Sawn yorkstone blocks - how to lay? - Keep getting conflicting advice

[boxford]

Hi,

We're in the process of block paving our drive and need some advice.

First the details;
The drive is straight, 25m long, 3.6m wide, generally flat but with a moderately steep slope for approximately the first 10m from the road.
We're planning to put our driveway gates at the top of this slope and to put a restraining course in at this point. Effectively treating it as two separate sections of paving

Now the problem;
We bought some York stone sawn setts from Marshalls via Ebay, (you can take a look HERE if that helps.)
But when it comes to laying them we're getting all kinds of conflicting advice, even from Marshalls themselves.

So;
Do we lay on sand or a mixed bed?
Can we butt joint the blocks or do we need to gap them to avoid chips on the sawn edges? (The edges do chip fairly easily)
Is there a laying pattern best for this type of block?
Do we need to seal them and if so with what? (One consideration is that we have an occasionally 'leaky' classic car!)

We've even been advised that the blocks would be so much easier to lay if they were tumbled, and that we should use a concrete mixer to do just that! Whilst I do like a tumbled block that's a lot of blocks to tumble and not what we originally intended. But, having said that if it would actually make the laying, the look and the longevity of the drive better we would consider it.

Basically, we like the block and want to make sure the laying of it does it justice.

Thanks in advance!

[Rich H]

5,000 blocks in a cement mixer! Why would they be easier to lay when tumbled? Why will they chip?

[boxford]

Hi Rich,

I've been told that if tumbled the blocks could be butt jointed. That left as they are and butt jointed the blocks would chip (does this sound right?) and they therefore need to be spaced to avoid this.

I'm far from an expert on this and those we've asked, who are supposed to know their stuff, have each given us a different opinion.

??????

[williams]

Nice blocks!

I did a drive using the tumbled version of these a few years back.
Marshalls told me to lay them like ordinary block paving (sand screed,kiln joint,wacker plated) .
After 7 years the drive has held up well,it does have a couple of rutts at the front (only about 10mm) however i dont think that can be avoided using these as they do not interlock like normal blocks (no nipples).

What i don't like is they have no nipples so the joints are not like normal paving which puts me off,then if you lay them on concrete it would have to be substantial as i have fears of concrete cracking ( i hate concrete)

So really its swings and roundabouts but imo for the best job i would have
6" type one compacted in 2 or more layers laid on membrane and then laid on 4" of a damp lean mix and tapped down flat as you go.
However from a more economical view laid like normal paving should suffice if its a quality job.

Either way they really are nice blocks.

[Tony McC]

They should be laid in exactly the same way as normal concrete or clay block pavers.

The lack of spacer lugs is a small problem, but it can be countered by laying the blocks loosely, aiming for a 2-5mm joint between adjacent units. Some contractors use small tile spacers to create a suitable joint. The presence of a joint is important because it contains the jointing sand that generates the vertical interlock (via friction) between individual blocks.

Blocks in direct contact may spall over time, but it's probably easier to replace badly spalled blocks than to attempt to tumble-distress them yourself.

Laying pattern: herringbone, as shown in those dodgy photos on the EBay site.