On 2007-07-18 21:32:37 +0100, ":Jerry:" said:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...
On 2007-07-18 20:25:19 +0100, ":Jerry:"
said:


"Andy Hall" wrote in message
...

snip

The problem for me is that it is a large drive and I just don't
feel
that a large amount of tarmac is visually appealing at all. My
solution was to have the whole lot ripped up including the
concrete
and replaced with handmade clay pavers.



Andy Hall on the brag again....

Not really. The major part of the cost is in the labour.

Yes, but nothing to do with the OP so why mention it?

On the contrary.

I have answered the question and also given views related to various
options and longevity timescales.

For example, the concrete being "tired" could mean that it is so tired
that it won't reliably support tarmac for a long period of time. Let's
say that one spends a £k or two on tarmac - which it could easily be
for a decent job on a large area - and it starts breaking up within a
year?

It would have been far better to have ripped up the lot and started
again. The ripping up of concrete and more to the point, the taking
away for disposal, is not cheap. By the time that has been done, and
replaced with properly compacted type 1 and properly compacted sand
plus laying of a suitable surface, the labour, heavy equipment and
disposal form the lion's share of the cost. If one is going to go to
that trouble and cost, it makes very good sense to look at options for
materials as well.

OTOH, if the objective is only to provide an improvement to an old
concrete drive and to take the risk on how strong it really is, with
perhaps a view to selling the property in a shortish time period, the
equation is different.

I make no apology for illustrating a bigger picture with other options
when the possibility exists to spend quite a bit of money on the first
option that occurs and end up disappointed. I considered all of
the various options when I had exactly this situation apart from
failing tarmac already being there, and spent a lot of time considering
all of the pros and cons. The illustration was of what I decided to
do and why.

At the very least, it makes sense to point out the snares and pitfalls.
They may not apply to every situation, but they can be wisely
considered and taken into consideration or not,