New driveway

Author
Discussion

andygo

Original Poster:

6,959 posts

262 months

Saturday 1st January 2005
quotequote all
We need to renew and extend our driveway surface in the near future.
It's currently tarmac, that has already had a reskim applied.

We want to have something that looks OK but isn't going to cost fortunes.

As a guide, the drive is long enough to get 5 cars end to end, with an additional requirement to nick part of the front garden to allow an extra car to park instead of the constant shuffling of our 3 cars.

Not too keen on tarmac, anyone had coloured and textured concrete put down?

docevi1

10,430 posts

255 months

Saturday 1st January 2005
quotequote all
the coloured/textured stuff can become very slippy IIRC, there was a thread on here by Muncher (I think) well over 6months ago where loads of this was discussed!

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

255 months

Saturday 1st January 2005
quotequote all
andygo said:
We need to renew and extend our driveway surface in the near future.
It's currently tarmac, that has already had a reskim applied.

We want to have something that looks OK but isn't going to cost fortunes.

As a guide, the drive is long enough to get 5 cars end to end, with an additional requirement to nick part of the front garden to allow an extra car to park instead of the constant shuffling of our 3 cars.

Not too keen on tarmac, anyone had coloured and textured concrete put down?


Don't go down the patterned concrete road (sic). Either go with block paving (of several types, styles, etc), or re-do with tarmac. Block paving if done correctly (and this goes for all types of materials), would be best (IMHO).

Muncher

12,220 posts

256 months

Saturday 1st January 2005
quotequote all
Ours can be quite slippery, the limit to grip is kind of unpredictable too. Out window cleaner of many years now refuses to do the front windows as he won't put a ladder up on it.


My uncle went on a course to learn about a different method of doing pattern imprinted concrete, his drive looks excellent, blocks indivdual colours and a very coarse, grippy finish. Apparently it's also much cheaper to do also.

Wacky Racer

39,003 posts

254 months

Saturday 1st January 2005
quotequote all
Patterned concrete is fine for small areas but the colour fades away after four or five years, and can be VERY slippy on a steep drive when wet or icy.....

Tarmac is cheap, and fine till the colour washes away, but needs re-doing every few years.....

Wouldn't have block paving personally, (have this at the moment), if frost gets underneath, lifts the pavers and weeds coming through are a BIG problem, but can be satisfactory if great care is done with preparation....

By FAR the best, but not cheap is Asphalt, comes in many colours, and is usually trouble free.......

But whatever you decide, get a good firm in, not a gang of fly by night Pikeys.....

towman

14,938 posts

246 months

Saturday 1st January 2005
quotequote all


Oi was just passing guv, and oive got a little bit left over........

Wacky Racer

39,003 posts

254 months

Saturday 1st January 2005
quotequote all
towman said:


Oi was just passing guv, and oive got a little bit left over........



Oh! You've had 'em round at your place too.......