The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Tue Aug 04, 2020 7:37 pm**

Hi. I apologise now. I know this topic is heavily covered on the edging pages of the website and on the YouTube channel... I've read, re-read, watched, re-watched... but would like to make certain that I've understood properly.

I'm laying an unbound block paved driveway and wanted to confirm the process for laying the edge course / kerbs. I think the confusion for me was whether or not I am supposed to have two mixes - one for bed and one for haunch.

I think this is right:

1. Set up a string line so I can keep the level/laying course accurate.
2. Prepare a semi-dry mix of C7.5 (6 gravel, 3 grit sand, 1 cement).
3. Lay a 100-150mm bed of C7.5.
4. Trample with boot.
5. Add more C7.5 up to about 25mm proud of string line.
6. Lay blocks along the bed/line.
7. Haunch with C20 (4 gravel, 2 sand, 1 cement) at 25-50mm slump.

Can someone confirm or set me straight?!

Cheers!

Posted: **Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:00 pm**

Spot on!

Posted: **Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:10 pm**

Apologies for being late to this - had all sorts of health issues with angina during the heatwave and now an arthritic knee that is driving me mad with pain.

I'd put in a complaint to Trading Strandards.

The only way we will be able to stop these traders supplying complete dross as an alleged quality aggregate is if a few of them are hauled up and prosecuted. Word will soon get around and the more clued-up amongst them will sort themselves out sharpish.

I *know* it's happening - on almost 75% of the assessments I've done in the past 2 years, the sub-base has been "AOC" - Any Old Crap. Supplied to the homeowner as Type 1 or the nebulous "hardcore" but it's nothing more than crap. Sad to say, contractors are not blameless in all this - many of them know it's most definitely not a Type 1, but they go along with it because its cheap and its buried and out-of-sight, and what's the chance of the homeowner knowing any better? And then it starts to move or sink, the jointing cracks, the flags copme loose, and that's when I get called in.

When ever I preapare a CPR35 report for a court and this sort of sharp practioce is identified, I *always* include a paragraph in the report to the effect that the homeowner has been defrauded and that both the contractor and aggregate supplier should be made to answer to the court.

The Brew Cabin

Method for laying edge course