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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:40 pm
by NickS
Hi all 
This is my first post having just found this forum and I need help and advice please.
I am having some block paving done, about 130m2. Part of this is a path about 30m long by 1m. It is on a gentle slope with a fall of about 2m over its length. The contractor has started at the top and I feel that, despite his assurances, that he should have started at the bottom as I cannot get out of my head the thought that over time the path will settle from the top down the slope and leave an unsightly gap at the top where it is cut across by an 'AKO' drain. My thoughts are that if he'd started at the bottom then any settling would be more likely to have happened during construction. The bottom end of the path ends in a solid brick wall.
Thanks in advance, hope that someone can put my mind to rest or, if not, provide arguments that will persuade my contractor to take up half the path he's done and restart from the bottom end
Nick
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:55 pm
by msh paving
Myself and most other contractors would start at bottom of slop to the blocks push against each other,by starting at the top the chances are the joints will open up as you walk on them to lay and there no chance off sliding them back again
i would not be happy about starting at the top it makes very hard work , MSH
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:14 pm
by NickS
Thanks for the reply MSH, I'm not in the trade but what you say makes sense. I'll see what happens when I mention this tomorrow. My guess would be that if I insist that the job be done as you describe, I'll be looking for a new contractor.
I really want to do this only once, properly
Nick
Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:51 am
by Tony McC
Unless there's a very good reason for starting at the top of the slope, this could be a good "cowboy" indicator. Nobody in their right mind would start at the top!
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:46 am
by NickS
Thank you all for your replies and PMs, my contractor is really unhappy about re doing the path starting from the bottom end, ie is wanting more money and payment for work already done. He still says that working from the top down is OK 
I noticed also that he has mixed up which way up the blocks are laid (they are Bradstone rumbled Woburn blocks) so that some of the spacing tabs meet each other instead the main body of the block resulting in uneven spacing. Apart from the obvious looks of it, will this weaken the the finished drive at all? His reply to this point was that all contractors did this because it would take ages to make sure they are all the same way up and cost a lot more, so nobody bothers.
Have I chosen a really poor contractor or are these shortcuts considered acceptable in the real world?
Unhappy Nick
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:46 am
by bodgeitandscarper
Sounds like my twin, its all in the name!!!
Get him to rip it up and start again!!
You might have to follow bodge to his caravan site incase he scarpers in the night!!
If he offers to Tarmac it tell him to P155 0FF!!
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 7:23 pm
by msh paving
There is a top and bottom on the blocks, if they are laid upside down they stand out,,that is why the nibs touch,as for saying all contractors do it he is dreaming,any good contractor knows up from down
You need to talk to him about the quality of the work,have you seen any off his completed work,
As for more money to lay them correctly tell him no,looks like he whant's paying for what he's done and is gonna do a runner MSH
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:59 am
by Tony McC
They guys a cowboy. he wants extra money for putting right his own incompetence? He'd get a size 10 to the gollies from me!
And if that's not bad enough, he can't even figure out the correct way up to lay blocks? He's not a pavior: he's a rogue!
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:28 pm
by NickS
Thank you to all who have posted and PMed me replies. It really looks like A Bunch of Cowboys have been at work. They haunched the edges of the driveway about 3 day ago and already, just standing on the haunching, it collapses and crumbles away. They were subcontracted by my builder with who I have worked for nearly 20 years. He will have to make good their shoddy work and is as disappointed in their work as I am. The company did some of the Groundwork for me a few months ago and were really good, good work ethic in all respects. When it came to the block paving work it all went to hell in a handcart. It seems that every shortcut was taken and it really shows, led by someone who says they have 30 years in the trade.
Only by good luck did they start the driveway at the bottom of the slope and they were 'paving' between 2 walls,, so any settling will be towards the garage so hopefully it will be easier to make good. The path that led to my original post will be done by someone else.
I did look at some of their previous work and it looked OK after 18 months of use by 4x4s, only recently have I discovered that they did not do the preparation, laying stone etc.
Is there any way to post pictures here without a 'photo account', just so you can all see what a shoddy job has been done?
Again, thanks for all your replies to my posts
Nick
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:27 pm
by lutonlagerlout
photo info
i always use imageshack,but if you are really struggling PM the pics to me and i will post them
cheers LLL