It’s stylish. It’s practical. It’s beautiful. You can get extremely creative with it, to stunning effect. It’s block paving. And it’s the star of the home improvement show. Classy garden paving is just as popular, a relatively low cost way to transform even the dullest, nastiest patio or outdoor entertainment space into something really special. And driveway paving is big too, a sure fire way to get rid of that old tarmac or crazy paving without breaking the bank. But what about maintenance? Can you just leave it? Or do you need to get down and dirty to maximise your paving’s performance?
It’s good to keep your paving clear of slime and algae because although it can be very beautiful, it’s horribly slippery when wet and very dangerous. You can buy special cleaning products or just scrub it off with a stiff yard brush and hot water laced with ordinary washing up liquid. If you prefer the high tech route you can always invest in a Karcher but they have a tendency to scrub paving so clean it loses that lovely worn-in, natural look.
With block paving the gaps are usually filled with very fine sand which can settle over time, particularly if you live somewhere windy. To re-fill it just dribble the dry sand on and brush it into the gaps with a soft brush.
You’ll probably find tiny plants will eventually take root between the blocks. They’re actually lovely when you look up close and, as conservationists say, there’s no such thing as weeds. They can make a paved area look fantastic when left to take over, if that’s your kind of thing. Otherwise it’s best to pick them out by hand when they’re tiny so they don’t get a proper hold.
Block paving is excellent stuff. A modern take on old fashioned cobblestones, it turns a scuffed, tatty tarmac driveway or old crazy-paved path into something contemporary and practical, good looking and durable. But it isn’t just a matter of plonking the blocks down and hoping for the best. It’s just as important to prepare the ground properly for block paving as it is for heavy duty concrete paving slabs.
What happens when you get it wrong? Your new drive can slump over time under the weight of your car, spoiling the pattern and weakening the blocks’ structural integrity. Weeds grow through the minute you turn your back, which can also eventually affect the performance of your drive or path. Blocks can crack and break when they’re not laid on an appropriately solid foundation. In short you shorten its useful life fairly dramatically.
Wonky paving is dangerous too. We live in an increasingly litigious society and if your drive or path causes an accident you could be sued. Home insurance covers liability but there’s no guarantee your liability and legal expenses claims will be paid. And if you lay paving on sub-standard ground for someone else and they injure themselves as a result, you could find yourself in all sorts of financial hot water.
If you’re considering DIY driveway paving to save money, do your sums first. Calculate how much time it’ll take you, bearing in mind it almost always takes longer than expected when you’re an amateur. Cost out your own time on an hourly basis, including time spent researching how to do a professional job and calculating materials quantities. Price the materials, deliveries and disposing of rubbish. Then compare your total with the cost of getting an expert in.
Take your health into account too. Unless you’re pretty fit, laying block paving is a tough job from a physical perspective. And injuries, especially to the back, can have all sorts of unwelcome financial consequences.
At the end of the day proper preparation is so important, it really is best to use a paving professional. Someone with plenty of experience laying block drives, a direct line to discounted materials from builders’ merchants, the expertise to know materials quantities practically at a glance and the right kind of transport.
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