Concrete driveway advice (pics included)

LeeUK · 20 May 2020 at 09:46

They had to trim some off the old slab as it sort of petered out at the end and was thin almost like someone had ran out of mix.

LeeUK · 20 May 2020 at 10:29

thezappa · 20 May 2020 at 11:31

Does it have a fall to it?

LeeUK · 20 May 2020 at 11:34

thezappa said:
Does it have a fall to it?

Falls slightly to the pavement.

thezappa · 20 May 2020 at 11:38

Looking at it, it's not a complete car crash but time tells with these things. Like you say it serves a purpose even if you only get a few years use out to it.

Hawk Tuah · 20 May 2020 at 13:04

LeeUK said:
EDIT: Did you get your kerb done? If you don't mind what was the ballpark figure?

It was included in the cost of the drive. Paid £4500 in total.

LeeUK · 20 May 2020 at 13:36

Mcnumpty2323 said:
Obviously not talking grand canyon sized crack but means water gets in and when it freezes cracks it a bit more
Probably some alcoholic or junkies bank account to avoid tax they will just give them a bottle or fix for putting the money through it

It was some random personal TSB account in someone's name which I found out to be one of his sons after doing a little research. Although I entered their trading name as the payee on my banking, whether that makes a difference or if it bounces back for being the wrong account name?

Bug One said:
It was included in the cost of the drive. Paid £4500 in total.

Thanks, think I read somewhere that some approved council contractors charge £150 per kerb which seems cheap. I'd need 5 and a half dropped.

Hawk Tuah · 20 May 2020 at 14:05

LeeUK said:
It was some random personal TSB account in someone's name which I found out to be one of his sons after doing a little research. Although I entered their trading name as the payee on my banking, whether that makes a difference or if it bounces back for being the wrong account name?

Thanks, think I read somewhere that some approved council contractors charge £150 per kerb which seems cheap. I'd need 5 and a half dropped.

That sounds about right. I 'think' the dropped kerb portion of ours was £1200 - but it wasn't billed separate from the driveway. That also included planning permissions / council regs. We used the council recommended company for the kerb and the drive. We then used them again for our extension. They were fantastic - and no more expensive than any other quotes.

Badger_grr · 20 May 2020 at 17:51

Truly shocking work. They should have at least cut the old concrete in a straight line.
They didn't even bother to place a sheet of ply or polythene against the brickwork while pouring.
They also didn't even finish it. Thats just a rough tamp prior to finishing properly.
I'm afraid that is a proper cowboy job.
Hopefully you'll get a few years out of it.

LeeUK · 20 May 2020 at 18:58

Oh yes it's proper cowboy job and I'm not denying it. There's also a lot of loose stones to sweep up which I'll do tomorrow.

Normally I wouldn't be happy about the splashes on the walls and agree they should have used something to cover them, but I'm painting the walls in masonry paint anyway so they will be covered up.

LeeUK · 10 Jun 2020 at 12:14

Wooh just been quoted £750 to drop the kerb, that's more than I paid for the concrete slab! Waiting for someone else to quote to compare prices. Obviously they are authorised kerb droppers, not cowboys who did my concrete slab.

Gav_r26 · 10 Jun 2020 at 12:57

That's quite cheap IMO. Think they have to pay circa £250 to the council for the license and inspection fee before they've even done anything! Think we paid over £1k for ours.

LeeUK · 10 Jun 2020 at 13:01

gav_172 said:
That's quite cheap IMO. Think they have to pay circa £250 to the council for the license and inspection fee before they've even done anything! Think we paid over £1k for ours.

Yeah not saying it's a bad price, just making joke about it being more than the slab (which would have cost more if I had used pros).

Mcnumpty2323 · 10 Jun 2020 at 13:24

Yeah usually the council has a list of approved contractors for kerb dropping
So they know it won't be done by a
Bunch of cowboys
Which is fair enough but puts the cost up
Leading to the problem of people who think it's OK to put a bit of wood in the
Gutter to bump up over the kerb
Then they get the right arse when someone blocks their driveway because
It's not been legally done properly
Happens all the time here

LeeUK · 10 Jun 2020 at 13:31

Mcnumpty2323 said:
Yeah usually the council has a list of approved contractors for kerb dropping
So they know it won't be done by a
Bunch of cowboys
Which is fair enough but puts the cost up
Leading to the problem of people who think it's OK to put a bit of wood in the
Gutter to bump up over the kerb
Then they get the right arse when someone blocks their driveway because
It's not been legally done properly
Happens all the time here

Bumping up the kerb isn't the problem as it's not very high and I was doing it before I had the concrete done. I just want it to be legal and with the law on my side to stop people from blocking me in.

They are advertised as kerb droppers so lets hope they are authorised to do it. He didn't ask me anything about the council so I assume he sorts it all out with them and that I don't have to ask council myself for permission first.

Mcnumpty2323 · 10 Jun 2020 at 13:50

Would have thought their advertising would state they were council approved /certified
Always worth a phone call to your council to double check though before having anything done
In areas where parking is not a nightmare you might get away with not having it dropped and no one blocking you in/out
But if you have it done legally then any issues the law/police are on your side
I used to have almost daily arguments with some bloke telling me I couldn't park
In a public street because he had stuck
Residents only parking signs on his
House
Threatened to vandalise my car until I pointed out my car was a 300 quid old banger off ebay and his was a nice new
30 grand car lol
So yeah if you don't have it done legally it can turn into something that gets out of
Hand if someone blocks you in

LeeUK · 10 Jun 2020 at 14:32

The big but is that I can't stop anyone parking on the opposite side and as the road is only 2 car wide (back street) it would make it difficult getting out if they were parked directly slap bang in the centre.

Gav_r26 · 10 Jun 2020 at 14:44

LeeUK said:
The big but is that I can't stop anyone parking on the opposite side and as the road is only 2 car wide (back street) it would make it difficult getting out if they were parked directly slap bang in the centre.

I have this issue with our drive. Fortunately when we extended we moved the drive over by the width of the drive and left a bit of drive in front of the extension, so were able to leave the dropped kerb where it was and extend it. Means the dropped kerb is now 2 cars wide and gives us room to swing on and off it OK.

Mcnumpty2323 · 10 Jun 2020 at 14:47

LeeUK said:
The big but is that I can't stop anyone parking on the opposite side and as the road is only 2 car wide (back street) it would make it difficult getting out if they were parked directly slap bang in the centre.

Yeah know what you mean
I live in a Victorian seaside town lot of very narrow streets and too many cars
But think your backyard from memory
Of the photos would be wide enough
To allow enough manoeuvring to get out

LeeUK · 10 Jun 2020 at 14:56

Yeah my back yard is 2 car wide and sits 2 cars side by side comfortably and the drop kerb quote is for the whole width. If someone parked opposite but only half over then I'd still be able to swing out.

Luckily most people park on my side of the road as the opposite side have a road at the other side of their houses and they all mostly park there as it's more convenient for them. It's just a scenario of what could happen that I can't control.