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[amigov6]

Mine really needs redoing. When i bought the house 7/8 years ago it was new but not built for parking. Still i parked everything all over it anyway so it's now a proper mess, dipped everywhere, colours faded etc.
   A company were canvassing today & quoted me £1200 to lift, dig 10 inches down, new sand layers etc. skim the bricks clean & dig out lay new tarmac where i used to have a front wall. Pleaded poverty & said i could'nt afford it. He asked what i could afford cash & i said £700. He came back in @ a grand, 900, 800, stuck to my guns & deal is done @ £700 if i'm happy on completion of the job.
     I know what's involved in doing the job properly & will be watching closely.

    Never take the first quote. They need you more than you need them! 8-)

[Del Boy]

Mine really needs redoing. When i bought the house 7/8 years ago it was new but not built for parking. Still i parked everything all over it anyway so it's now a proper mess, dipped everywhere, colours faded etc.
   A company were canvassing today & quoted me £1200 to lift, dig 10 inches down, new sand layers etc. skim the bricks clean & dig out lay new tarmac where i used to have a front wall. Pleaded poverty & said i could'nt afford it. He asked what i could afford cash & i said £700. He came back in @ a grand, 900, 800, stuck to my guns & deal is done @ £700 if i'm happy on completion of the job.
     I know what's involved in doing the job properly & will be watching closely.

    Never take the first quote. They need you more than you need them! 8-)

Good deal I say mate 

[Marks DTM Calib]

Mine really needs redoing. When i bought the house 7/8 years ago it was new but not built for parking. Still i parked everything all over it anyway so it's now a proper mess, dipped everywhere, colours faded etc.
   A company were canvassing today & quoted me £1200 to lift, dig 10 inches down, new sand layers etc. skim the bricks clean & dig out lay new tarmac where i used to have a front wall. Pleaded poverty & said i could'nt afford it. He asked what i could afford cash & i said £700. He came back in @ a grand, 900, 800, stuck to my guns & deal is done @ £700 if i'm happy on completion of the job.
     I know what's involved in doing the job properly & will be watching closely.

    Never take the first quote. They need you more than you need them! 8-)

Lol, so he digs down 10 inches, and then lobs tarmac down.

Its either a very small area or it aint gonna be a good job.!

[Mr Skrunts]

My mate had quite a big area done, 2 new fences etc etc etc and got a verbal quote that included some sort of sealed finnish to top it off.

I have seen all the pics of the digger, old garden and fences out, in with all new concrete posts and concrete foot boards as well as edging to block pave up to.  Down with the base and compacting, then same with the sand, in with the paving and a couple of borders and patterns in it.  All finshed off and tideied up.  Payments were made before starting and during the work as it progressed with all the money being fully paid up half way through the paving going down.

All 100% so far, my mate enquired about the sealant/finnish to be told they had never talked about that and it would be extra.  Big big  argument and a parting of company, a few irrate calls off my mate wanting what they had agreed on, sadly all he got was about 5/10 gallons of used engine oil all over his drive and a massive bill to have it professionally cleaned/

All the police said when contacted was, can you/have you any proof of who did it it Sir.

Sounds like you nailed a good deal, make sure you get all the right paperwork singed off them, if not sneal some pictures of all the workers whilst working for future reference.   

[amigov6]

Mine really needs redoing. When i bought the house 7/8 years ago it was new but not built for parking. Still i parked everything all over it anyway so it's now a proper mess, dipped everywhere, colours faded etc.
   A company were canvassing today & quoted me £1200 to lift, dig 10 inches down, new sand layers etc. skim the bricks clean & dig out lay new tarmac where i used to have a front wall. Pleaded poverty & said i could'nt afford it. He asked what i could afford cash & i said £700. He came back in @ a grand, 900, 800, stuck to my guns & deal is done @ £700 if i'm happy on completion of the job.
     I know what's involved in doing the job properly & will be watching closely.

    Never take the first quote. They need you more than you need them! 8-)

Lol, so he digs down 10 inches, and then lobs tarmac down.

Its either a very small area or it aint gonna be a good job.!

Tarmac only on the boundary as said in post.
    Either way suggest where i get it done cheaper.

[Mr Skrunts]

Mine really needs redoing. When i bought the house 7/8 years ago it was new but not built for parking. Still i parked everything all over it anyway so it's now a proper mess, dipped everywhere, colours faded etc.
   A company were canvassing today & quoted me £1200 to lift, dig 10 inches down, new sand layers etc. skim the bricks clean & dig out lay new tarmac where i used to have a front wall. Pleaded poverty & said i could'nt afford it. He asked what i could afford cash & i said £700. He came back in @ a grand, 900, 800, stuck to my guns & deal is done @ £700 if i'm happy on completion of the job.
     I know what's involved in doing the job properly & will be watching closely.

    Never take the first quote. They need you more than you need them! 8-)

Lol, so he digs down 10 inches, and then lobs tarmac down.

Its either a very small area or it aint gonna be a good job.!

Tarmac only on the boundary as said in post.
    Either way suggest where i get it done cheaper.

Not allways about getting it cheaper.  :-/

[Marks DTM Calib]

Nope, its about getting it right.

I know that when I did my drive it was 72m2 at a cost of 2000 quid for materials only....

[amigov6]

My mate had quite a big area done, 2 new fences etc etc etc and got a verbal quote that included some sort of sealed finnish to top it off.

I have seen all the pics of the digger, old garden and fences out, in with all new concrete posts and concrete foot boards as well as edging to block pave up to.  Down with the base and compacting, then same with the sand, in with the paving and a couple of borders and patterns in it.  All finshed off and tideied up.  Payments were made before starting and during the work as it progressed with all the money being fully paid up half way through the paving going down.

All 100% so far, my mate enquired about the sealant/finnish to be told they had never talked about that and it would be extra.  Big big  argument and a parting of company, a few irrate calls off my mate wanting what they had agreed on, sadly all he got was about 5/10 gallons of used engine oil all over his drive and a massive bill to have it professionally cleaned/

All the police said when contacted was, can you/have you any proof of who did it it Sir.

Sounds like you nailed a good deal, make sure you get all the right paperwork singed off them, if not sneal some pictures of all the workers whilst working for future reference.   

Hi Phil. I think the finish you mention is the one that looks wet all the time. Not having that but payment is witheld til i'm happy & my brother is a debt recovery solicitor. I know the ropes & i'm not the sort of bloke to bow down to any intimidation should it arise. 8-)

[Mr Skrunts]

My mate had quite a big area done, 2 new fences etc etc etc and got a verbal quote that included some sort of sealed finnish to top it off.

I have seen all the pics of the digger, old garden and fences out, in with all new concrete posts and concrete foot boards as well as edging to block pave up to.  Down with the base and compacting, then same with the sand, in with the paving and a couple of borders and patterns in it.  All finshed off and tideied up.  Payments were made before starting and during the work as it progressed with all the money being fully paid up half way through the paving going down.

All 100% so far, my mate enquired about the sealant/finnish to be told they had never talked about that and it would be extra.  Big big  argument and a parting of company, a few irrate calls off my mate wanting what they had agreed on, sadly all he got was about 5/10 gallons of used engine oil all over his drive and a massive bill to have it professionally cleaned/

All the police said when contacted was, can you/have you any proof of who did it it Sir.

Sounds like you nailed a good deal, make sure you get all the right paperwork singed off them, if not sneal some pictures of all the workers whilst working for future reference.   

Hi Phil. I think the finish you mention is the one that looks wet all the time. Not having that but payment is witheld til i'm happy & my brother is a debt recovery solicitor. I know the ropes & i'm not the sort of bloke to bow down to any intimidation should it arise. 8-)

Glad to hear it.   

[Marks DTM Calib]

My money is on.

They wont retain the blocks correctly around the edge

They will use a cheap hardcore and not a properly compacted DTp1

They wont put a deep enough fill in. (note, you need 150mm of sub base on a properly prepared sub-grade plus 40mm of grit sand with the edge blocks bedded on at least a 100m concrete bed plus a haunch to restrain them)

As for cleaning them up.....turn them over!

Remember, concrete blocks dont last, they weather, fade and stain easily.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Heres a picture



Note, tarmac is not suitable to retain the edge blocks 

[waspy]

Mark's drive looks very well & he did an excellent job. Listen to him he knows what he's talking about.

Just a shame he probably still has my oil stains on his blocks (common to the DTi )

[Vamps]

Had ours done in 2004, rep came to the door at the right time a reputable company with it's office in the town where I work.  Quoted £3500, said I would think about it, and I did mention I was able to pay cash.  Got a phone call a few days later, if I was able to pay cash they could do the Job for £2400 iirc
Done deal Monitored the Job, each day when I got home from work, they did a great Job and no payment required until the job was complete and I was happy with it   Refused to park any cars on it for a few days, it looked so nice.

[amigov6]

I'll take my chances. Only a small area. If bricks not cleaned properly i'll get the Karcher out. I admit i've got my doubts but am not prepared to throw 2 or 3 grand at it, i'd rather concrete it myself.
   MDTM's house is very tidy & he's a patient loving father, tantrums & dirty nappies were taken in his stride but boy did he throw a fit when one of his children walked on the gravel!
    Thanks for the heads but you really wobbled mate, never seen you like that, even i watched where i walked on the way out!!!!

[PhilRich]

Hope to god you don't live to regret it mate! I paid over £3500  two years ago to the w**kers who did mine, I was promised the earth, they showed me dozens of 'their' completed jobs in a photo album & actually took me around to two houses in my area they said they had done. They were recommended by the bloke who built my conservatory, and it still turned into a nightmare I relive every time I leave my front door & see the state its in. Although I didnt know it at the time, I had throat cancer & because I felt so ill I couldnt be arsed to go through the county court procedure. Although I am hopefully 'on the mend' now, the hassle I had accellerated my illness through stress and increased the recovery time. Heres hoping its all 'plain sailing' for you!