What quantity of shingle/chippings do I need to cover my drive ?
A bulk bag of shingle/chippings will cover approximately 13 square metres at a suitable depth (approximately 50mm) for walking on or to drive vehicles over. A small prepacked bag (nominal 25kg) will cover approximately 0.4 square metres.
If making good an area, that has a partial layer of aggregate already on it, an estimate of the existing coverage needs to be made. We find that the majority of customers will estimate they have a 50% coverage. In this case then a bulk bag should cover up to 26 square metres of area.
How much sand and cement do I require to lay a certain number of bricks/blocks ?
Using a general purpose mortar mix of 1 part portland cement to 5 parts building sand and with a 10mm mortar joint, then 1x25kg bag cement and 5x25kg bags building sand should lay approximately 140 standard bricks or 35 100mm standard concrete/aircrete blocks.
Can I use rock salt on my paving during bad weather to melt any ice that has formed ?
We have had many customers whose paving has deteriorated over winter periods, who when questioned have used rock/winter salt on it when ice was present. Rock/winter salt may erode paving, particularly manufactured concrete paving. Almost all paving manufacturers will have a disclaimers somewhere in their literature/brochures advising against the use of rock salt.
How can I clean my existing patio ?
When trying to remove general soiling on paving slabs to avoid damage to the slabs, and especially to any pointing between the slabs, only use soapy water and a stiff brush/broom. The use of pressure washers should be avoided if possible as they can damage the surface of paving and force pointing out of the gaps between slabs (although the use of a rotating brush attachment can reduce this effect).
In instances of very heavy soiling/staining there are acid based cleaning chemicals that could be used. The use of these should be avoided if possible but if necessary the cleaning chemical should be diluted with water to reduce its concentration when used and tested first on a small patch of the total area to be cleaned.
How much Cotswold walling stone is there in a bulk bag ?
A bulk bag of walling stone would typically build a wall of approximately 2 square face metres (i.e 1 metre tall by 2 metres in length).
Disclaimer: The above advice is given in good faith and without any liability on the behalf of J C Tye and Son. All amounts and quantities given are only approximations and variations may occur given differing circumstances of use.