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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:35 pm
by rosy
Hi
Just registered on this very informative website. But need some advise/help.
the contractor i have to do my block paving seems to be working back to front!! he has done the sub-base, then put the membrane and now he has completely broken my drain and the pipe leading into the manhole!! also some of the subbase still has largish lumps in it which i don't think is right.I also asked him to put the lighting cables under the sub base...didn't dothis and now he has had to dig that area up again to do it which means it hasn't been compacted.he has also just put the membrane back down.. plus i also don't hink there is enough sub base on the entry of the drive. I have seen his portfolio and he keeps saying don't worry the end product will be ok.we have also rung up his previous clients and they seemed positive about him. good thing is i don't have to pay him until the job is completed which makes a change these days....
any advise welcome...thanks
Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:48 pm
by msh paving
Sounds like a cowboy to say the least-
Membrane should be below the type1 sub-base,any where else it is useless
150mm sub-base is what you should be looking for with no lumps type 1 should be no bigger than 40mm to dust
cable should have been in first,with sand surrounding it for damage from stone protection and marker tape over it 4" from cable
Have you give him any payment yet,if so don't give anymore
you tell him your not happy and what it changing,
read through the main site all you need is there
all you need to know read me please
im all about membrane
Hope this helps MSH 
Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:51 pm
by lutonlagerlout
rosy explain you concerns and give him the opportunity to put it right
the fact that he is recommended by other seems good from here,also the fact he doesn't want money till the job is done is a good sign
the broken pipe needs fixing and membrane isnt really necessary on a light use domestic drive *by membrane I mean geo textile*
sleep well
LLL
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:03 am
by rosy
hi,
thanks for your replies to my post. I'm seeing him today to get this sorted out (hopefully).
cheers
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:12 am
by GB_Groundworks
be strong in your conviction and don;t let him fluster you with tech talk etc so you back down and leave him alone, print out the spec off here (structural diagram) and show it to him if he says he has his own way of doing it etc you know he's doing it wrong.
Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 10:15 am
by rosy
thanks for the advise
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:10 pm
by rosy
hi...it's me again.
can you tell me when the aco channels should be fitted? Is it before the paving gets laid or after the paving gets laid? this guy I have laying my paving, says he does it at the end!!!!and roughly where abouts should they be fitted. Am grateful for anyy advise.
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:26 pm
by irishpaving
I always lay channels before i lay any blocks. The channels need to be haunched with concrete to keep them in place then you block pave up to the channel.
I would advise to get some pics up Rosy asap so we can see whats going on here asap. But reading your posts imo i'd be a bit concerned.
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:36 pm
by dig dug dan
how the hell can you put the drainage in at the end? as Irish says, you lay the drainage first , the block up to it.
sounds very unusual to me.... ???
Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 1:50 am
by Suggers
Sounds arse about face to me also Rosy. 
Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:07 am
by mickg
they go in first as they set the finished height at the lowest point of the driveway for the block paving and gives you a nice striaght edge to work too
the channel needs to be connected to a soak a way via a underground drainage pipe which can have an overflow pipe connected to the existing rain water drainage system, 9 times out of 10 the drain will be underneath the block paving what your contractor has just laid so he would have to take up part of the driveway to install the drains
if the underground drainage pipe is within the area of your driveway then it needs to be encased in a weak mix concrete to stabilise the ground around this pipe.
its not rocket science just common sense