The Brew Cabin

We are in the process of having our driveway block paved and the guy who is overseeing the work team has advised us to spend £50 more to have an additive put into the jointing sand ( His original quote was £150). He says this will help the sand bond to the brick and suppress any weeds. What do you think I should do?

It's probably a Joint Stabilising Compound that's being offered and they are not always necessary. They can be useful if there's a lot of surface water run off, if the pavement is laid to a steep fall, or if it's constructed from pavers with naturally wide joints, but for your everyday standard domestic driveway, it's not essential.

I'd be interested to hear why your contractor thinks the stabilising compound is necessary, and I'd also like to know which product they propose to use, because I have a suspicion that you're being sold summat unnecessary.

a few custmers have been saying that marshalls reps ,are saying block paving doesnt need sealing ,thoughts please.

They're right: block paving doesn't need sealing. It works perfectly well without a sealant, but that's not to say that it should never be sealed.

Some folk prefer the 'colour-enhanced' wet-look (or damp look, with a matt sealant) that a sealant provides, while others prefer the 'naturalistic' look. Some like to think a sealant protects their investment, while others see it as an unnecessary additional expense.

There are pros and cons to using sealants on block pavements, and it really is down to the individual to choose what suits them. My block paved driveway isn't sealed, but I might decide to seal it later this spring, as it's now 10 years old and power-washing each spring, topping up the joints, pulling out the odd dandelion that has settled into one of the wider joints, is all getting to be a bit much for me (now that my son and heir is of an age to rebel against household chores!). However, if I do seal, then it might look out of place with next door's driveway, which directly abuts mine, and there's the issue of having to get it re-sealed every few years.

I also think the type of block has to be considered. I don't have a problem if a standard 200x100 chamfered block is sealed, but I think some of the tumbled pavers look awfully artificial if they are sealed, and then there's the question of whether it's worth sealing a clay paver, when the colour is naturally intense and many selants have no noticeable effect on the overall appearance.

When I was contracting, I always left it to the customer to decide whether they wanted a sealant or not. In all cases, I advised them to leave the paving for 6-12 months, and then see how they felt about it. It's dead easy to splosh on a sealant if you decide you like the finished look, but if you decide that you don't, it's impossible to remove the stuff!