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Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 8:18 pm
by mrfirepro
It is nearly a year ago when I started my drive project, at this time I had no idea of the sort of drive I wanted, thus I quickly found this excellent website. I have looked at everything from PIC, gravel, block paving, setts and Resin bound. I feel that I have read almost every page of this site, with most of it more than once.
To cut a long story short I finally settled on installing a grit stone sett drive and as you guessed it, ended up speaking with Cookie, who along with this site was a massive help and a great encouragement.
I have recently posted a few questions, the answers to which have been a great help.
I am very pleased with the results. The drive is by now way perfect (and is not finished) but you can see what can be achieved by a novice with the help of this site.
So a very big thank you to all who have contributed to this site.
http://s1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff484/mrfirepro/Drive%20Project/
I will try and post some more photos when it is finished.
Regards
Paul
Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 9:08 pm
by lutonlagerlout
did you really do all that yourself paul?!?!?!
if you did its hats off from me
really looks the mutts
what are you pointing with?
cheers LLL
Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 9:22 pm
by mrfirepro
Thanks lutonlagerlout,
Yes truly it is all my own work, however I can't take all the credit as sometimes my son,his friends dad and my father in Law helped, the worst job was sorting the stone setts, don't be that impressed, it has taken since February and was dug out last July.
I am going to post some time-lapse video taken from two security cameras when I get a min, it is quite an eye opener
The grout I have done a small section in is Tuffgrout from stientec, was very very careful but still got some staining. Thinking about sealing the tops before I do any more grouting. My only disappointment with the grout was that it dried quite light but was the darkest color they did.
Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 10:54 pm
by mrfirepro
These are images taken from a security camera, throughout the days that I worked on the drive and shows how it all progressed. Unfortunately I don't have any showing the original drive.
http://s1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff484/mrfirepro/CCTV%20camera%201/
I will post the view from the other camera soon as it may be a better view near the other end.
Paul
Posted: Tue May 03, 2011 11:23 pm
by lutonlagerlout
very nice stuff,i can see cookie's influence there
looks fantastic
LLL
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 6:38 am
by pickwell paving
Fantastic job bet your really pleased with the end result, cookie will be ringing you on his next big sett laying job! Well done
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 6:54 am
by Noony
great work, very impressed......sorting setts, life gets no better ha!! you must be more than happy with your efforts.
cheers
noony
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 7:13 am
by cookiewales
nice work well done how much m2 did the grout work out money wise 
:;):
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 9:17 am
by Bob_A
mrfirepro wrote:............ I finally settled on installing a grit stone sett drive...........
Fantastic job, well done!
What company did you get the setts from.
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 6:44 pm
by mrfirepro
cookiewales wrote:nice work well done how much m2 did the grout work out money wise :;):
Cookie,
The grout was my biggest FU, I estimated that I would need 4 pallets (40 x 25kg bags)for the whole drive. The bit you see grouted in the pics is a whole pallet 
. At £486 all in per pallet, if I were to continue at that rate the drive would need 10-12 pallets, which is more money than I have spent on the setts,cement and sand, in fact it would be nearly more money than I have spent on the rest of the drive in total.
My solution to this, is to partially fill the joints with a dry mix of 4:1 sharp sand and cement and water in very well, leaving only 50-75mm of grout required. The area I have tested this in has set like Iron, thus I am nearly at a decision, however any comments would be more than welcome.
My problem is that now I have done a section I have to continue with the product. I am still guessing but feel that 4 pallets may be enough with the infill. I also intend to pour the second lot as the test patch is very iffy in places, using the squeegee and water method of cleaning.
So to answer your question if you use my first method the grout works out around (4m x 3.5m = 14m2/£486 (don't forget I include VAT & delivery) works out at £35 M2. I expect with my improved method will work out around £12-16m2.
Based on the fact that the usage rate is virtually the same for all products I compared Tuffgrout,SettPoint and Flowpoint. I chose Tuffgrout because they were the cheapest and they were really easy to deal with. I had confidence in all these products as they are recommended on this site.
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 6:47 pm
by mrfirepro
Bob_A wrote:mrfirepro wrote:............ I finally settled on installing a grit stone sett drive...........
Fantastic job, well done!
What company did you get the setts from.
Bob,
The setts were from A1 reclaimed in Manchester (speak with Dave Marshall) they were fantastic and very easy to deal with. The setts were very clean and could be laid straight from the bulk bag(after sorting, did I mention sorting )
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 6:51 pm
by mrfirepro
pickwell paving wrote:Fantastic job bet your really pleased with the end result, cookie will be ringing you on his next big sett laying job! Well done
Thank you,
I'm his man as long as the job has a year to lay it... :laugh:
Oh.. and I can get a new back when finished
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 6:54 pm
by mrfirepro
Thank you all for your very kind comments, as this little project has somewhat taken over my life and I was very nervous to lay my work out to such an esteemed group of professionals.
Thank you
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 8:28 pm
by cookiewales
mrfirepro wrote:Thank you all for your very kind comments, as this little project has somewhat taken over my life and I was very nervous to lay my work out to such an esteemed group of professionals.
Thank you
on the pointing side fill up to 30mm from top total soak and let it go off then wet and point as before ps when we use romex or flowpoint we do this ps you could have slurrey pointed all of it for 5 pound m2 bomb proof but would have to tell you how cheers cookie still a top job :;):
Posted: Wed May 04, 2011 8:41 pm
by mrfirepro
Thanks Cookie,
In all honesty it was a moment of madness and a desire to see a small area pointed and finished but even as it was drying I knew I had made a mistake. Any tips advice you have on pointing the rest would be gratefully received.
Particularly any method for the final slurry grouting, because the clean up took an absolute age and I would like to get it done this year.