Front Paving:Imprint Concrete v Cobble Lock Etc Suggestions

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IrishGunner

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Ok time to get the front of the house paved

Looking at options and getting quotes and looking online

So there is Patterned concrete which is low maintenance and then there is cobble lock. Will be parking cars on them so have to be durable.

So just wondering if users have had to choose between the 2 and which did they choose and why?
 
The imprinted concrete when just completed is nice, but it is coloured white concrete and won't take too long to start losing it's colour. Very difficult for kids to play on with little cars and toys with wheels, etc. The cobble lock too looks nice when lovely and new, but weeds, moss, discolouration and having to keep it grouted, etc, is a nuisance. The black stuff i referred to is the asphalt finish, not just ordinary tarmac. Then again you don't want that.
 
noproblem said:
The imprinted concrete when just completed is nice, but it is coloured white concrete and won't take too long to start losing it's colour. Very difficult for kids to play on with little cars and toys with wheels, etc. The cobble lock too looks nice when lovely and new, but weeds, moss, discolouration and having to keep it grouted, etc, is a nuisance. The black stuff i referred to is the asphalt finish, not just ordinary tarmac. Then again you don't want that.
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Its not a massive driveway and although practical we are not looking at it. We understand re Imprinted and that it will fade over time so we just want to see how it can be maintained when it does. Cobble lock etc yeah I don't want to spend time grouting, weeding etc

Getting few quotes see what their options / suggestions are also but looking for users opinions
 
The imprinted concrete you can get re-done, re-sealed they call it. Should last around 4/5 years if little traffic on it. Are you kerbing it for a nice finish? Far nicer if finished in this way. All things considered the imprinted concrete, if there's very light traffic traffic on it is what I would go with. Be careful with who you get to do it, like everything there's chancers out there.
 
noproblem said:
The imprinted concrete you can get re-done, re-sealed they call it. Should last around 4/5 years if little traffic on it. Are you kerbing it for a nice finish? Far nicer if finished in this way. All things considered the imprinted concrete, if there's very light traffic traffic on it is what I would go with. Be careful with who you get to do it, like everything there's chancers out there.
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Yeah just car will be on it and not during the day after all this ends. Not sure about kerbing will ask about it. Yeah few chancers out there and got recommendations from others so before we decide who to go with will check references etc
 
Grass or Sedum paving is another option - a variety of reinforced grids that give the stability for parking while allowing soakage and grass growth throughout the area.

I'm looking into it as an alternative option to paving or gravel for a parking space, I found the following company through a search (no connection to it), but interested to hear of any other Irish suppliers offering similar and people's experiences with it.

Grass Reinforcement - Grass Paving | Plastic Honeycomb | Ireland | Geo-Coastal Engineering

Ireland's specialist supplier of an extensive range of Plastic Grass Reinforcement Grass Paving, Permeable Paving, grass grid, grass blocks and mats for various applications - In stock for immediate delivery
www.geo-coastal.ie www.geo-coastal.ie
 
Just be really careful when you’re sourcing a provider.

I had a lucky escape in that regard.

A lot of the websites are fake and a lot of the photos on providers’ website are of work they didn’t do.

I went out to Kilsaran to look at stuff and was lucky enough to get speaking to someone very senior who wouldn’t normally deal with the public.

He was able to warn me about the person I’d received a quote from; basically that it wasn’t his real name, he has stiffed people, etc.

Paving etc seem to be a minefield, with a lot of the providers “moving around a lot” shall we say.
 
Was up with a supplier in balgriffen gave me 2 names they use. Will ask to see their work on other premises and if they can't show us no deal.

Coming around to possibly tarmac in body of garden and kerb or similar around the edges. In no rush but try to get it organised before Summer
 
Interested in this also so following along. We are considering concrete resin as another option. I have seen a few properties nearby with it and it looks great. Haven’t researched properly yet although I do know there’s a difference between how it’s bonded that you need to be careful of and similar to above in term of who does it, but another option to consider maybe!
 
Also looking at this and went so far as to buy a book "Driveways, Paths and Patios" by Tony McCormac to try and get some idea.
Mrs Romulan has signaled the imprinted concrete.
 
Gordon Gekko said:
Just be really careful when you’re sourcing a provider.

I had a lucky escape in that regard.

A lot of the websites are fake and a lot of the photos on providers’ website are of work they didn’t do.

I went out to Kilsaran to look at stuff and was lucky enough to get speaking to someone very senior who wouldn’t normally deal with the public.

He was able to warn me about the person I’d received a quote from; basically that it wasn’t his real name, he has stiffed people, etc.

Paving etc seem to be a minefield, with a lot of the providers “moving around a lot” shall we say.
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+1 on this, similar to roofers.

Any website you're looking at, check the listed address on google maps and if it's not a proper premises be aware. Many are empty fields or non-specific addresses in industrial estates etc

I like the look of resin bound paving myself. You'll see it used in a lot of the upgrading hte councils are doing on footpaths in high footfall areas, around trees etc
 
Over the years I've seen quite a number of imprinted concrete driveways that had cracks through them. I understand they also need to be resealed every few years.

There are some previous threads on resin driveways.
 
Alkers86 said:
+1 on this, similar to roofers.

Any website you're looking at, check the listed address on google maps and if it's not a proper premises be aware. Many are empty fields or non-specific addresses in industrial estates etc

I like the look of resin bound paving myself. You'll see it used in a lot of the upgrading hte councils are doing on footpaths in high footfall areas, around trees etc
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One of the guys who we got to quote had a website and an office address. But he was using a fake name and his website was fake also in that the pictures were other people’s work and the testimonials were made up. I wanted a specific thing but he kept pushing imprinted concrete.
 
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