Basketweave driveway fail!!!

[KeburDave]

Dear Members

Has any driveway specialists had problems with laying Basketweave for driveways? We laid a drive last year in the Basketweave and unfortunately it has dipped slightly in certain places with gaps opening up down the straight lines, we have laid hundreds of drives using herringbone in the past and never a problem but this was the first time we have laid basketweave so I am confident the base is fine. The garden does border lawn both sides and the customer requested a running band around the perimeter instead of a soldier course which in hindsight I think might be the problem even though it was huanched right up on one side. The customer was very specific in her design and we basically installed it to her drawing. We are obliged to go and fix the driveway through our guarantee which we are happy to do so and prepared to take all the blocks up and relay it, I have suggested relaying the drive in herringbone with flat top path edgings down the sides then a soldier course however she is having none of it and wants the Basketweave style, do any members think if I run flat top path edgings then a soldier course and then the basketweave it will defiantly hold up? I am conscious of offering a 5 year guarantee on Basketweave and it failing again? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[Tony McC]

We had a standard policy when faced with customers wanting basketweave or stack bond block paving on a driveway: they sign a waiver exempting us for any loss of pattern alignment. We gave them writen 'advice' that, in our professional opionion, BW or SB was not suitable for a pavement subject to vehicular overrun and we would only install such work under written instruction.

I honestly believe that, no matter what you do in the way of edge restraint, BW *will* fail again in the medium term. It shifts when it;s laid on a patio, so it has no chance on a driveway.....unless you switch to fully-bound construction and get the client to pay for all the additional work and materials.

[KeburDave]

Thanks Tony much appreciated, I think ill put the ball back in her court then and say I can offer the guarantee on Herringbone but not Basketweave and get written consent from her if she did want Basketweave, I have just spoke to Bradstone who our guarantee is with and they said the same. Like I said I am happy to cover the cost to take the drive back up and relay in herringbone or similar!! Many thanks Dave

[lutonlagerlout]

^^ I have done it but only with a proper 6 by2 edging all around, basically straight joints everywhere so no integrity
LLL

[Tony McC]

We stopped off in Stafford on our way home from the Brett Awards yesterday, and they have an expanse of "wandering" basketweave paving, laid in clays. in the town centre.

I wondered whether the 'designer' of that project (which looks like a showcase for Marshalls products circa 2002 - Rialta, Nori, Sawley Brindle, KeyChannel) learned the lesson and never used BW again?