I want to pave the front drive and change the over grown front garden into a parking space.

Paving sounds like a cheap, yet good looking option, but how do you do it?

I understand that I will have to dig up the soil, and lay down weed surpressing matting. But then it gets hazy!

Do I use sand and then put the slab on top, or will i need to cement them in place as it will be a car parking spot?

Any help would be welcome! :)

i'm no builder but i think the foundation depends on the soil composition. if its mega soft you will need to dig deeper and put stone down first.

i think to lay flags you bed them on a dry mix of sand and cement and let the underground moisture do the rest.

dont forget to take drainage into consideration, i.e, encourage a fall on the flags toward the road.


mj
ps im a spark, you would be wise to consult a builder.

Thank mj! :)

From what I've gathered so far:

1) dig up soil
2) hardcore
3) sand/cement mix
4) slabs

Would I need a anti-weed membrane and where would I put it?

I think that if you want the paving to take the weight of a car you are going to need to put in quite a depth of compacted hardcore as foundations. It will be much harder work than just laying a slabs for use as a patio. You would then typically use a layer of sharp sand to level off the surface and then lay the slabs on dabs of mortar - one in each corner and one in the middle - tapping them all level with rubber mallet and spirit level. Depending on what slabs you use, you could butt joint them or leave gaps in between and fill with mortar afterwards. It will probably require a couple of tons of hardcore and a ton of sand at least (possibly a lot more) - you then have an equivalent amount of soil to get rid of which you have dug out. If you still think the weeds are going to make it through that lot, you can get the weed control fabric in most DIY superstores or garden centres.

[Edited by Boost II - 8/20/2002 10:15:47 AM]

Andy,

I'm just going through this myself, but for a patio in the garden (i.e. less loading). But found the following excellent site that tells you almost everything you might ever want to know:

http://www.pavingexpert.com/

Cheers

Ian

I'm not sure about tons of building materials!!! :eek:

The space is about 3m by 2 m and it has to take the weight of a Ford Ka! ;)

Although it still sounds like a lot of work!! :(

I've just laid a patio. The chap who lives next door is a builder. The requirements for laying something for automotive use are massively different for just a patio...

You do need hardcore, concrete and shedloads of stuff. I do not believe you need a membrane as nothing is likely to get through that lot.

If you're unsure, I'd take advice from a professional that is willing to stand by their words. It's a lot of grafting and, being honest, I'd be tempted to pay someone. That way, if it does crack, you've got someone to blame.........

Andy - I've used the weed control matting stuff in my front garden and its about as much use as a chocolate teapot mate - waste of money, the weeds still grow up through it!!!

Just break the Weedol out now and then ;)

You will need solid foundations to take a car weight (something like 45cm).

If you want a cheap drive then gravel is the way to go 15cm should be fine and you just dump it down and rake it roughly level ;)