When will I ever learn? Every time I need to do a drainage job I waste hours searching the web only to come up with a mass of conflicting unsubstantiated opinion or impenetrable approved documents. Eventually I spot this site AGAIN and am taken to a page with everything that I need. You'd think I'd have bookmarked it by now... Many thanks for this excellent resource. Kirk
Fantastic site! Thank you for taking the time to compile and present it. I am planning to pave a small area with flags and sets and I am dreading removing the existing concrete. It has to be done though as the existing concrete is way to close to the DPC and I intend to follow your good advice regarding the reasons for not laying onto an existing surface. I have been spurred on by reading your pages and being reasonably DIY competent, I should be okay, even if all materials will have to pass through a domestic door. Thank you once again Tony - best wishes, Kerry
Name:
Mike Cook E-Mail:
Company:
Private
Town/City:
Stroud, Gloucestershire UK
Via:
Yahoo
Comment:
2886
Monday June 1, 2015 - 05:45pm
I don't think there is anything I can add to the thousands of comments previously other than... If Carlsberg did websites.. 37 Years in the Industry and only when I scroll through its pages do I realise what a wealth of information you and your late Father have accumulated.. More than I will ever know. I suspect he would have been humbled by its success.
Name:
Hannah Rickards E-Mail:
Comment:
2885
Sunday May 17, 2015 - 12:09pm
Hi Tony I am doing a course in garden design at the Garden Design School and your website is the best for gathering information for my hard landscaping portfolio! It's fun to read too. Thank you. Hannah
Name:
Michael Gormley E-Mail:
Town/City:
Poole, Dorset
Via:
Google
Comment:
2884
Sunday May 17, 2015 - 09:28am
Hi Tony, just to let you know there is a pretty much failsafe cure to the lichen problem. I am a landlord and in the past had tenants complaining of mould. it took a lot of looking for but, there is a sure cure for it. It is Dettol anti mould spray available in any supermarket. Strangely, ever since, I have used Dettol anti mould spray for many different things, try it on stained grout for example; within two spays grout is back to bleach white. Well, when I jet washed my patio and found it covered in black spots I went to your website and had a look but, it didn't really give me an answer. The obvious thing to me was to try Dettol. It works like a dream. 2 applications and I had brand new looking slabs. These are not natural stone so be careful when trying it out but, a year later and the lichen hasn't come back. Do let me know if you try it, the result. Very best.
Hi Tony, thanks for the work putting all this together, at first glance I nearly skipped it because we are so used to modern looking 'magazine' style websites, built with fancy software that seeing a hand coded one looks kinda old fashioned. But that would have been a mistake and you have reminded me that content is king and yours mate, is pretty darn good!
I too have had a lifetime on the bricks (and have loved it) my attentions these days are also geared towards getting the young 'uns more interested in fixing up their own stuff.
So, I say good on ya Tony, I like the cut of your jib!
Name:
Peter
Town/City:
Grantham
Via:
Google
Comment:
2882
Monday May 4, 2015 - 09:17pm
Excellent website full of loads of info. Never laid a slate patio before, but thanks to your knowledge it's been a success. Thanks.
Name:
Barry Fullalove
Town/City:
EXETER, DEVON United Kingdom
Comment:
2881
Friday May 1, 2015 - 03:55pm
Great site, I don't use it that often but whenever I have a landscaping query this is always my first port of call. I've even disabled my adblocker on this site (very few have the privilege) to ensure that there's at least some revenue from my visits. I know it's a minor thing, but I like to think that I'm helping in at least some way. Many thanks for all your hard works and expertise.
Name:
Nannette Brown E-Mail:
Town/City:
Nelson, New Zealand
Comment:
2880
Friday May 1, 2015 - 07:27am
We have just repaved the backyard of an old 1860's settlers cottage (that's old for New Zealand). It was a labour of love and we spent ages selecting the appropriate colours of the pavers. We were horrified that after a week they had almost all gone white!! We were composing galactic snottograms to the contractor, the supplier and the Pope. When we read your article as well as educational ww really enjoyed reading it. Efflorescence rules ok! :-) Reassured of Nelson. Best wishes Nannette
Name:
peter E-Mail:
Company:
brightdark ltd
Town/City:
london
Trade:
construction
Comment:
2879
Tuesday April 28, 2015 - 09:25am
Great site found every thing i needed!
Name:
Nic Hayes
Town/City:
Wells, Somerset
Trade:
Carpenter
Comment:
2878
Monday April 27, 2015 - 02:01pm
Thanks for an informative site in language I recognise. After 35 years in the building trade I still don't know everything, nice to know where to look.
Name:
sandy E-Mail:
Town/City:
Belfast, United Kingdom
Comment:
2877
Tuesday April 21, 2015 - 05:47pm
going to new house,grass was put down,it is going to be removed,and replaced with Bitmac and gravel,can wheelchair wheel over this,as wheelchair cannot wheel over grass
Name:
Lee E-Mail:
Comment:
2876
Monday April 20, 2015 - 10:12pm
What an awesome site, thank you so much for sharing your professional knowledge.I've been asked by a customer to re-joint their frontage flag stones, its small but very cottage'esque, the joints have never looked good and I had a small test at removing the mortar, it just crumbled and only had a semi hard skin approx 3mm thick the rest was just sand/cement. having read your website, I concluded it was a very dry mix lightly watered. Hopefully I can make a much better job after learning from you. Thanks again for your time.
Name:
John Keel E-Mail:
Town/City:
Leicester, United Kingdom
Comment:
2875
Thursday April 16, 2015 - 09:14pm
I think you're website is absolutely brilliant. We wanted a patio but couldn't afford to do it unless I did it myself.I'd never done one before, not a chance! I started researching, found your website, returned to it time and time again. It gave me answers to all my questions, increased my confidence and now I'm half way through it. I've done all the prep work and am ready to lay flags tomorrow.Thanks for helping me this far.As patios go it's minuscule, but it's all mine.At 67 years old I'm dead proud, thank you
Name:
Ian May-Miller E-Mail:
Town/City:
Basingstoke, Hampshire United Kingdom
Comment:
2874
Wednesday April 15, 2015 - 10:14am
What a great website! I've spent a lot of happy hours looking through this for advice as I plan my patio project and I'm nearly ready to cut the first sod!
Possible read every Word written on your website, recently purchased your book wich has now become My bible. Started out on My own 2 years ago trying to make it as an englishman in Sweden and just wanted to take a minute to congratulate you on your achievments as u now no how much Work it takes to establish a name. Hopefully i Will be as successfull in the trade as you have been and maybe someday publish My own book! Thankyou for your Help and all the best! Kind regards, Stewart Norwood
Name:
Trevor Franklin
Town/City:
Norfolk, UK Upwell
Via:
Google
Comment:
2870
Thursday April 9, 2015 - 04:35pm
An exceptionally informative site that helps all classes; from trade to the often maligned home DIY-er. Nice one, Stan.
Name:
Mick Wilson E-Mail:
Comment:
2869
Tuesday April 7, 2015 - 10:42pm
Took your advice on using common or garden bleach on my patio to get rid of lichen spots. It wasn't badly spotted but was noticeable. Bleach worked like a charm, 3 dousings couple of days apart and all gone. Job done, thanks
