Recommendations to repair bad work

[Jim S]

I got my driveway laid in two phases by two different contractors,

Phase one is much too high in part. Not excavated deep enough.

Phase 2 has sunk badly. Contractor ran out of sand and was running up to B&q buying bags of it!

The two areas are contiguous and the dip floods badly.

1. Is a diy repair possible?

2. Can you recommend a reputable contractor in Fife/Central Scotland who could rectify this for me.

Thank you
Jim

[Carberry]

I got my driveway laid in two phases by two different contractors,

Phase one is much too high in part. Not excavated deep enough.

Phase 2 has sunk badly. Contractor ran out of sand and was running up to B&q buying bags of it!

The two areas are contiguous and the dip floods badly.

1. Is a diy repair possible?

2. Can you recommend a reputable contractor in Fife/Central Scotland who could rectify this for me.

Thank you
Jim

Post some photos so we can see how bad it is.

How big an area is it?

[Jim S]

Thanks for your reply.

I'm having difficulty posting photos.

The area for repair is approx 30m2. 10m x 3m

I'll take photos tomorrow and attempt to post them.

Carberry do you do work in Fife (Dalgety Bay)?

[Carberry]

Thanks for your reply.

I'm having difficulty posting photos.

The area for repair is approx 30m2. 10m x 3m

I'll take photos tomorrow and attempt to post them.

Carberry do you do work in Fife (Dalgety Bay)?

Upload them to a website like photobucket, flickr, imageshack, even facebook. Copy the image url and paste it into the [img] [./img] tags (removing the full stop).

Have done some work in Fife in the past, could be awhile before I could get there though but if you post some pictures I can let you know one way or another or advise on how to repair it yourself.

[Jim S]

[/URL]

Can't get these photos to forum

Jim

[Jim S]

first pic but struggling to show others
Jim

[Carberry]

[Jim S]

Wow!

Thanks for that. Now my problems are clear.

Jim

[Carberry]

Ok, got time to reply now.

What do you mean when you say it was laid in phases? do you mean from start to finish 2 separate areas, dug out, sub base laid and compacted, bedding layer down, blocks laid by 2 different contractors? or do you mean 1 area done in 2 phases with phase 1 being dug out with a sub base put in then another contractor came in and laid the blocks?


Does your car go over the areas that have sunk? how long did it take for them to sink? how far have they sunk?



If you want to attempt it DIY, here are 2 videos to go along with all the written instructions on the site:


You would need to take the blocks up and see if the problem is
a) too much sand
b) not a deep enough and/or well enough compacted sub base
c) unsuitable sub base or bedding layer material


Fixing a low spot - Re-laying blocks

Fixing a low spot - bed preparation

[lutonlagerlout]

the whole job looks poor
IME best to take the lot out and screed to new levels
LLL

[Jim S]

Thanks for replies.

2 phases means first contractor llaid driveway to garage door plus path to front door plus area from pavement for parking, leaving a small lawn area up to window. IIRC £2009+ a few years ago.

Second contractor was doing neighbours driveway and I asked about removing lawn and completing mine. Workers offered to do it "on the side" and I foolishly agreed. About £1200+

This is what I am left with.

LLL I agree with what you say.

I have not yet looked at videos as it's late but it's probably beyond my DIY as I am 75yo and have COPD. So I now think DIY Q is academic and I am asking for recommendations fairly locally to rectify. I think I'll also need a drain somewhere and a raised step to front door.

Any offers?

Thank you Jim

[Carberry]

Thanks for replies.

2 phases means first contractor llaid driveway to garage door plus path to front door plus area from pavement for parking, leaving a small lawn area up to window. IIRC £2009+ a few years ago.

Second contractor was doing neighbours driveway and I asked about removing lawn and completing mine. Workers offered to do it "on the side" and I foolishly agreed. About £1200+

This is what I am left with.

LLL I agree with what you say.

I have not yet looked at videos as it's late but it's probably beyond my DIY as I am 75yo and have COPD. So I now think DIY Q is academic and I am asking for recommendations fairly locally to rectify. I think I'll also need a drain somewhere and a raised step to front door.

Any offers?

Thank you Jim

DIY definitely out of the question then and as LLL says, looks like a bodge job that needs relaid.

I've sent you a PM with my details.

[Tony McC]

I'd suspect that the only real fix is a complete lift and re-lay, scraping out the exisying bed and then regulating the sub-base to ensure a uniform depth of sand beneath the blocks once they are relaid.

[Jim S]

Thanks Tony
Getting quotes for that now

Jim

[Carberry]

Been lifting the blocks this week and found the culprit, first half of the driveway wasn't dug out enough with little to no sub base and the blocks laid ~20mm higher than street level.
The second half of the driveway, where the puddles are in these photos, is laid on anywhere from 60-95mm of shard sand.