The Brew Cabin

Hi

I am doing a path (in chelsea square setts) 15m2 towards the front of my house, due to planning regulations I cannot have a step, therefore need to slope it up. This takes it, at some stages, about 8-10" above the drive level, I thought the best and cheapest idea is to have Timber gravel boards staked in at both sides, filling in the middle with 6:1 concrete mix (coming ready mixed, apparently it is ideal for block paths!) and then putting the setts down. Virbrating jointing sand in afterwards. Are there any other ways? Also this takes the step to above the DPC and Airbricks, I planned to leave a 60 - 80mm gap at the back to allow rain to still fall below the DPC level. sensible or not?

Thanks Paul

If I understand you correctly, you're planning on constructing a ramp, summat like...


This presents a problem in that there is a definite trip/fall hazard with such a construction.

If you wanted to build something like that, you would need a retainer edge with some upstand to prevent folk falling off then edge. The usual retainer edge would be a dwarf brick wall, but that's a lot of effort and money, so you could use a flag-on-edge or even the Chelsea Setts set on edge, as long as they priovided some check on the ramp side of the structure.

However, I think a simpler, cheaper and more attractive construction is to form a gently rounded ramp, summat like....

...which has gently rounded and sloping sides, so obviating the need for a retainer edge and all that carry-on.

Here's the same sort of construction in bitmac...

...both of these constructions have been done to comply with the requirements of Document M of the Building Regs.

Using this form of construction, you don't have to use a concrete base - you can form the ramp using good old DTp1 and lay the blocks as per normal, which is more straightforward and much cheaper than using concrete.

According to the offiical guidance publications, you should really leave a 'gap' between the ramp and the house, though. This is usually refered to as "Vented and Drained Space" and is around 12mm or so wide at the surface, widening out neath the paving level. There are a number of possible workarounds, but the simplest is to use a section of linear drain channel. However, if the top of the ramp is below sill level, and there's ample fall on the ramp (1:12 max) than leaving a gap is not really essential.