Paving - _not_ diy; what sort to get

I've decided to have the grotty old crazy paving round my hovel sorted, mainly because a building society has reminded me I've got far to much money for me own good (and all I've got to do now is get it ooff of them - stay away fronm Alliance and Leicester).

I've got maybe 150-200 sq metres.

I would like to know what's best.

I fancy block paving, but maybe flags would be ok.

I don't want to have to work on weeding etc, any more.

There's pressed concrete, but I don't want it to look cheap and nasty.

Any suggestions and experiences, please? Any ballpark notions as to cost - I haven't a clue.

Just a flyer; anyone know reliable firms in the Brentwood/Basildon/Chelmsford area?

I'd be grateful for any help

mike

Reply to
mike ring
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David

Reply to
Lobster

Laying anything - block, stone, concrete - is similar in price. I've just laid about 65 sq meters of indian sandtstone and we love it. Not totally flat - riven stones - but there you go.

To do the job properly takes labour - excavatuion, decent sub surface, lay on sand and cement bed etc. So you might as well go for a decent finish.

Expect to pay about 50 a squere all in, and see

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Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I'd personally shy away from concrete, even the coloured bricks/fake stone variety, because I hate fake stuff, and concrete in its natural form is not good-looking. Try clay paviors if you want the brick-type paving, and see what fancy patterns you could arrange them in. IMO it's best to get a material that varies in texture/colour slightly so you get a texture effect: there's nothing worse than every single brick being exactly the same colour and shape. Mix up a few batches if necessary. Just some thoughts,

Andy.

Reply to
andrewpreece

"andrewpreece" wrote in news:42389ac6@212.67.96.135:

Thanks for the responses.

One of my main concerns is weeds; they get everywhere and are a real PITA, I want to eliminate them if I can, so I'm worried about the sand filling. I get plenty of weeds in sand already.

But my first vusit to pavingexpert appears to say that mortar isn't good, you need drainage.

Any comments, please

Reply to
mike ring

Bentley Drives may cover the areas you mention. They do lots round here and the results still look ok a few years on. No idea what they charge though.

Yell has them at:

Fairways Garden Centre, Hullbridge Rd, Rayleigh, Essex SS6 9QS Tel: 01268 786622

Reply to
John Rumm

In article , mike ring writes

If you use a block paving sealer this will seal the sand in the joints so weeds will not grow, it will also help stop the blocks from staining, pattern imprinted concrete looks great if done properly

Reply to
Dave

You put a geotextile membrane down first, protected by a layer of sand underneath and above it. The DIY warehuses sell big rolls of it. Lets water through but not weeds.

Andy.

Reply to
andrewpreece

"andrewpreece" wrote in news:4239b988@212.67.96.135:

I'm not sure about that - I tried it around the base of a tree, with gravel on, and the weeds grow happily on that. Pretty soon their leaves attract enough blown dust for them to rally get going - millions of the b****s, a real sod to pick. And if I use weedkiller the debris is a basis for more seedlings....

mike

Reply to
mike ring

Mortar is ggod, and the drainage runns oof the top.

That needs to be allowed for of course - but that's so in any paving.

Ive laif what amints to a contiguous laod of sbals on rather crumbly screed. The weeds don't get through that I can assure you.

Its mostly bordred by eiher steep drops to the lower garden, or a french drain that fills the pond...

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

John Rumm wrote in news:4238bf71$0$43795 $ snipped-for-privacy@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net:

Thanks, John, I'll check them; it's going to be loadsadosh, so I'd like to find a firm with a record. It's very easy to find you've hired gipsies hereabouts

mike

Reply to
mike ring

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