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[lutonlagerlout]

bradstone
as said it could be handy in poor access jobs or when the weather is really bad,but I cant see anyone paying £100 a metre for just the gear
I have done those carry through the house jobs,so it does have potential
but i can see the same issues as decking regarding rodents and insects
good luck to them
LLL

[dig dug dan]

plus, what happens when at the back of 99% of houses, there is a drain or two, downpipes and cables to work round??

[local patios and driveway]

Im thinking damp course issues and Movement?

[RAPressureWashing]

Another type system along these lines is Buzon, we have cleaned quite a few that have been built with it, paving & decking, the paving all sits on adjustable feet somehow and has been very solid, a very expensive hotel near Wentworth has a patio built with it.

[Tony McC]

I think the only way to deal with soil pipes and whathaveyou is to create a 'splash strip' or gravel or summat. Either that or arrange the layout so that there's a gap where necessary. I suspect it's a case of '"where there's a will there's a way...."

It is, as Roger points out, a glorified version of the Buzon/Wallbarn pedestals that are normally used for roof decks and the like, but it is designed to exclude the need for a soild base. This Patio Deck mullarkey can be laid onto bare earth.

At 100 quid/m², that has to be competitive with the total cost of bringing in a contractor to lay 8m² of paving. If a homeowner decides to get a contractor to install PatioDeck, the economics are less attractive. However, having seen this thing for myself, if a young couple with a new home and a bugger of a mortgage wanted to build their own small patio on a Saturday morning, and not go to the expense of employing a contractor (and let's be honest: how many of us want an 8m² job?), it's a viable option. It's a doddle to build; it looks pretty danmned good when completed; it can be done without even getting your hands dirty.

It's never going to take the world by storm, but it's a interesting idea. Will it still be in the Bradstone brochure in 2015? I reckon it's probably 50-50: it might just grab the attention they're hoping for, or it could sink like the legendary helium-filled airship made of lead.

[lutonlagerlout]

I love 8m2 jobs
the job may be small...........
LLL

[Carberry]

I love 8m2 jobs
the job may be small...........
LLL

Me too. Make the most profit out of them, in and out in a day no mucking about.

[Dave_L]

Same here; big is not beautiful!

[Tony McC]

Really? I used to hate small jobs - more administration than paving.

By the time I'd put together job sheets, organised plant and materials, liaised with the client and pointed the lads in the right direction, even at a bigger profit mark-up, it hardly seemed worth the effort.

I did a 3m² blacktop drive extension at one point and quoted them 750 quid because I really didn't want the job. Even when we got the job, there was no pleasure in it for me at all, neither creatively nor financially. It was a pain in the arse job - took up the best part of day effing about and very little to show for it. I'm sure the lads loved it because they were in the alehouse for 2pm, but it gave me no satisfaction at all.

[lutonlagerlout]

i see it the same as dave
small jobs are much more profitable
1200 quid job maybe 30-50% profit
120k job maybe 10-12.5% profit
LLL

[Carberry]

Really? I used to hate small jobs - more administration than paving.

By the time I'd put together job sheets, organised plant and materials, liaised with the client and pointed the lads in the right direction, even at a bigger profit mark-up, it hardly seemed worth the effort.

I did a 3m² blacktop drive extension at one point and quoted them 750 quid because I really didn't want the job. Even when we got the job, there was no pleasure in it for me at all, neither creatively nor financially. It was a pain in the arse job - took up the best part of day effing about and very little to show for it. I'm sure the lads loved it because they were in the alehouse for 2pm, but it gave me no satisfaction at all.

I don't use plant on a job that small, throw shovels, mattock, pinch bar, sledge hammer, bolster and lump hammer on motor and off you go. Depending on access I hesistate to use plant on anything under 20-30m2.
The work isn't pretty, it isn't creative and won't win you any awards but it pays well.

[Tony McC]

So: would you consider installing one of these PatioDeck yokes if the client was interested, and how much do you think it would cost to installs, say, a single 8m² jobbie and a 3-pack 24m² project?

The 'time required' figures given in the original article are more than generous. Trust me - I saw it being done! so a 3-pack job in a day is easily achievable.

[Dave_L]

Small jobs are great - esp some of the small blacktop jobs - go out one day and get three or four ready then do the milk round the following day with the tar.

Single jobs for me the £5k ones are the best for us in terms of viability.

[ringi]

This looks like a very interesting system, could it be adapted for doing “decking� when you wish to bring the ground up to the level of a French door but have something that is nicer then rotten wood.

(I looked a property for BTL last week that ideally needed the paving outside it’s kitchen door raised by about 50cm, but would then have issues with DPC. I found another property that was a look cheaper and give the same returns, so did not go for it.)

[shaun17]

would have thought a better system would be one where you didn't glue the flags down then when you move house you can take the bloody thing with you