White cobbles on driveway

albernazj93

Hey guys,

I'm considering changing my house's driveway.

It has traditional red big and square cobbles. I was thinking maybe changing it to White cobbles 20-40mm.

I'd like to know what's your experiencie in terms of maintenance and your opinion.
Also, I'm not sure whether or not it would be allowed as I live in an estate that all house look similar and it would kinda change the driveway style.

I'd keep the black cobbles and remove only the red ones, replacing them with white cobbles like these:



This is the driveway:








Thanks!!

Gumbo

You will be tormented as the stone will constantly be dragged out onto the road every time you drive out of the car.
The street will be littered with them. The neighbours will be angry and the kids will be picking them up and firing them around the place.

Also, your management company may have a say on it.

Also, it would be a breach of the Building Regulations, specifically Part M, Access to the dwelling whereby you will be removing the hard standing access from the boundary/car enlighting point to the front door.

HeidiHeidi

A) I always think that those white stones look like topping for a grave :eek:


As posted above, round pebbles like those in the picture will go absolutely EVERYWHERE unless you have a high border around them, which wouldn't work if its a car driveway


C) Small stones will shred and compact eventually if a car is driven repeatedly over them (or at least they have done in my experience)


D) It's entirely a matter of taste, I know - but I think those stones on that driveway would look awful

Gumbo

^^^^^
D. Totally agree.

Calahonda52

Its cobble lock vs gravel

TheW1zard

OP go for it, changing out the bricks would look well.
I think people think your gonna gravel it from yoyr picture. But your saying replacing like for like,except different colour right?
Sure why not

Edit. No your saying 20mm cobbles?
Yeah would go all over the road.

albernazj93

Yea, I was considering changing to 20mm cobbles. I've seen this in another driveway and found it really nice idea. Indeed the sidewalk would get some of them but 2 min brushing them back would not be a big deal.

I just dont like the way this driveway look at the minute

Regarding the state. How can I know whether or not it's a managed state?

JustAThought

either you own it and you know or you are renting and you don’t know and will not ever get permission. Tbh on a plot thus size I think it will look totally out of character and a bit like the entrance to a chinese brothel or mass burial site. The estate looks quite grim -don’t make it even worse!

Juwwi

It looks like a fairly new estate meaning it's new cobble block drive , I'd leave it as it is .

albernazj93

Mass burial site hahahaha. Yes I do own. Not sure regarding the state rules. Whether I can paint my house yellow and pink or not. I guess I can, its mine!

Lumen

If it ain't broke don't fix it.

That driveway is perfect.

Maybe put them in the soil part on the corner if you want them there. As others have said, replacing the driveway with them is a poor idea. The noise alone would be an annoyance for neighbours if you're coming or going at oddball hours at all.

White definitely has morbid/graveyard connotations though.

Cyrus

Is there a management co ? You’ll know if you are paying management fees

If so there will likely be rules against both this and painting a different colour

Hopefully for your neighbours sake

albernazj93

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Maybe put them in the soil part on the corner if you want them there.

That's a cool idea. I could put them in a small area and see how it looks.
I won't change it straightway, just having it as an idea as I saw another house and imo it looks actually nice.

White definitely has morbid/graveyard connotations though.

Never thought of that

albernazj93

Cyrus wrote: »

Is there a management co ? You’ll know if you are paying management fees

Thanks for clarifying.
No, there is no fees. The builders are finishing last phase, will leave and that's all.

Gumbo

albernazj93 wrote: »

Thanks for clarifying.
No, there is no fees. The builders are finishing last phase, will leave and that's all.

All the hassle you went through when buying this house (remember your previous thread?), and how you wanted it, now you are willing to completely destroy why you have the hard standing walkway (Part M of Building Regulations), so its a "I'm alright Jack" attitude in my opinion.

If I was a neighbour, id be dumping the stones at your front door, not neatly back onto your driveway. Its not just a 2 minute brush every now and again, the stones will be littered the full length of your road, not just outside yours!

I've seen it happen so many times and most end up being ripped up a year later.

albernazj93

Gumbo wrote: »

All the hassle you went through when buying this house (remember your previous thread?), and how you wanted it, now you are willing to completely destroy why you have the hard standing walkway (Part M of Building Regulations), so its a "I'm alright Jack" attitude in my opinion.

If I was a neighbour, id be dumping the stones at your front door, not neatly back onto your driveway. Its not just a 2 minute brush every now and again, the stones will be littered the full length of your road, not just outside yours!

I've seen it happen so many times and most end up being ripped up a year later.

Don't remind the headache finally everything went well in the end.


I don't see it as destroying, but as changing. Replacing the current cobbles with small cobbles/pebbles.



But yea, I guess it would be small stones everywhere and that concerns me.

Gumbo

albernazj93 wrote: »

Don't remind the headache finally everything went well in the end.


I don't see it as destroying, but as changing. Replacing the current cobbles with small cobbles/pebbles.



But yea, I guess it would be small stones everywhere and that concerns me.

Making your house non compliant with the BCAR process you heavily replied on when buying.

albernazj93

Gumbo wrote: »

Making your house non compliant with the BCAR process you heavily replied on when buying.

That's the reason I wanted to double check here first.
As I said, it's just a thought and I'd like some opinion.

Good to know I'd be going against some rule

awec

You want your driveway to look something like that?

It's horrendous, and very cheap looking IMO.

tricky D

Kids could have a field day depositing those down gutter drains. Makes a great sound for a young child until the drain is blocked.

runawaybishop

awec wrote: »

You want your driveway to look something like that?

It's horrendous, and very cheap looking IMO.

It will look even worse after some ****e blows into it and half the stones are down the road.

OP, for the love of god do not replace something that is maintenance free with gravel or peastone, you will be plagued with it.

TheW1zard

Why dont you go for different colour stone (bricks)

TheBoyConor

albernazj93 wrote: »

Yea, I was considering changing to 20mm cobbles. I've seen this in another driveway and found it really nice idea. Indeed the sidewalk would get some of them but 2 min brushing them back would not be a big deal.

I just dont like the way this driveway look at the minute

Regarding the state. How can I know whether or not it's a managed state?

you thought it was a nice idea because you don't live there!!! And you don't have to deal with the disaster that it would be.

a) My first thought is that it would look like a grave. Who knows, perhaps the builders did bury a few bodies under the driveway.:D

b) Gumbo also rightly points oot the possible Part M contravention, if you do not leave a sufficiently wide solid access to allow people with disabilities to use it.

c) Round pebbles like that will not bed in at all. The wheels and your feet will sink into them and they will be constantly moving and shifting about. They will end up out all over the road and footpaths. Children will use them as missiles to throw at windows and anything that moves. Stones on the road will be kicked up possibly chipping cars and hitting people. Forget about brushing them back into the driveway. Are you really going to go out twice a week in the dead of cold rainy winter when u are exhausted after a days work and with kids screaming at you to brush a few pebbles off of the road? Be realistic, it won't be a priority.

d) besides the above, you'd break you neck walking on 40mm pebbles going to and from the house. If a visitor or the postman falls on it you'll be getting sued.

e) even if you keep them in the drive, the stones will slowly break down from all the wheels and movement. You'd end up with a dusty mix of pebbles and grit after a while.

f) as well as being out on the road they pebbles and fragments and dust will come into the house on your feet.

g) after a year or two half of the stone will just be gone, lost to the road.

h) the cobble lock paving is perfectly fine, good condition, looks decent, and is safe to walk and drive on and is pretty much *maintenance free. (*maintenance free provided that you are not one of these nobs with too much free time that is constantly out power washing and hosing and treating and spraying generally scratching around at their driveway like an aul hen). You are going to tear that up to put down a maintenance heavy, arguably dangerous and troublesome surface that will be a constant headache. Think about that.

I) if you are contravening the Part M then you will make the house non-compliant and it will harm the saleability and value of the house. The neighbours and the residents association will have a bone to pick with you. Also, the planning consent may stipulate that finishes must be of a specified type. Changing might breach the planning consent, again, hampering saleability and value.

My sister built a house and she wanted pea gravel all around it. I warned her about the difficulties of loose covering layers would pose and that an 804 yard would be most durable and still looks fine. if she had to have it I said chippings on an 804 base would bed down better. She went ahead and got the pea gravel. A DISASTER. Too thick for starters and as I predicted, car wheels would plough furrows through it. Constantly moving and shifting. The main wheel track areas were shortly down to bare 804 with big ridges of gravel at either side. I also heard the "oh sure we can relevel it the odd time". lol, stuff hasn't been touched since the day it was tipped down. Again, kids and all their chaos are the priority now, not stones in the yard.

I literally could not think of a worse, more brain dead idea for a drive way as this. Trust me - my sisters folly with it was a train wreck. Op, do not do this, You will regret it if you do. I assure you you will.

TheBoyConor

albernazj93 wrote: »

Mass burial site hahahaha. Yes I do own. Not sure regarding the state rules. Whether I can paint my house yellow and pink or not. I guess I can, its mine!

That may not be the case. You own it but the planning consent especially and any management company rules may dictate that certain finishes are used. I could nearly be certain of it.

If you went and painted your house pink, I can assure you you'd be hearing about it.

awec

The white will also start looking dirty after a while. It's not going to stay brilliant white for very long.

Honestly OP, the way it is now looks nice, infinitely better than loose stones.

JoeA3

Loose stones are a nightmare. I think they can look good in smaller areas, a feature on the driveway, e.g. a small flower bed or alongside the border of a footpath. But not the whole driveway. It'll be a pain in the arse.

TheBoyConor

Especially on a sloping driveway. The stones either be inclined to slump down towards the bottom.

albernazj93

Yea I think you guys are right.



Considering every cons you guys pointed out. It's better to leave as it is


I found it nice in another house but I don't know the headache goes through because of it.


Thanks for the posts!!! I will leave the driveway and focus on the backyard instead

awec wrote: »

You want your driveway to look something like that?

It's horrendous, and very cheap looking IMO.

Where did you find this picture? That looks horrible!

TheBoyConor wrote: »

you thought it was a nice idea because you don't live there!!! And you don't have to deal with the disaster that it would be.

a) My first thought is that it would look like a grave. Who knows, perhaps the builders did bury a few bodies under the driveway.:D

b) Gumbo also rightly points oot the possible Part M contravention, if you do not leave a sufficiently wide solid access to allow people with disabilities to use it.

c) Round pebbles like that will not bed in at all. The wheels and your feet will sink into them and they will be constantly moving and shifting about. They will end up out all over the road and footpaths. Children will use them as missiles to throw at windows and anything that moves. Stones on the road will be kicked up possibly chipping cars and hitting people. Forget about brushing them back into the driveway. Are you really going to go out twice a week in the dead of cold rainy winter when u are exhausted after a days work and with kids screaming at you to brush a few pebbles off of the road? Be realistic, it won't be a priority.

d) besides the above, you'd break you neck walking on 40mm pebbles going to and from the house. If a visitor or the postman falls on it you'll be getting sued.

e) even if you keep them in the drive, the stones will slowly break down from all the wheels and movement. You'd end up with a dusty mix of pebbles and grit after a while.

f) as well as being out on the road they pebbles and fragments and dust will come into the house on your feet.

g) after a year or two half of the stone will just be gone, lost to the road.

h) the cobble lock paving is perfectly fine, good condition, looks decent, and is safe to walk and drive on and is pretty much *maintenance free. (*maintenance free provided that you are not one of these nobs with too much free time that is constantly out power washing and hosing and treating and spraying generally scratching around at their driveway like an aul hen). You are going to tear that up to put down a maintenance heavy, arguably dangerous and troublesome surface that will be a constant headache. Think about that.

I) if you are contravening the Part M then you will make the house non-compliant and it will harm the saleability and value of the house. The neighbours and the residents association will have a bone to pick with you. Also, the planning consent may stipulate that finishes must be of a specified type. Changing might breach the planning consent, again, hampering saleability and value.

My sister built a house and she wanted pea gravel all around it. I warned her about the difficulties of loose covering layers would pose and that an 804 yard would be most durable and still looks fine. if she had to have it I said chippings on an 804 base would bed down better. She went ahead and got the pea gravel. A DISASTER. Too thick for starters and as I predicted, car wheels would plough furrows through it. Constantly moving and shifting. The main wheel track areas were shortly down to bare 804 with big ridges of gravel at either side. I also heard the "oh sure we can relevel it the odd time". lol, stuff hasn't been touched since the day it was tipped down. Again, kids and all their chaos are the priority now, not stones in the yard.

I literally could not think of a worse, more brain dead idea for a drive way as this. Trust me - my sisters folly with it was a train wreck. Op, do not do this, You will regret it if you do. I assure you you will.

Maaannn! You made me give up on this idea haha. I agree with you, there will be too many problem by changing it.



Also, I had not thought about the wheelchair I think that's what @Gumbo meant but I did not get it.



Thanks a lot!

Gumbo

albernazj93 wrote: »

YeaAlso, I had not thought about the wheelchair I think that's what @Gumbo meant but I did not get it.



Thanks a lot!

Yea, Part M is access. Access to all.
Wheelchairs, temporary disability such as pregnancy, walking stick, crutches etc

TheBoyConor

Pregnancy is not a disability.

BryanF

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Pregnancy is not a disability.

No body said it was. Relax

TheBoyConor

. temporary disability such as pregnancy [\quote]

Gumbo

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Pregnancy is not a disability.

Relax FFS.
When a person is pregnant they can be classed as temporarily, some able bodied people will require hand rails to walk up and down stairs that when not pregnant they could skip up and down.

They are not as sound on their feet as when not pregnant. As I said temporarily and some, not all.