Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:17 am
I did try to e-mail info@pavingexpert.com on 13 Sep with my query but because I am not very computer literate I am not convinced it went as I have not had a reply. If it did, please accept my apologies for also posting my query on the forum. I have scoured your brilliant website but cannot find a specific answer to my problem, which is this. My present patio is 20 years old and consists of Marshalls Saxon 3 x 2 paving. I want to renew it and am looking at Indian Stone, primarily because the price now seems so competitive compared with concrete products. However, the existing patio has sunk very badly in one place, and I think I know why because I was around when the house was being bult. The soil is very, very sandy so the builders decided to drain the surface water via soakaways. These were simply largish pits filled with stone and with a pipe from the various grids around the house. There was one pit measuring 6'0" x 4'6" situated partly under the patio, where it has now sunk very badly. The lawn has also sunk badly where it was over another pit; I pulled the turf back some years ago and made up the ground and put the turf back but it has now sunk again. This leads me to think that the ground will continue to sink over time as there is water continually flowing under it and it would seem to me that some kind of reinforcement or bridging structure needs to be in place under the patio to prevent future sinkage - or will some kind of membrane do? Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated as I do not really want to reposition the patio. Also, on your website you imply that some of the indian stone is of doubtful quality. How do you assess the quality? I have been looking at stone retailing at around £15 per sq.m. plus Vat, including delivery, with a thickness between 20 - 40mm, averaging 35mm. The price is O.K. and it looks O.K. to me, but how can you tell? Are you also able to suggest a contractor in the Mid Cheshire area who I could rely on to address the solution (if there is one!) to my sinking problem. Many thanks.
