cracking driveway

MandyV · 09-20-2008, 09:20 PM

I have just had a driveway repaired by a 'builder'. he did not compact (well, he claims to have compacted with his 4 x 4) or lay a screed benieth the bricks. he laid them in place, then put cement and river sand down and wet it all. a few days later cracks started appearing and he claims it is because we should not have driven on it for a minimum of 7 days, but preferably 10. I drove on it after 5. does this sound correct. how long is it supposed to cure, and what can i do to improve the cracks, some of them are opening up and i can see sand through the cement. i dont know much about building but that does not sound right to me. pls help

inspectorD · 09-21-2008, 06:52 AM

He was right, a minimum of 7 days before you drive on new pavement. It needs to cure and settle in.

glennjanie · 09-21-2008, 10:19 PM

Welcoeme MandyV:
My definition of pavers is brick laid on sand tightly without joints that need to be filled. Or, if you are adding brick to a concrete surface, they should be laid with a full bed of mortar under each brick and the joints filled with mortar. After reading your post, I think you have a mixture of the methods. You didn't say so but I get the idea the bricks are laid on concrete, right? If that is the case, they should not be floating on sand but firmly attached to the concrete.
Glenn

DUNBAR · 12-27-2009, 07:47 PM

The contractor that did this work had a obligation/duty to inform you as a service provider the simple precautions to protect your investment, in which certain vulnerabilities come into play in the process. If he advised, and you instead took this upon yourself, then the situation at hand falls under a different pretense.

Northern Kentucky Plumbers

itsreallyconc · 12-30-2009, 09:02 AM

what kind of d/w was it ? if conc, you shouldda stayed off it but, if brick, soon's he's done,,, what's a ' screed ' doing beneath bricks unless he used a notch'd board to find the proper elevation ?

IF he's laid brick into a brick'd d/w, why any cement/sand ( mortar ) ? if this is confusing to me, can just imagine both you & he discussing it

generally speaking, a 'builder' doesn't know conc which's a specialty trade,,, that being said, you may've gotten what you paid for !

we prefer to have our clients stay off new conc for 10days however, if they just drive on it, 5 days is fine by me - just NO PARKING AT ALL ! ! !

ps - i rarely comment on plumbing