.

Thanks @joe90 that's good to know. The cost is huge but the thought of it being low maintenance is very appealing to us. My Aunt's had it down 15 years and it still looks as good as new. I think a lot depends on getting a good contractor - like anything really.