The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Thu May 08, 2014 11:50 am**

Morning,
If you could caste your expert eye over my post and give me your opinion I would be extremely grateful.
Our driveway company (who we chose after comparing quotes and are not the cheapest!) have just dug up a section of our lawn to add a 19sq mtr extension to our existing block paving drive-Great!
HOWEVER, rain has stopped play....?
In addition, I have had a phone call from them to say they cannot source the current Brett Alpha blocks in 130mm width only 140mm as they have been discontinued.
Having been online plus phoned a supplier to verify this I was also told that they would have to leave a break line to run off from as they wouldn't be able to blend in the new 140mm with the existing 130mm!
It is going to look extremely odd having a border edge running a 1/3 of the way down the driveway?
Existing drive to the right, new to the left?!
The company are also querying the colour-it is raining at present but when/if it dries I will post a picture in the hope that some one can at least identify the colour.

I am starting to feel a little unsure-particularly as we have paid a 1/3 of the total price so far for a large hole!....

I hope you can help me,

Posted: **Thu May 08, 2014 5:20 pm**

so when they priced the job they didnt check that the blocks were available?

I have waited 3 weeks for sample clay blocks from weinerberger to show a client

TBh it is going to look god awful and really they should take the lot up rescreed the sand and lay new blocks over the lot

with a special discount to you for their failings

never heard of anything so daft

LLL

Posted: **Thu May 08, 2014 5:34 pm**

It depends which way the lines are running.

As LLL say's, they really should have checked first but...

If they're continuing a stretcher bond with 140mm block next to a 130mm block then the lines are going to be out 10mm on each course, in which case it's gonna look awful.

If you have rows of 130mm blocks then rows of 140mm blocks it won't look as bad becuase you'd have to look closeley to tell the difference in size.

What will make it stand out even more is wear and tear and colour degradation between old and new.

I think the most economical way of solving the problem is to lift the whole lot, lay the 140mm blocks in rows until they run out then lay the 130mm blocks in rows afterwards.

The best way would be to get rid of the old blocks and replace with new.

Posted: **Fri May 09, 2014 10:05 am**

So when did Brett switch to 140mm? I have tech details going back over 10 years and Alpha is always a 140mm block. I don't ever recall it being a 130mm module, but as we don't get Brett up here, it's not something I would have paid particular attention to.

Is there a possibility that the existing blocks are actually Bradstone Woburn? They have a 133mm module which is often mis-measure or round-off as 130mm.

Posted: **Fri May 23, 2014 4:27 pm**

It will have been the old Top Pave Antique

Bought out by Brett

they were 130mm modules

regards

Dan

Posted: **Fri May 23, 2014 7:06 pm**

Regarding Danstan's post, did you tell the contractor it was Brett
or did they assume.

It's easy to blame the contractor but it's also easy to make a mistake like this, no ones infallible, even the best of us.

Personally I would consider going for something completely different from the Alpha, Re-model the edge detail of existing maybe a curve.

Or if you want to stay with the Alpha change the direction of the paving to a 45 degree angle to the existing. This way the size won't make a difference and won't be discernible. May actually look better as the colour won't match anyway.

And no I have not had to do this myself

Posted: **Fri May 23, 2014 7:35 pm**

Someone pulled up and asked me if I wanted just over 30m2 of this stuff the other day. He just wanted them off his front. I gave a gibbs and dandy driver Â£50 and they are now sitting on my drive ready to do the lad over the roads drive as soon as I've got a bit of free time

Posted: **Mon May 26, 2014 7:38 pm**

Anyone know which builders merchants stocks these block's. I'm about 6m2 short and don't want to order in a full pack.

Posted: **Mon May 26, 2014 8:58 pm**

sorry sy that made me laugh
use a border in a different block to make up the 6m
cheers LLL

Posted: **Mon May 26, 2014 9:17 pm**

The driveways 25m2. I've got 24m2 Tony. 13m2 charcoal and 11 meters of 2 different colours. I'll be using 8m2 for the border in charcoal which means I need about 6m2 to match up with the other colours for the main.

I don't usually use bretts so if anyone knows what BM stocks them it'll save me ringing around in the morning.

The Brew Cabin

Brett aplha blocks-help! - Trying to match to an existing drive...