Drive drainage

Oh dear - raw nerve touched here (I paid nearly five grand for a new block-paved drive and front garden path last October and still have some drainage 'issues' to resolve).

On the basis of my experience: if left unsealed it seems that block paving does indeed allow very good drainage from the gaps between the blocks. None of the reputable companies I had to quote included sealing in their quotes. But you need it to stop oil etc from staining the blocks - and I think to stop weeds growing up in the gaps. I wasn't able to apply sealant to my drive until April, six months after it was laid. But it immediately showed up several problems of insufficient drainage. The installers fixed most but not all - we're now in dispute.

So...yes I think you need a proper fall and drain arrangements, and to bear in mind that even when you have these you will need to seal or have sealed the drive before you can judge how adequate the installation is. The fall my drive installers looked excellent, even over the top, but wasn't the end of the story, as I've explained.

So how important is sealing?

It's important to stop weeds growing up in the cracks between the paving blocks and - more important for me - to improve greatly the resistance of the surface to staining and discolouration. Having said that, I understand that there are people who prefer the weathered look of unsealed blocks over time, and don't mind the maintenance.

You can stop weeds by having a weed-proof membrane laid first, as you should with gravel paths. My personal experience is that the sub-base is very important. A drive I had laid in blockwork some years ago now gets puddles where the vehicle wheels usually stand, even with a measurable fall on the drive as a whole.

Colin Bignell

From experience, it is not neccessarily self draining and that statement requires qualification. At the very least it would depend upon the properties of the underlying dub-soil.

MBQ