paving Where best place to start for beginners block paving

[Movieman]

Hi guys I'm interested in doing my driveway with block paving porous

 

It's 4.5m vs 4.5m roughly 

 

I'm a total beginner and never done anything like this before. I've been quoted 4k odd to do this which is a lot 

 

Photos attached 

 

Any types or guidance  would be greatly appreciated 🙏 

[Mr Punter]

https://www.pavingexpert.com/

[markc]

4K ? 🤯. That’s it, im getting into block paving.

[Mr Punter]

You have 20m2.  if you allow £50/m materials and £80/m labour, plus £250 muckaway it would cost £2,850.

 

You could do it yourself for half that.

 

It is not like the contractor would think you live somewhere posh.

 

If you are doing this to park in the front garden it needs to be done properly.  You will need consent from the council and to install a soakaway or permeable paving, plus a dropped kerb to council spec which would need a streetworks licence plus a lot of public liability insurance.

[Bitpipe]

Had a lot of hard landscaping works done post build, including two large block paved in/out driveways. Used a guy who's bread & butter is block paving so watched him closely as I'm using the leftover blocks for a small bin store.

 

+1 for the paving expert. The basics seem to be excavating to sufficient depth, especially on sides. Generous bed & haunch for the perimeter blocks as they stop the other blocks moving, very well compacted bed of type 1 for the main block bed, blinding sand and then blocks. Whacker and kiln dried sand to lock it all together.

 

Where it gets complicated is ensuring a sufficient fall for water, drainage (aco) and cleanly cutting blocks when you get to the perimeter. My guy made it look easy but had years of experience. 

 

As above, if you're planning to park on it then you need necessary permissions and need to ensure you're building to a sufficient weight standard (deeper excavation and type 1 layer).

[Temp]

The key to any paving is not the paving itself but the preparation and foundations under it. The paving expert website is great. For many things they have example specifications you can use for the design or to get quotes. A scroll down the site index will give you loads of ideas. Don't skimp on the foundations or you will regret it. Hire the proper equipment for compacting hardcore. 

 

I would start with an application for a dropped kerb at the council. This is needed to legally drive across the pavement. 

 

You can avoid having to make a planning application if you deal with any rainwater run off on site. This can range from simply sloping the drive towards a flower bed or installing drains and a soakaway. The things to avoid are having rainwater run into the road or pool up against the wall of the house.

[Temp]

Unfortunately this needs a subscription that I don't have but its only from last month..

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/environment/2022/02/18/not-front-yard-ban-looms-paved-drives/

 

"Ban looms for paved drives"

 

 

 

 

[Movieman]

8 hours ago, Temp said:

Unfortunately this needs a subscription that I don't have but its only from last month..

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/environment/2022/02/18/not-front-yard-ban-looms-paved-drives/

 

"Ban looms for paved drives"

 

 

 

 

The legislation from what I read is non permeable driveways with the problem that's driveways shunt water into the sewage system and overwhelm it

 

Permeable drive ways of course don't. 

[Movieman]

15 hours ago, Mr Punter said:

You have 20m2.  if you allow £50/m materials and £80/m labour, plus £250 muckaway it would cost £2,850.

 

You could do it yourself for half that.

 

It is not like the contractor would think you live somewhere posh.

 

If you are doing this to park in the front garden it needs to be done properly.  You will need consent from the council and to install a soakaway or permeable paving, plus a dropped kerb to council spec which would need a streetworks licence plus a lot of public liability insurance.

Thanks  lot for your reply .

 

Unfortunately I am not able to get a dropped kerb as the the parking space in front of the house is protected by the council we have only a few on our street. 

 

My plan is 2 fold

 

1. Get rid of the maintenance and mess that the front garden requires .

 

2. Use the neighbours ramp to park,  not strictly correct within the rules . But a friend does it in the area and I don't think the council  care that much . Although he has a permit only about 50 quid for a year .

 

 

[Movieman]

To add I'll be following the council requirements for the drive way eg it has to be permeable and certain size and all that . 

 

Everything will be done to council spec. It's just unfortunately now no one can apply for dropped kerb in our Borough as they have restricted all the parking . 

 

Which I understand. 

[dangti6]

Interested to hear how you get on and will be watching for any advice as I am contemplating doing my own block paved driveway. First I need to sit myself down and think honestly whether I have the enthusiasm as well as the back/knees to pull it off as it's not a quick job. I'll start by measuring the area and looking at the cost estimates for a firm to come in and do it. That usually motivates me, such as it has for you here.

 

Are the interlocking blocks with the porous gravel infill any more susceptible to weeds than the standard ones that lock together with sand?

[Temp]

On 20/03/2022 at 09:02, Movieman said:

It's just unfortunately now no one can apply for dropped kerb in our Borough as they have restricted all the parking . 

 

Without a dropped kerb permit I believe it's a motoring offense to drive over the pavement. Google suggests its section 184 of the Highways Act. 

[ProDave]

On 20/03/2022 at 08:59, Movieman said:

Thanks  lot for your reply .

 

Unfortunately I am not able to get a dropped kerb as the the parking space in front of the house is protected by the council we have only a few on our street. 

Then it is a non starter.    To drive off at an angle to go round a legally parked car in that space, would also mean taking down the walls between you and a neighbour and for them to be happy with you driving over part of their land.

[saveasteading]

All the above +1.

So called permeable paving is concrete with gaps. So these gaps need to be kept clean. Then the water needs a thick bed of single sized stone to hold it until it goes away.....somewhere...or not.

Much simpler to slope it off to the side into a soakaway.

Re the cost, a professional could easily rise to that with nice thick subbase and kerb etc. Not that i know if it really did, or was just highly priced.

If it included a dropped kerb and they are la approved then it is a decent price.