There are faint, intermittent marks on the block paved drive that appear to have been there since it was laid. They are long 'streaks' of sandy colour (but actually comprise rows of small spots/blobs). They are only noticeable in dry, dull conditions and from certain angles, but once you know they are there you can't stop seeing them. I don't think they are efflorescence, it looks more like something has scratched the blocks or crushed something into them.
Could they be sand that got crushed under the tamping plate?
Can they be removed?
Could anything have been done to prevent them?
Could such marks be considered acceptable? The drive is otherwise well laid.
Marks on block paviour driveway
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84-1093879891
A photo would be an enormous help, Sarah!
It sounds as though the marks could be sand marks. These are usually casued by the plate compactor 'crushing' patches of the jointing sand (or errant patches of bedding sand) into the block surface. They are not detrimental, structurally, but they can be detract from the finished surface.
They will disappear over time, although their disappearance can sometimes be accelerated by rubbing with a wire brush. Preventing them is all but impossible but their presence can be minimised by keeping surplus sand off the surface when compacting the paving and/or use of a rubber sole to the plate compactor. However, I think it would be unfair to expect a contractor to replace the marked blocks, unless the marking was highly evident throughout the paving, as some sand marking is more or less inevitable with all block paving.
It sounds as though the marks could be sand marks. These are usually casued by the plate compactor 'crushing' patches of the jointing sand (or errant patches of bedding sand) into the block surface. They are not detrimental, structurally, but they can be detract from the finished surface.
They will disappear over time, although their disappearance can sometimes be accelerated by rubbing with a wire brush. Preventing them is all but impossible but their presence can be minimised by keeping surplus sand off the surface when compacting the paving and/or use of a rubber sole to the plate compactor. However, I think it would be unfair to expect a contractor to replace the marked blocks, unless the marking was highly evident throughout the paving, as some sand marking is more or less inevitable with all block paving.
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sarah
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2003 11:23 am