# Garden to driveway conversion!



## beambeam

Been encouraged to make a wee progress thread regarding an impending driveway I'm having done round my gaff. We have large front and back gardens but have to park on the street (quite a busy main road actually). We have been desperate for a drive since we moved in 2.5 years ago but the whole house has been turned over so it featured quite low on the to-do list! But! We're nearly done! :thumb:

Here's how it was not long after we bought the house:



















So, here's the present state of the garden:



















In the second image (GoPro) you will see the neighbour on the right has a nice simple gravel drive. That's been there since 2012 I believe and has held up well. I had considered block paving or tarmac but these options quickly become expensive. I would also like to get in the habit of regularly washing and maintaining my car and motorcycle and fear a) ruining the joints between blocks or b) staining them during oil changes, etc. But mostly for cost purposes, as I say we've turned the whole gaff over and this is one of the last jobs to do so funds are low and to be honest we've found as we went along that some times you pay too much for a nice finish when a reliable option would have been perfectly fine - function over fashion!

Drainage has also been an issue in the past as you can see so gravel will help with that too.










I wish I could say I was rolling up my sleeves and doing this myself but I'm not. I've had a lad round to do various bits and pieces to the house including landscaping my back garden and replacing the roughcast at the front of the house. He's reliable, capable, good value and I wouldn't be comfortable using anyone else at this stage, he's worth his weight in gold to us. (Jamie's Handy Work on Facebook if anyone in the Edinburgh area is interested).

Anyway, I ramble... the plan is for a gravel drive way but due to the drop from pavement to front door the drive will be stepped up from the front of the house. A retaining wall using sleepers and featuring steps up to the drive will be created. The area between this retaining wall and front of house will be gravelled as well with perhaps a large bench and a tether for the dog. It's a proper sun trap out the front sometimes and I'd like a pit stop for when I need a brew during detailing!:lol:

Here's an earlier sketch up, excuse my limited artistic talents! I nearly applied for art school when I was younger too! Ha!










The main driveway will be surrounded by a border made from sleepers and I will infill the gap between those and the hedges with bark I think. The pedestrian gate and half of the hedge will be removed up front in order to create an opening. I don't quite have a budget for larger gates for the opening yet and this is why:










Behind the wheelie bins is access to a vennel/close/alleyway? The houses either side of ours are end terrace but long ago when the houses were thrown up I can imagine the gardens were a shared space and this was shared access to the front/back? The hedges are well established and my deeds confirm that this is for my sole use - other houses in the area don't have this luxury and I don't think I could have bought one of them knowing neighbours could freely stroll through my property area.

It's quite a nice space and I use it for storage since I have no shed or garage. My brother is currently building me a really secure gate for this side of the house in time for the drive completion. I'm hoping later down the line I can make the space into a handier one once I know it's safe to leave things there - thankfully in 2.5 years nothing has gone missing but with half the hedge missing I'd be more comfortable knowing it's secure and that my dog can't get out from the back unsupervised.

The gate:










This was the inspiration for the gate, I googled for something different and something solid. My brother was keen to freehand something since he has a lot of time on his hands at the moment and wouldn't mind developing his skills a bit more. He's nearly finished and today or tomorrow it's off for galvanising before fitting.

The gate and the frame which will be fixed to the wall inside the vennel:





































I am unsure how to paint it thus far but I am going to infill it with timber or possibly artificial hedging so that the contents of the vennel are fully screened off - if you can't see it, you can't nick it!

So! Work starts tuesday and it is my week off work so I will be on hand for tea making, photo taking during ground breaking. I will try and do daily updates if everyone would prefer that?

If anyone has any advice or questions then I welcome any form of input!


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## Andyblue

Great write up and looking forward to seeing the progress and the end result. The sketch looks good and will transform the front - as you say, make sure you get the drainage sorted, perhaps some land drain pipes and a soak away or 2 ? 

That gate looks really nice, I think timber in fills would look really nice and finish it off - I’d go for varnished / oiled timber over painting, with a black gate, would really set it off :thumb:


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## beambeam

Not a bad idea for the timber, some nicely stained cedar or something would make it look quite refined.

I think the gravel in itself will take care of the issue. The water only seems to pool up in two sections during significant rainfall but this will be dug down then topped with gravel as a sort of soakaway option. I've no idea if he has factored something into the plans for this already though but shall see when he arrives today! 

I am thinking of some large planters between the drive and step down to the house to sort of fence off the area which would mean the dog is safely confined. Does anyone have recommendations as to where I can source some reasonably priced ones?


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## beambeam

Day 1 came and went with no issues, lads were in early to clear some of the hedge for drive opening and access for a mini-digger:




























The opening is over roughly 3.5m wide and the drive seems like it will be 7m long spanning the width of the garden. More than adequate!




























Now we just wait for a grab lorry to remove this pile and I think today will be a case of creating the frame of the drive with railway sleepers which will then be levelled out with type 1 and the gravel.










Here's how it is looking after heavy rain this morning:










The gate is ready for collection now so I will be dropping that off at the galvanisers today and hoping for a quick turnaround. If it's not too muddy out there then I will possibly try and reduce the width of the hedge on the left hand side looking out to the road - it's massive!


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## beambeam

Whilst they worked away out front yesterday I set about tidying the back garden as the grass was overdue a cut. This is an example of the work the lads have dished out to me before - complete transformation to how it looked when we moved in!


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## Darlofan

Looking good and will give you much better space to use.
Reducing the width of the hedge will transform it too. I've just done ours at front as it was about 8 foot wide!! Think it's a beech hedge so cut it back to the trunks, about 6 weeks ago now and it's starting with new shoots (thankfully, as wife wasn't convinced it would!) 
Had loads of neighbours asking about it too as street is all hedges, looks like I've started a trend😂


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## enc

Great project, keep the updates coming :thumb:


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## beambeam

@darlofan, it will definitely grow back! I can see why it would be daunting but a neighbour hacked his back right back six weeks ago and it's looking lush again already! Not much happening today due to the weather overnight so might crack on with the hedge today.


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## pxr5

Looking good. Is the pavement dropped to the road? My sis in law had a new drive and went through some hassle (and expense) with the council to get the kerb changed.


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## beambeam

No. It's not a significant height anyway but I would like it done at some stage. Trouble is between the council and "permitted companies" it seems to be a bit of a racket with quotes being magic numbers pulled from thin air. 

I have been told I'll need traffic lights and a permit but still have seen other outfits throwing down a drive without one. Nonsense. 

My mate two doors down rang one place and was quoted £1400. When he asked if they'd do a deal if two kerbs dropped at same time and they said yeah for sure, £3000. 

The idea I think at moment is bolted in rubber ramps or tarmac a wee bump. Long-term I'm hoping the next bout of road works and I can catch the workers with a £100 bung and some beer. 


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## enc

beambeam said:


> Long-term I'm hoping the next bout of road works and I can catch the workers with a £100 bung and some beer.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


:lol::thumb:


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## Pauly.22

We paid £898 for a dropped kerb from Birmingham council. Took about 6 months before they bothered to do it though. 

Money well spent though. A driveway apparently adds a few thousand to the value of your house.


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## Andyblue

Great update and coming on well - what a difference it made clearing it out


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## fatdazza

Just be aware that unless you have a dropped kerb, technically you are breaking the law by driving over the pavement to park on your new driveway.


Different councils take different approaches, but generally you have to apply for planning permission for the dropped kerb. Then if approved you will have to pay for the dropped kerb to be installed. Again councils differ, but usually work needs to be carried out by the council of one of their approved contractors.


You pay for all of this, and then once complete and the council inspects it (to agree that the works has been carried out to agreed quality), they "adopt it" and it becomes their responsibility to maintain it going forward.


All seems like downside, but as previous poster says off street parking adds to the value of your house and gets you lower car insurance (and for us OCD types on here, les likelihood of scrapes and damage to your car )


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## Darlofan

If Kerbs not too high I'd just drive up it. Better option as a piece of timber or small tarmac ramp draws attention to it. Saying that in our last house loads in surrounding streets had bits of wood etc by kerbs. Nobody ever bothered them as they never moved. 1400 is steep for what is in essence cutting out old kerb and setting new one on some concrete!! Just get cheap builder in to do it and don't tell council. Used to survey for councils they haven't a clue who has dropped kerbs and who hasn't.


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## mattr8700

beambeam said:


> The idea I think at moment is bolted in rubber ramps or tarmac a wee bump. Long-term I'm hoping the next bout of road works and I can catch the workers with a £100 bung and some beer.


We had some gas works done on our estate last year, that involved them digging up the dropped kerb portion of our driveway, so they made a small tarmac ramp to allow us to use the kerbed part to access the driveway. After the work was done the guys left the tarmac in place as they knew we wanted a larger access to the drive. It lasted a week before a neighbour had rung the council and the company complaining and had it removed.


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## Darlofan

mattr8700 said:


> We had some gas works done on our estate last year, that involved them digging up the dropped kerb portion of our driveway, so they made a small tarmac ramp to allow us to use the kerbed part to access the driveway. After the work was done the guys left the tarmac in place as they knew we wanted a larger access to the drive. It lasted a week before a neighbour had rung the council and the company complaining and had it removed.


Obviously a jealous neighbour! I'd start using that part instead just to wind them up😀


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## beambeam

fatdazza said:


> Just be aware that unless you have a dropped kerb, technically you are breaking the law by driving over the pavement to park on your new driveway.
> 
> Different councils take different approaches, but generally you have to apply for planning permission for the dropped kerb. Then if approved you will have to pay for the dropped kerb to be installed. Again councils differ, but usually work needs to be carried out by the council of one of their approved contractors.
> 
> You pay for all of this, and then once complete and the council inspects it (to agree that the works has been carried out to agreed quality), they "adopt it" and it becomes their responsibility to maintain it going forward.
> 
> All seems like downside, but as previous poster says off street parking adds to the value of your house and gets you lower car insurance (and for us OCD types on here, les likelihood of scrapes and damage to your car )


I'm trying to find out if this part about breaking the law also applies in Scotland... interestingly, the first two houses down one side have drives and no drop kerb and nor does the one on my other side. I went for a walk around the area last night with the pup and made a mental note of who has a drive, dropped kerbs and whatever else and it seems to be a long-term standard practice to not bother! Several have the eBay type ramps and most just have a very low kerb already...

For reference, this is what I am working with:












mattr8700 said:


> We had some gas works done on our estate last year, that involved them digging up the dropped kerb portion of our driveway, so they made a small tarmac ramp to allow us to use the kerbed part to access the driveway. After the work was done the guys left the tarmac in place as they knew we wanted a larger access to the drive. It lasted a week before a neighbour had rung the council and the company complaining and had it removed.


Ha, not surprised. Just had a council guy round an hour or so ago following up complaints about tonne bags of gravel being on the kerb. Delivery driver didn't even alert me to his arrival just stacked them neatly kerbside and someone complained immediately... understandable if blocking the path for prams and wheelchairs but it wasn't. Guy was alright, technically we were in wrong but he said just shift it today and no fine. Gave a few other pointers and when asked by the workers he claimed it was around £2000 for dropped kerb. Considering that is 2/3 of what the drive itself is costing me I shan't be rushing to do that...



Darlofan said:


> If Kerbs not too high I'd just drive up it. Better option as a piece of timber or small tarmac ramp draws attention to it. Saying that in our last house loads in surrounding streets had bits of wood etc by kerbs. Nobody ever bothered them as they never moved. 1400 is steep for what is in essence cutting out old kerb and setting new one on some concrete!! Just get cheap builder in to do it and don't tell council. Used to survey for councils they haven't a clue who has dropped kerbs and who hasn't.


As you can see by the height, that is likely my intention for now. I'm loathe to fork out such cash when someone could tear up the whole road and do it all not long after. I've been looking to see if there are much roadworks going on soon but I'm half tempted to throw in a few complaints about the kerb and pavement surface anyway and see if being a cheeky chancer works! 

Thanks for all your input so far guys, really appreciate the thoughts of the DW hive mind.


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## beambeam

Update:

Been slow to throw more photos up as I've been tied up with training, work and getting the dog sorted out with vet! Then there was so much sunshine that BBQ's and beers took priority, I'm sure you understand... 

So the grab lorry came and removed just a tad over 12 tonnes of muck:



















Sleepers roughly laid out and the space levelled out a bit before the type 1 arrives, dog supervising proceedings and pretty put out by the lack of turf:





































So here you can start to visualise better my plan for a tiered driveway and small courtyard area outside the front of the house. I've no real plans for that spot besides a bench and some plants but it is a real sun trap and I can see the potential for a nice cuppa enjoyed out there on a pleasant evening.

The steps will be infilled with gravel to set them off nicely and I think for now I'll leave the timber or stain it with a clear coat of something to protect it from the elements.


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## beambeam

As I mentioned I might do, I stripped the hedge right back filling two of these bags and a brown bin in the process!










Huge difference and clawed back another foot or so of space. 10t of type 1 aggregate arrived the next day:














































Looking great and still requires tamping down before the weed control and gravel goes down. They've since been in today (Monday 25th June) and have decided to get another three tonnes of type 1 and some extra gravel (5t -> 7t) to make sure it is more than adequate. Overall, 20t of material going in!

Here is the gravel that's going in, "Keith Blue":





































There is a problem getting the extra two tonnes of gravel required and it's either wait a week or so or go with a different colour for the lower "courtyard" portion. I've chosen the latter and this will be the same as the area outside my back door. The contrast will be nice I think and blends in with front of the house anyway. The area in question is shown in this image:










And this is how things are looking as of right now!










Hopefully all the materials arrive tomorrow and the lads will be finished up tomorrow evening. There is a couple of other jobs like indian sandstone fixed to the front step and hopefully repainting of the drains and gutters at the front of the house - they did this before when replacing them last year but the paint hasn't held up and touches of rust has broken through. Hopefully I'll have completion images featuring the car on the drive for you tomorrow evening!


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## wish wash

Certainly making progress, look there doing a decent job too. If you park 2 cars side by side can each get out without having to move one. 

Maybe its just the photos being deceptive but I keep looking at the hedge that's left at the front thinking, should it stay or go completely


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## SuperchargedLlama

Looks absolutely brilliant mate! A word of warning with regards to the sleepers - if you walk on them they can become smooth, which, in the rain, can be slippery - might be worth putting some sort of gripper tape on there etc.


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## Maxtor

A great job so far! :thumb:


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## beambeam

wish wash said:


> Maybe its just the photos being deceptive but I keep looking at the hedge that's left at the front thinking, should it stay or go completely


I dithered over this for ages but just want to keep it to retain a small amount of cover. It is also where I intend on keeping the wheelie bins too once the drive is completed.



Mother-Goose said:


> Looks absolutely brilliant mate! A word of warning with regards to the sleepers - if you walk on them they can become smooth, which, in the rain, can be slippery - might be worth putting some sort of gripper tape on there etc.


And probably even more so when it has been stained/sealed with something and doesn't let water soak in. I have only even seen very thin strips for decking boards but I ought to find some wider strips for that area before someone slips.


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## Danjc

Looking good mate and great progress. 
One thing to consider is the migration of the gravel off the drive and onto the pavement. It doesn’t look like you are going down the cellular system route which is absolutely fine but a dished channel or the reverse a baby sleeping policeman will either help catch or keep in the gravel respectively reducing its migration. 
One thing to remember with the channel option is it will also collect other bits of crap so needs a quick tidy every now and again.


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## staffordian

beambeam said:


> And probably even more so when it has been stained/sealed with something and doesn't let water soak in. I have only even seen very thin strips for decking boards but I ought to find some wider strips for that area before someone slips.


How about this stuff, which is 2" (50mm) wide...

https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Adhesives+&+Sealants/d180/Tapes/sd2420/Black+Anti+Slip+Tape+/p97962


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## sshooie

Or mix some anti slip silica sand into your stain/treatment for that area?


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## Andyblue

Looking really good now and coming on very well


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## WHIZZER

Looks great


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## Pauly.22

Looks good. A gravel driveway always looks smart.


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## The_Bouncer

Just to echo the dropped kerb scenario - only takes a snotty neighbor to report your driving across the kerb onto the drive and the council 'could' issue you with a letter not to do it as you could cause damage to existing section - Therefore rendering your drive unuseable.

Of course once you have parted with quite a few ££££ the council will adpot the dropped kerb and pathway.

I'd look into this as it sounds as if you have some rather nosey neighbors already.....


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## beambeam

Danjc said:


> Looking good mate and great progress.
> One thing to consider is the migration of the gravel off the drive and onto the pavement. It doesn't look like you are going down the cellular system route which is absolutely fine but a dished channel or the reverse a baby sleeping policeman will either help catch or keep in the gravel respectively reducing its migration.
> One thing to remember with the channel option is it will also collect other bits of crap so needs a quick tidy every now and again.


Hadn't actually considered this and having slept through the day after nightshift I didn't get a chance to bring this up before the lads completed the drive to pavement section. There is a cement slope and new blocks in place there so I'm hoping this will be enough to catch gravel going amiss. Thanks anyway.



sshooie said:


> Or mix some anti slip silica sand into your stain/treatment for that area?


This sounds like the most appealing solution!:thumb:



The_Bouncer said:


> I'd look into this as it sounds as if you have some rather nosey neighbors already.....


Ultimately I think a dropped kerb is the way forward and will explore it further down the line but for the money I can think of other areas I'd like to chuck that amount at first!


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## beambeam

Nearly there. Unfortunately there is still a tonne of gravel that has yet to be delivered but the lads cracked on with what they had and will take care of that bald patch later today. As a nice finishing touch they improved the front step to the house with some mint indian sandstone left over from a previous job so I am quite happy with that! The door surround and drainpipes are being repainted soon to a mushroom colour that will match the step quite closely - unintended but a welcome result. The gate is ready to be picked up too so almost 100% complete! Desperately need some plants and whatnot to brighten the area up a bit.


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## Andy from Sandy

That does look very nice indeed.

Is the gravel big enough that it won't get stuck in your cars tyres?

The dropped kerb conundrum:-

https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/2637854/street-parking-law/

Without it someone can legally block you in. With it they can't. I found it interesting though that someone can "use your drive"!


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## beambeam

Yeah chips are a decent size.

As for the use of my drive. If someone wants to chance it and see what happens, they are perfectly welcome!!! 


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## beambeam

FINISHED!










I had thought initially at an angle I could turn the car in the drive but it's a tight fight and once I start I'm more like Austin Powers!










Not a problem as I've deliberately created a wide opening for getting in and out at an angle. Can comfortably drive in and reverse out, and vice versa. Can also get two cars parallel to each other if needed. First time up over the kerb was a lot less painful than I had thought it might be, barely noticed and that is with low profile tyres on 18" wheels.

Forgive the car's appearance, quickly rinsed off all the dust from gravel being shovelled about. That has been rinsed off a couple times already and the true colour of the stone is coming up nicely.

Overall, for the costs involved and the fact it turned out exactly as I envisioned, I am very happy. Already received several compliments from interested passerby's and neighbours.

Before:










After:










If I update in future it will hopefully be because I have festooned the place with plants and flowers to make it a bit nicer! Thanks for all the interest!


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## Andyblue

Looks cracking, looks like they’ve done an excellent job. :thumb:


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## rob267

Superb job. Looks really good. Love the wooden sleepers.

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## justinio

That looks great you must be well pleased. So much better having somewhere safe to park the car.


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## WHIZZER

Lovely Job


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## kdot

Looks fab! :thumb:


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## pxr5

Graet job - well done all.


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## enc

Looks superb !

Think I'd be reversing on rather than driving on would make for easier getting out !?


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## beambeam

Yeah! Did that this morning getting home from work and much better. Cheers for all the comments folks.


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## Pauly.22

Looks good, have you thought about adding some lights or anything? I fitted some led decking lights down the side of my drive just for a bit of light with a PIR sensor. 

Also, do you know the name of the gravel?

I wouldn’t mind some similar for my patio

Thanks.


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## AS_BO

Great content, thanks for taking the time to upload it fella. Just in time as well, I intend on doing my drive next month so this has given me some food for thought! I'll be putting a thread up as well 

The finished article looks really classy, railway sleepers are a lovely touch and the contrast in gravel has worked in your favour in my opinion - provides great separation between driveway and seating area.

Well done chap!


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## beambeam

@Pauly.22 It is called "Keith Blue", it's quite nice I reckon and has come up lovely after being hosed off a few times for dust. I have a few solar lights dotted around the back garden so looking at options, might try and get a few low profile ones to sit on top or sit recessed into the sleepers.


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## beambeam

Thought I would update to say that the driveway has made a huge difference the last few weeks and it's turned out to be a cracking job ticked off the list of things we want for the house. Delighted to notice that there has been very little gravel making its way off and on to the pavement, in fact it is only when a neighbour passes with his puppy that starts scrambling to get close to me that it has happened! It's also been quite nice to receive several compliments on the drive from folk passing as I clean the car!


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## Alfa male

Looks great and tastefully done


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## ken m sport

Very impressive, and relevantly low cost. Have you considered a wooden bin store to finish off the job?


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## Del-GTi

Looks excellent mate. What a transformation! 

It's so much better when you can get your car off the street.


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## Mike J

Your hedge looks like Privet.
Impossible to kill by clipping or pruning, needs a lot of water so equally compatible with your car washing and any drainage problems that could occur.
Clip/trim its sides and top twice a year and compost the clippings by putting them around the base of the hedge.
Gravel makes a nice crunch when anyone walks on it, no doubt your dog will learn that at night he should pay extra attention if he hears a crunch, mine always did!

Very nice job all round.


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## beambeam

@Mike J, thanks for that. I've been well impressed by a neighbour's hedge three doors up and quite believe that you can't kill it! He stripped it right back a few months ago until it looked quite anaemic but I'm happy to notice it has bounced back and is looking very thick and healthy. 

As for the clippings, I was worried that leaving them on the ground would cause them to seed/form roots that spread further and further into the gravel and give me problems down the line?

I'm finding the dog is becoming more and more aware of people on the gravel which is helpful to me since I have significant hearing loss. I've noticed her ears prick and ended up catching the post at the doorstep a few times.


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## vsideboy

beambeam said:


> For reference, this is what I am working with:


Mate, I had a dropped kerb at my old house that was slightly higher than that! Had to go down really slow so the front of my celica didn't smash into the road, and had to always reverse in otherwise the front valance would scrape up the pavement.


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## VW STEVE.

Great job,love the way your dog is in on the act,ours was the same when we had some work done, builders used some pics for there website & hes now all over the internet .


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## beambeam

VW STEVE. said:


> Great job,love the way your dog is in on the act,ours was the same when we had some work done, builders used some pics for there website & hes now all over the internet .


Haha she absolutely adores workmen when they visit the house and these particular lads have been around a few times for various jobs so she's well acquainted!

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## sbrocks

Bounced onto this on the back of your car thread....superb job and really tasteful result !

Cheers for the thread buddy


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## John-R-

With reference to the Anti-Slip stuff, have you looked into some GRP strips.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj9-anxhszfAhUIQRoKHcowDHEQjRx6BAgBEAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tactileindicators.net%2Fanti-slip-tape.htm&psig=AOvVaw24P251apXnQY8DXcUODVKr&ust=1546413861304472

I got some of these (unfortunately can't remember the supplier) for some decking steps and they work great, another bonus is some suppliers can do them in different colours so that it blends in better. Also can be supplied in various lengths to save you from having to cut them.

John


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## VW_Ben

A good thread to read and a cracking job - bravo &#55357;&#56397;&#55356;&#57340;


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## beambeam

*One year on... *

Realised it was coming to almost a year when work was completed! Thought it would be nice to update with how it has held up so far.










Last year when completed.










Last month.

The hedge has grown back steadily, I rarely lose stones coming on and off the drive and overall having a drive has made a massive difference. I have been able to keep it clean on a regular basis, take care of my own maintenance and even accommodated a second car on it when required. It also makes things a lot safer for the dog since she's no longer jumping out close to passing traffic.

You will see the vennel has also been furnished with the chunky steel gate that my brother freestyled for me. It is solid and provides a lot of security for motorcycles and whatnot.


















Overall, very very happy. Pleased to report I've also had no complaints or issues with the lack of a dropped kerb. Unfortunately, no further works planned for the house really besides taking a wall down in the kitchen. We had a few ideas but they are on the back burner since we are now getting married next year!

Hope this update is well received, I know some of you really enjoyed the ongoing updates last year and I find myself I enjoy seeing follow ups to see how things hold up over time.


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## bluechimp

Glad to see it’s holding up well. It looks great!


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## rob267

Nice update. Driveway looks great still.
Congratulations on the upcoming marriage 

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## Andyblue

Looking good mate and great to see it’s holding up well :thumb:


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## Darlofan

Still looking good, like the gate. Glad to see the hedge is ok, I commented early on in this thread about me hacking back our hedge to the trunks. It grew back a little last yr but has really come good in the last few weeks. When it gets it's first trim later this year I'll reduce the height of it from 8 to 6ft.
The alleyway to your rear, is it not shared with neighbours?


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## beambeam

The alleyway/vennel is not shared access no. Once upon a time when it was built and owned by the council it would have been a shared common area out the back but I believe over the years as people purchased the properties they must have stipulated conditions such as clearly defined ownership of these areas.

My house is is mid-terrace in a row of three so both houses either side of me can get round the back of their own properties (although one can't due to extension but has rear access from the back of their garden.

It's quite useful to have - provides access to the back and safe storage for various items. It's pretty much a shed to me but the gate secures it nicely now although previously we had no issues with theft anyway.

Hedge has already been trimmed once this year already! Bouncing back! I'm also contending with a handful of shoots from the neighbours tree within the hedge too.


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