Driveway surface..

[Gunk]

As far as weeds are concerned - is it not better to just spray some weedkiller all over once a year
it doesn't matter how good the base layer is or what membrane you use
if you have the smallest gap that some organic matter can get into a weed will find it and grow

personally I use one of the butane flame weed burners
probably inefficient and time intensive
but far more manly

or maybe I just like playing with fire??

Our block paved drive is 35 years old now. Over the 20 years I’ve owned the house, the only maintenance has just been to spray it with weed killer about three times a year, takes about 30 minutes.

IMO the resin drives look like plastic, nice quality cobbled block paving is the way to go

 

[MrGrumpy]

I am leaning towards porous resin myself now, just been looking at a local firm that has been putting pictures of their work up on FB, will get a couple of quotes soon and see

Non porous = ice rink is my thought ! Resin drives look nice but I’d be worried about them getting damaged.

 

[JhnBssll]

I was tempted by resin but ended up laying permeable block paving. This was largely because I could do the work myself, but I also prefer the look of block paving and believe it will last longer than what is essentially a plastic surface under constant UV assault 🤞

 

[MrGrumpy]

I was tempted by resin but ended up laying permeable block paving. This was largely because I could do the work myself, but I also prefer the look of block paving and believe it will last longer than what is essentially a plastic surface under constant UV assault 🤞

Been a few laid round my way , be interesting to see how they last , I’m just not convinced they have longevity. Weeds on block paving is not imo a huge issue. Jet wash some weed killer stuff and then resand ? Not hard unless your drives a mile long

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

We have an Indian Stone driveway - main problem with it is that the area where the car is parked doesn;t get much Sun.
As a result it can remain damn for quite a while after rain or dew - and gets green and slippy
It takes an hour or two to power wash the whole thing properly.
AT the same time the stones seem to have a thinner version of the problem on all the stones - last year we found some stuff that returns the whole thing back to the original colours.

 

[fossyant]

Folks drive just done.

Tarmac and big block paves.

And not far from you @potsy

 

[nickyboy]

Been a few laid round my way , be interesting to see how they last , I’m just not convinced they have longevity. Weeds on block paving is not imo a huge issue. Jet wash some weed killer stuff and then resand ? Not hard unless your drives a mile long

No resanding necessary if you use a simple pump action weedkiller dispenser. As I mentioned, we have about 100m2 of block paving and it takes me about two hours to do the spraying. Once a year is plenty. Do it in the Spring and I will get a few weeds in the Autumn which I pull out by hand

 

[potsy]

Folks drive just done.

Tarmac and big block paves.

And not far from you @potsy
View attachment 631267

That's probably my 2nd option at the minute, who did theirs?

Message me please..

 

[fossyant]

That's probably my 2nd option at the minute, who did theirs?

Message me please..

I'll find out.

 

[Dec66]

Hi all, looking at finally getting my drive re-surfaced and was wondering what the CC gang would recommend I do with it..
Its only a 5x5 metre space, so enough for 2 cars, just.

Originally fancied block paving, but I keep seeing resin and imprinted concrete ones that look very nice for a lot less cash...

Any pros and cons of any of those I should know about?

Cheers.

Having mine done right now, in resin bonded gravel with paviers around it (also having the front garden walls rebuilt at the same time). Our friends in the same street have just had theirs done in patterned concrete, which is awaiting a coat of whatever it is they coat it with.

With any of them, it's all about prepping the ground well. So obviously make sure that's done properly.

Block paving looks nice, but you'll spend forever weeding it. Resin bonded gravel looks nice, but you need a base put down first (asphalt or concrete) so you're effectively having it done twice which bumps the cost up. Patterned concrete looks OK when done well, but if it cracks you're knackered. I sense it might be a bit slippy on wet and icy days too.

Different strokes for different folks. Go with your gut to choose what you likenthe look of best, then ensure that your tradesperson comes recommended to do that kind of work.

Good luck!

 

[Gunk]

Been a few laid round my way , be interesting to see how they last , I’m just not convinced they have longevity. Weeds on block paving is not imo a huge issue. Jet wash some weed killer stuff and then resand ? Not hard unless your drives a mile long

Never jet wash a block paved drive, it destroys the sand layer below.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

We have a mix of block paving at the front of the house, and tar in front of the garage, both are north facing so it seems ideal for moss and weeds. The tarmac was laid properly by the local council as they were resurfacing the footpaths and I contacted the council to enquire about getting them to tar our drive whilst they were working right next to it. The surface was properly prepared and compacted, and a decent depth of tar laid and is still in good condition despite having Land Rovers, and now 2.4t Caravelle parked and washed on it. The block paving has, as many do, suffered from moss and weeds growing between the blocks. It has also sunk, most notably where a street lighting column was removed (at the same time as the footpath/drive was tarred).
We're going to get the blocks lifted and the sub-base levelled and compacted this year and may try the polymer sand/grout to attempt to reduce the weed growth. A sealant may reduce the moss growth.
Resin drives look good, but can be slippery and can beak up.
For appearance block paving is good, if aesthetics are not key, then tar. However in any case, preparation is key, compaction of the sub-base is essential if you expect it to stay level.

 

[Twizit]

Resin drives look good, but can be slippery and can beak up.

Just to note when our resin was put down they dusted the top of it with some form of ground glass whilst it was wet. Nothing you can see or notice but no issues with it being slippy.

I'll let you know on the breaking up bit in 10 years once I've had time to assess properly 🤞

 

[BoldonLad]

We have block paving. It has been down for 35 years, no problems. I. spray it with weedkiller once a year, and, re-sand every other year. It has a car and a 3.5 Tonne motorhome parked on it.

 

[AuroraSaab]

We had imprinted concrete at our last house. Looked good and easy to maintain. It was a huge area though so they had to cut occasional channels in it otherwise it would be prone to cracking. These were the only bits that got mossy. We had a cobbled style surface but if I was having it again I'd get a flatter one - much better for the kids to play on.

In our current house we had the front drive flagged, which has lasted well, but I'm thinking of tarmac or concrete again for the drive that leads to the side garage due to car oil leaks etc. and low maintenance. As said, it really is down to the quality of preparation - properly excavated and laid most drives will last well, whatever material you choose.