Wanted: Advice for improving surface of side return

[sophiesofa]

Hello, I'm hoping someone can advise us. We bought our flat 5 years ago intending to 'sort out' the concrete of our side return and concrete bit that's at the start of our garden but have never decided what to do with it and only just finished the inside! We are planning on selling soon so we are undecided whether it is worth doing anything other than patching the really bad bits ourselves. The thing is the entrance to our flat is via the gate so it's the first impression and not a good one!

If we had lots of money and were staying we'd pay for someone to put slate or similar down. We can borrow money to do that if it would be worth it, but we just don't know if it is. Does anyone have any ideas that are cheaper than the slate type of finish but not rubbish? Or any rough ideas for the cost of putting paving down? We have ruled out slate chippings, patching and painting the concrete and decking - these are all things other people have suggested over the years. Our flat is below ground level in places so we're mindful that we can't just add 'stuff' as it will raise the ground level and cause potential damp issues and that we have a few drain holes. I've included some photos to try and show the issues.

Thanks in advance!

[pps]

the easy thing to do would be to cover the concrete with shingles,not only would it look better than concrete is would be a bit safer if anyone goes down the side of house your hear them walking

[sophiesofa]

Thanks pps. It's on a slope, has ugly steps that also need covering and we have a few drain holes so it wouldn't really work for us.

[KidKruger]

Personally, for a quick effective job I'd shingle it.

A slight slope doesn't hurt - you can re-spread the shingle with a rake or broom.

After that single step halfway down the path I'd lay a couple of courses of bricks to create an edge to pour shingle into the higher path. A bit of sand n cement with bricks / clay tiles around the open drainage areas. Don't worry about the drain inspection lid, you know where it is and it's easy to access if required.

[red devil]

What KK said. I wouldn't have thought there was a big cost difference between slate and shingle. Use either a blue/grey or red engineering brick for the upstands and edges, with a plum slate or shingle.

With the slope you could just step it, again using a row of bricks at each step edge.

This photo shows how the brick/shingle upstand/step would look...

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b8/36/35/b83635344002a1b46762b7fade729c65.jpg

Buy a few tubs/troughs of summer bedding plants to put along the path to 'green up' the area, which you can take with you when you move...

[KidKruger]

I paid about ?80 for a ton of shingle which I carried through with a bucket.

A couple of bricks and sand / cement. Cheap as.

[sophiesofa]

Oh ok maybe I disregarded shingle too quickly then. We have two grated drains (that don't show in the photo) also but there must be a way of keeping them clear.

Thanks all for your advice, it's much appreciated.

[KidKruger]

Sophie I'll post some pics showing how I dealt with grated drains, just use engineering bricks to build a mini wall around the grate so the shingle can be poured up to height of brick. gimme a day or so.

[red devil]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sophie I'll post some pics showing how I dealt

> with grated drains, just use engineering bricks to

> build a mini wall around the grate so the shingle

> can be poured up to height of brick. gimme a day

> or so.

...allow for weep holes in the brickwork joints to allow any surface water to run into the gully/drain

[KidKruger]

Or just use venting bricks.

[sophiesofa]

Thank you!

[KidKruger]

Here's what I mean

[sophiesofa]

Thanks for that.

[Huggers]

hi we had a similarly hideously concreted side return, different levels and concreted drain ledges narrowing it even further. as a quick fix we decked it, the deck supports mainly around the concreted ledges. Its survived fifteen years. can be taken up to clean in sections and acts as a colander over the actual drains.

[sophiesofa]

Thanks huggers, that's definitely a possibility. I just don't know what to do! We have to do something to the steps (have 9 in total and was mentioned as being bad in the survey) as the vertical bits of them are really poor and that wouldn't be a quick task with decking (or anything). Part of me thinks we should just bite the bullet and pave the whole thing. Does anyone have a rough idea of how much digging up and paving a steppy side return would be? I'm thinking it's thousands? I should just get a builder round for a quote I guess!

[red devil]

Maybe you're getting too stressed out by it all ss! Remember that you bought it in it's current condition, so no reason why someone else won't, esp in the current market. Some buyers want to put their own stamp on things. Get your flat valued now and if you're happy with the valuations stick it on the market as is...

[sophiesofa]

Yes there is definitely an element in truth to that. I think it's just because we've made it really nice (in my opinion at least) inside that the concrete irrationally annoys me. I should just get over it and either patch it or do one of the suggestions above.

Thanks everyone

[KidKruger]

Sophie if you want I can pop over for 10 mins and give you my two pence worth on your obvious options with your ground works required. I'm no landscape gardener but have sorted a few gardens / yards. This may help you decide what you want to do, reduce risk of being ripped-off if you engage someone to do the works, get an external makeover that's nearer in quality to your internal finish.

I think I bought some tiles off yer fella a couple of years ago so if that's where you're at I'm round the corner.

[pps]

can see ther pics now ,just give it a good clean up and paint it either green or red .that is all it will need .tp brighten it up .

[sophiesofa]

Aw I love this forum. KK thanks for the offer. I think for now we may wait until we speak to an estate agent, but we may be in contact if we're still stupidly confused afterwards. Thank you. We don't think we've sold any tiles - we did give away a lot of crazy paving that we'd dug up, but I don't think that was you...

Thanks pps too. Another option!