Sandstone driveway

[Pocster]

Why is everything so expensive!

Anyway considering this ( wallet still crying at the thought )

Do these need to be sealed ?

Also it’s suggested that they are grouted with flowtec ( or something like that ) . Never found any of these patio / driveway grouts to work - always end up lifting and cracking .

Presume I could just use kiln dried sand as normal .

Sandstone pavers ( be quiet wallet !!! ) will be bedded on concrete.

 

ta 

[divorcingjack]

Isn't sandstone really soft? Would it take the wear of vehicles OK? 

 

 

[Pocster]

51 minutes ago, divorcingjack said:

Isn't sandstone really soft? Would it take the wear of vehicles OK? 

 

 

I’ve been told yes - but am less sure ....

[PeterW]

Sorry was looking for a link in your first post ....

 

So a fully bedded sandstone paver will take a vehicle with no problem. Sand and cement pointing is cheap and easy - dry day and the premixed bagged stuff just poured into the joints and water it to make it set. 

 

Sandstone isn’t expensive though so not sure where you’ve been looking ..?? Regularised sandstone mixed size packs can be had for £15/m so if it’s much more than that you’re being ripped off ...

[Pocster]

3 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Sorry was looking for a link in your first post ....

 

So a fully bedded sandstone paver will take a vehicle with no problem. Sand and cement pointing is cheap and easy - dry day and the premixed bagged stuff just poured into the joints and water it to make it set. 

 

Sandstone isn’t expensive though so not sure where you’ve been looking ..?? Regularised sandstone mixed size packs can be had for £15/m so if it’s much more than that you’re being ripped off ...

Here ! ?

 

https://www.pavingsuperstore.co.uk/stonemarket-paving-sawn-and-sandblasted-sandstone-stonespar-garma-paving-slabs.html

[PeterW]

£100 a metre for Indian sandstone ..??!!!!! Someone is having a laugh ..!!! Sandblasting it to make it non slip is ridiculous as all you will do is make it hold muck and water. 

 

talk to these guys - https://www.pavingdirect.com/paving-slabs

[joe90]

Spookily I was just browsing for block paving for our patio/paths and found “simply paving “ to be cheaper than paving direct (well for the sets like was thinking of).

[Pocster]

38 minutes ago, PeterW said:

£100 a metre for Indian sandstone ..??!!!!! Someone is having a laugh ..!!! Sandblasting it to make it non slip is ridiculous as all you will do is make it hold muck and water. 

 

talk to these guys - https://www.pavingdirect.com/paving-slabs

Problem is the boss wants same size , plank style and a mix of colours ....

[PeterW]

For a driveway ....??? 

 

You could buy 600x600 and cut them in half, would give the same effect ... and still be 30% of the price. 

[Pocster]

12 minutes ago, PeterW said:

For a driveway ....??? 

 

You could buy 600x600 and cut them in half, would give the same effect ... and still be 30% of the price. 

Yeah driveway .

They’ll never cut as neat as machined ones . Also I’ve got 50 sq metres to do .....

[Ferdinand]

5 minutes ago, pocster said:

Yeah driveway .

They’ll never cut as neat as machined ones . Also I’ve got 50 sq metres to do .....

 

Aren’t there chaps you can bring in with a sawmill for stone for a day for several hundred?

[Pocster]

33 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

 

Aren’t there chaps you can bring in with a sawmill for stone for a day for several hundred?

I suppose that’s possible ...

[PeterW]

50sqm I would be looking at tarmac or a bonded gravel or similar - if it was a patio I would sort of agree with the plank type slabs but not a driveway. 

[Declan52]

You could hire one of these out and buy a few blades and still be quids in.

https://www.hss.com/hire/p/tile-saw-bench-plunge-cut-110v

[Cpd]

Come on now beef it up..... here is one I built about 7 years ago, 750 meters long with each block coming in at +800kg should look good in your neck of the woods. But seriously sandstone comes in all grades, this one was very hard and resistant to the salt erosion as it was right next to the ocean, we were driving over it with a tractor and a ton of stone hundreds of times without a problem. 

[Pocster]

11 hours ago, PeterW said:

50sqm I would be looking at tarmac or a bonded gravel or similar - if it was a patio I would sort of agree with the plank type slabs but not a driveway. 

But you are going against the bosses wishes !!!! 

[Pocster]

11 hours ago, Cpd said:

Come on now beef it up..... here is one I built about 7 years ago, 750 meters long with each block coming in at +800kg should look good in your neck of the woods. But seriously sandstone comes in all grades, this one was very hard and resistant to the salt erosion as it was right next to the ocean, we were driving over it with a tractor and a ton of stone hundreds of times without a problem. 

Lol I might struggle with 800kg a slab !! ?

 

[Bitpipe]

I've learned a lot from our limestone patio. While it looks good, the flat grey grey 600x800 flags should have been sealed immediately after laying (my fault) as they're like sponges.

 

I also used BAL wide joint grout but was not happy with the end result, so ground out the joins that I had done and redone with a few buckets of sweep in Easy Joint which is much easier to use.

 

Biggest issue is that we laid them on sand and cement mortar over a well compacted MOT 1 base. However as they're porous, the downpour followed by hard frost over winter caused a few to pop and start moving.  I lifted and re-laid the worst ones with tile adhesive and all is good. Ideally I should have poured a concrete base and bonded them all with tile adhesive but this would have significantly increased the cost.

 

I bonded a few others with waterproof PVA and while they're holding fast, there are shadows where the PVA has leeched up into the limestone so they will need to be replaced or may try and clean with a sealant remover first.

 

Will give them all a good clean with a limestone cleaning product and then seal.

 

Upside is I got the slabs at a very keen rate of £39.99/m2 which is approaching half price - no idea how the merchant got that price and as they have now gone bust, maybe neither did they ...

 

Like all things, you obsess over the detail, kick yourself over the mistakes and then move onto something else and forget about it

 

 

 

[PeterW]

19 minutes ago, pocster said:

But you are going against the bosses wishes !!!! 

 

Ask if she wants a nice kitchen or a nice drive .....

[Bitpipe]

11 hours ago, PeterW said:

50sqm I would be looking at tarmac or a bonded gravel or similar - if it was a patio I would sort of agree with the plank type slabs but not a driveway. 

 

Have to agree, unless really well sealed and regularly cleaned they will get very grubby very quickly - rubber from tyres can leave hard to remove marks never mind oil, and other crap from your car.

 

Would also worry about movement especially if heavy viechles go onto your drive.

 

We did resin bound gravel on our in / out driveway (75mm porous tarmac, 50mm resin bound gravel) and it was about £70/m2 including labour (did not cover the prep of excavating old, new sub base and edging).

 

Looks great and is bombproof.

[Pocster]

29 minutes ago, PeterW said:

 

Ask if she wants a nice kitchen or a nice drive .....

Oh ! I know the answer to that question without asking .... BOTH !

[Pocster]

28 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

 

Have to agree, unless really well sealed and regularly cleaned they will get very grubby very quickly - rubber from tyres can leave hard to remove marks never mind oil, and other crap from your car.

 

Would also worry about movement especially if heavy viechles go onto your drive.

 

We did resin bound gravel on our in / out driveway (75mm porous tarmac, 50mm resin bound gravel) and it was about £70/m2 including labour (did not cover the prep of excavating old, new sub base and edging).

 

Looks great and is bombproof.

Yeah . I did look into resin . Reality is nothing will ever park on the driveway ; so though it IS a driveway it will be used like a patio ....

[Declan52]

37 minutes ago, pocster said:

Yeah . I did look into resin . Reality is nothing will ever park on the driveway ; so though it IS a driveway it will be used like a patio ....

That makes it worse!! You are paying £100 a sqm to set the patio table on and a BBQ.

[Pocster]

Lol ! From my bosses perspective this is better !!!! 

[Pocster]

She likes these 

 

https://simplypaving.com/stoneflair-by-bradstone-stonemaster-paving-dark-grey-washed-800-x-200-32-per-pack.html

 

which even says ‘ not suitable for driveways ‘ . The problem is the long slim plank style risks cracking even on a concrete bed so I’ve been told ; if driven on .

So ! It will be astetics over functionality I think . High level meeting with the boss later ...... wish I could get demoted ! 

Edited June 29, 2018 by pocster