new patio... which drains itself

JuliusCaesar

I'm looking at crazy paving with gravel inbetween for drainage - Like at the bottom of this page (I've no connection with them, couldn't find another pic of what I meant). The self-draining is for ecological and practical grounds.

The area is 5m X 2m...any idea of cost of materials, labour?

And if you know of anyone good in Dublin between-the-canals, pm me! Thanks.

Sonnenblumen

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

I'm looking at crazy paving with gravel inbetween for drainage - Like at the bottom of this page (I've no connection with them, couldn't find another pic of what I meant). The self-draining is for ecological and practical grounds.

The area is 5m X 2m...any idea of cost of materials, labour?

And if you know of anyone good in Dublin between-the-canals, pm me! Thanks.

Beware it can be a problematic type of finish. No need for grit between stone if stone is properly laid with due regard to falls for run-off. Firstly the gritted joints are ideal for developing weeds areas! Secondly, grits move and it can reduce significantly the space for mortar to retain the stone in place, and often what happens, the mortar perishes (too small) and results in the stones becoming loos etc. For enduring stability, I would recommend that you put mortar between the stone (min 25mm) but crazy paving joints can range up to 100mm which is very unsightly.

Lay large stones along perimeters ( strength and stability) and smaller ones inside. The crazy paving style is often spoiled by poor selection and positioning of stone, but done right, it has a unique rustic appeal. Try to keep the joints reasonably modest and uniform, the same too goes for stone sizes, the bigger the variance the higher the risks of the overall look being too busy. A good base is also essential.

5m x 2m is quite small, so expect to pay a higher rate, at least € 80.00/sqm

JuliusCaesar

Hmm, thanks for that Sonnenblumen. Are you saying that if there's any drainage between stones/slabs, the base layer will erode and they'll just get knocked out of place? I'm a bit concerned about the amount of paving everywhere which prevents heavy rain being absorbed by the earth and causing heavy floods, which we've had here in central Dublin a few times in the last couple of years.

When I get the driveway (currently tarmac) re-done, I'll probably go for permeable paving - there's a lawn there anyway, so it's just a bit more mowing

Any recommendations for patio-layers?

Sonnenblumen

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Hmm, thanks for that Sonnenblumen. Are you saying that if there's any drainage between stones/slabs, the base layer will erode and they'll just get knocked out of place? I'm a bit concerned about the amount of paving everywhere which prevents heavy rain being absorbed by the earth and causing heavy floods, which we've had here in central Dublin a few times in the last couple of years.

When I get the driveway (currently tarmac) re-done, I'll probably go for permeable paving - there's a lawn there anyway, so it's just a bit more mowing

Any recommendations for patio-layers?

I would suggest laying the stones on a mortar bed on top of a compacted hardcore sub-base (minimum 70mm deep). I would also use mortar to do the joints ( given it is such a small area, I would have no concerns about run-off which can be directed to irrigate lawn/planted areas?

Permeable paving is simply man made concrete block pavers, in which the joints are filled with silicate sand (eventually washes out rain/cleaning/weeding etc. I would contend using a natural stone can be much more environmentally sensible than any concrete alternative.

If this is your second run at doing the driveway area, I would pick carefully so that the third attempt is the one to last!