Patio and driveway conundrum

7 replies

QueenStromba · 22/04/2021 08:28

All of the paving in our garden needs sorting out. We want sandstone paving out the back, probably out the front and whatever's easiest/cheapest out of resin, paving and setts around the side. We've had three people around.

First guy just does paving. He said that he can lay paving over the really weathered concrete patio out the back but the less weathered concrete driveway out front would need to come up but then he could pave it in sandstone slabs.

Second guy does a bit of everything. He said the patio needs to come up for the paving. He also thinks the drive needs to come up but he would only do it in resin. I think he said paving for the side (haven't actually got the quote through yet) but he did say that the four or five steps we have are too steep/narrow and would need changing.

Third guy only does resin. He says that the drive doesn't need digging up except for a little bit where it meets the public footpath for a drain. He also said that it's fine that the existing concrete is breaching the damp proof course because it's 30+ years old and it would be obvious by now if it was an issue - because the resin is permeable it wouldn't cause any extra problems. He didn't have any issue with the steps down the side and is happy to just resin over them.

So, nobody agrees with anyone else and I just don't know who to trust here. We don't want a bodge job but we also don't want to overpay for unnecessary work. Any advice?

OP posts:

tanstaafl · 22/04/2021 08:40

A few driveways have been resin’d in our road.
Looks very neat, smart.
They mortar in the edge of the area with driveway bricks and or steel strip first day, next day do the pour - over the existing driveway. It’s about an inch thick.
No cars are parked on it for a few days but don’t know what the official advice is.

Ariela · 22/04/2021 09:04

I'd be really wary of this, if you come to sell it could potentially cause issues, aside from which presumably the concrete is cracked and allows drainage through, the resin wont.....

Original poster

QueenStromba · 22/04/2021 09:11

The resin is permeable.

OP posts:

PresentingPercy · 22/04/2021 09:14

Make sure all hard standing is clear of damp proof course. You will get damp! So the concrete needs to be removed. I would make sure they quote on this basis.

Don’t have sandstone. It is “soft” snd at times brittle and is not suitable for a drive. Never ever. It stains too. It gets black mould. It takes a lot of cleaning. I have if for patios around a pool and it’s hard work! Avoid.

You could have porcelain tiles for your patio (some are very competitively priced) and I would do this if starting again! We have a mix of tarmac and gravel for the drive. Both need proper foundation layers but both wear well. Perfect after 12 years. Resin is fine too I think but I don’t have it so cannot really comment.

nannyshar · 22/04/2021 10:21

My Husband is a builder and is currently sorting our drive and patio. He said that he would be concerned about the concrete breaching the dampcourse, and if there was any increase in the height of the drive would it cover any air bricks? He said that the air bricks sit on the dampcourse. He said that if you have floorboards rather than solid concrete floors the airbricks are there to ensure an airflow. If the drive is too high water can get underneath the property via the airbricks and cause major problems. Please also check that the drive will fall away from the property so that any water will run away.

PresentingPercy · 22/04/2021 12:00

I would have lower flower beds between the drive and house if possible and expose the Damp proof course. Or better still, have a drain! If permitted. We do.

PresentingPercy · 22/04/2021 12:01

Water running off drives leads to flooding. It is not a great solution to have hard standing and water running off into roads.

Flip