New driveway required

Tried to post a NEW question but not permitted?!
Anyway – need our old driveway taken up (irregular paving stones in concrete) and replaced with Australian standard build, exposed aggregate. Approx area 57 m2. Also need a new path (6 m2) and a small set of stairs from driveway to path – all exposed aggregate I guess.
In South Canberra; looking for current recommendation!
Cheers

I think layering bricks is a good idea. you can always redo it in case something happens too.

Keijidosha said :

troll-sniffer said :

Never had a driveway done but I’ve seen some of the stamped concrete jobbies fade fairly quickly. If you know of a stamped job that’s been in place for several years and still looks good, maybe knock on the door and ask who did the job?

You are describing stenciled concrete, not stamped. Stamped concrete has oxide mixed into the concrete before it is layed, and then has a relief pattern pressed into the surface before it dries, and then sealed afterwards. It should not fade.
Stencilled concrete is just regular concrete that is allowed to dry, and then has a stencil layed out with the finish sprayed on top. This finish is prone to wearing, fading and generally looking rubbish after a few years.

To the OP, if you want to demolish the driveway yourself then you’ll need a jackhammer and an industrial bin. (Normal skip bin providers won’t accept concrete.) Disposal of concrete isn’t cheap, even though it will likely go to a recycling plant in Pialligo.

As for what you replace the old driveway with, instead of concrete you could consider paving or asphalt. If you get pavers on sale it works out cheaper than concrete. Asphalt (chip seal) can also work out cheaper but you may not like the finish.

Rubbish.
When you put oxide in the concrete mix, it will fade much faster than the oxide applied to the concrete.
It depends on the colour and shade of the oxide, the darker it is the quicker it will fade.A sealer should be used regardless to help control the fading as these are UV filters.
When stencilled is properly done, it is trowelled in twice to the fresh concrete surface. The problem is that most “concreters” won’t even trowell it in once, let alone twice, and they will use a roller insead which is why some stencilled jobs end up as you have described.
With the spray in process a primer must be used prior to spraying the hardener on or it will lift and peel.

Now, there is a new nano particle additive to concrete that has been developed and patented, by an Australian company called Eden Energy Limited, the product is called Edencrete. This is currently being trialed in America for their upgrades on their concrete highways, also bridges etc. and is far stronger and harder wearing.

Look around as their are plenty of alternatives these days, to “throwing a few bricks around” as suggested by some, and make sure the so called “professional” is applying the products properly, whatever you choose to go with, as there are plenty of “cowboys” out there that realy will take the easy way rather than the proper way.

Cheers

Jivrashia said :

One of the problem I have with any concrete driveway job is what happens if the earth beneath shifts.

Have you thought about just using a hundred or so bricks? If it shifts then you can just redo it rather than ending up with an ugly crack that will stay till the end of the days.

I believe you have to first layer down blue metal, then a bit of sand, level it, and then start laying the bricks.

No. You dont use blue metal. That is the old way and no where near as good as road base(recycled concrete). Crushed or recycled concrete compacts much better than blue metal and is also a lot cheaper.
Instead of “stamped” which does tend to fade with time , and ends up looking quite ugly after weathering and over time, there is a much better alternative and that is stenciled concrete.
There are two types of stenciled , wet and dry.
Wet is done as you pour your fresh new driveway and dry is a process where you Spray a concrete hardener over your existing concrete. Best results with spray on are achieved on freshly poured concrete that has not had much use or time for Algae to penetrate the surface, which eventually happens to all concrete ,causing it to weaken and crumble.
Both of these methods can and should be sealed,in my opinion, to help slow the fading process and to help prevent contaminates to penetrate the concrete as concrete is porous in its natural state.

My advice is to use a professional,have a look at some of their work and try to speak with some previous customers that have used them to check on their level of competence and professionalism.

cheers

We used ACT Decorative Concrete.Best in Canberra, they have been doing it since the 1960’s call Vic, i think they are in the white pages.

Ill be happy to come round and quote it for you

sounds like getting contractor to move the existing concrete is going to be the easiest.

troll-sniffer said :

Never had a driveway done but I’ve seen some of the stamped concrete jobbies fade fairly quickly. If you know of a stamped job that’s been in place for several years and still looks good, maybe knock on the door and ask who did the job?

You are describing stenciled concrete, not stamped. Stamped concrete has oxide mixed into the concrete before it is layed, and then has a relief pattern pressed into the surface before it dries, and then sealed afterwards. It should not fade.
Stencilled concrete is just regular concrete that is allowed to dry, and then has a stencil layed out with the finish sprayed on top. This finish is prone to wearing, fading and generally looking rubbish after a few years.

To the OP, if you want to demolish the driveway yourself then you’ll need a jackhammer and an industrial bin. (Normal skip bin providers won’t accept concrete.) Disposal of concrete isn’t cheap, even though it will likely go to a recycling plant in Pialligo.

As for what you replace the old driveway with, instead of concrete you could consider paving or asphalt. If you get pavers on sale it works out cheaper than concrete. Asphalt (chip seal) can also work out cheaper but you may not like the finish.

One of the problem I have with any concrete driveway job is what happens if the earth beneath shifts.

Have you thought about just using a hundred or so bricks? If it shifts then you can just redo it rather than ending up with an ugly crack that will stay till the end of the days.

I believe you have to first layer down blue metal, then a bit of sand, level it, and then start laying the bricks.

Most stamped concrete I’ve seen looks bloody cheap and horrible. The shiny ones are the worst, and slippery. Those ones with sandpaper brick effects are vile, too. I like the idea of dressing up concrete, it’s just the execution seems to fail massively.