Best Option for Driveway & Paths

Kashkai

Now that I've finally gotten rid of Bob the Builder, I have to look into replacing the driveway and paths around my house. I used to have tarmacadam but this disappeared under Bob's diggers during the build and there's feck all left. Now while a good tar job can look well, I was fed up pulling weeds from the cracks in the driveway and paths around my house.

As the house is set back about 80 ft from the road and the house has a large "footprint", I'll probably have to shell out quite a bit on whatever I end up going for. What are the alternatives?

Tar, concrete, gravel, cobblelock, anything else????

Opinions gratefully accepted (and recommended suppliers too)

plasto

You can get a concrete print that looks like cobble, but much cheaper, any colour. You can get different prints. Where are u based?

CJhaughey

My personal opinion is that washed 3/4 chip is the cleanest and best looking finish for the price, yes you may occassionally have to pull a few weeds but it is hardly back breaking labour pulling weeds out of gravel:)
It drains well and is big enough not to get caught in peoples shoes and brought inside.

mags16

Hey Prosperous Dave, I was rivetted by your dramas with Bob The Builder. Regarding your driveway, I am getting one put in as we speak. I'm using natural stone materials from The Natural Stone Yard near Ashbourne. Granite chippings in the driveway and a path of grey sandstone bordered with granite cobbles. There is this honeycomb mesh under the chippings that keeps them in place while letting water drain through and suppressing weed growth. You might think this is all costing a fortune but the the quote for this job was as cheap as another quote which would have used cement roadstone products. The third quote I got was double what I am paying now.

If anyone can steer me towards a good gate company, I'd be grateful.

Qwerty?

mags16 wrote:

I'm using natural stone materials from The Natural Stone Yard near Ashbourne. Granite chippings in the driveway and a path of grey sandstone bordered with granite cobbles. There is this honeycomb mesh under the chippings that keeps them in place while letting water drain through and suppressing weed growth.

Hi Mags, have you a link for that company, can't seem to find it online, also roughtly what price / m2 are you talking?

What type of gates are you thinking off? wooden or metal...

Thanks,
Qwerty?

ambman

i have the number of a guy who does that pressed concrete. did mine a few years back did a smashing job and didnt need to kidnap the bank manager to pay for it. pm me if you wnat his name and number

Kashkai

Thanks for the replies folks.

Forgive my ignorance but what is "pressed concrete", i.e. what does it look like?

The wife wants to get cobble lock in but I'm not a fan of it (had it in the last house) as it allows weeds and moss to grow up through the cracks and if not bedded in right, will eventually sink in places. As we'll have the occasional oil delivery, I think a tanker would knock hell out of cobble lock.

As for granite chippings or gravel in general, is this not a recipe for dust from the gravel in dry conditions?. A neighbour across the road has gravel chips and he throws up a dust cloud when he moves the car into and out of his driveway. Also as we have a pram for twins and a bike for our eldest daughter, would they not get stuck in the gravel?

Not being negative here, but I have to get this right first time as funds won't allow a second shot at it.

mags16

Have a look at www.naturalstoneyard.ie. They have a nice show area so you see the products in situ. Take the Ashbourne exit from the N2 and take a right at the roundabout as if you are going back to town on the old road. The Natural Stone Yard is on your left hand side.That honeycomb mesh is pricey. €220 for 4 sheets to cover 28 sq metres. The cost of my job is coming out at €92 per sq metre. Materials includes a pallet of Liscannor building stone ( I have loads left over), the granite chippings, Sandstone slabs and granite cobbles.

The guy doing it is grand but very moany. He says he under priced the job. His problem, not mine.

As for cobblelock, some one once said that it should only be used in garage forecourts and I'm inclined to agree. Gravel with a path is cheaper but looks classier.

Not sure about the gate yet. Probably metal. The kind that has a wee pedestrian gate at the side. Can anyone recommend a good gate company?