Hi H1,
Hoping to get some inspiration from those who are building or have finished building.
I am only just starting my build now, but have started to think about ideas for the pathway around my house. I would rank the following as my top 3 requirements:
1) Provide added protection to the slab to protect from slab heave
2) Provide good access to the sides of the house
3) Be aesthetically pleasing
This causes a bit of a predicament. While concrete would be the best to protect the slab, it is probably not the nicest looking option (although I have seen some decent sealed concrete jobs). Conversely, having a garden bed next to the slab will increase the likelihood of slab heave due to increased moisture around the slab. I have read that pebbles can be somewhat troublesome also.
Would be good to hear (and better yet, see!) what other H1 members have done or are thinking of doing
I went with concrete down the sides of the house. I find it makes the sides of the house more useful, easy to bring a wheel barrow through, no weeding needed, slab is supported and just looks neat. I also like that I can get all around the house without having to put shoes on in summer. XD
I also think it looks 'neat', I was worried about doing pebbles... this was expensive, but done once I don't have to worry about it.
I plan to do potted citrus trees down one side, vertical herb garden off the fence, etc...
The long side is going to be a cat run, with cat netting and some synthetic turf.
Here's pics of the concreting, my builder did the three sides for me for $3,500 in plain concrete with a brush finish and the drainage (1.3m wide down the two sides, and 1.5m across the back of the house).
We are intending to eventually pave over the part in the backyard, but we'll see..
Short side
Backyard
Backyard
Long side (this side isn't completed yet, should go right to the end)
Long side
On our last build we ended up completing an entire perimeter concrete in a coloured finish. We left some room for window box garden beds to break it up a little but found with lawn slammed right next to it, it was a great transition and offered practicality for us to get around outside without having to walk on lawn (*shuddering remembering frosty mornings with ice on the lawn and dog landmines everywhere)
It felt like a natural flow on from the driveway for us. We are however this time looking at doing exposed aggregate driveway and then just coloured paths behind the fence line (for aesthetics) but we're still thinking about that.
Thanks for the pics!
They both look quite neat! And very practical also - allowing you to walk all around the house easily.
Concrete doesn't seem like too bad of an option.. but still have plenty of time to decide
I seriously hope that isn't an ORG in the photo.
Just googled it. I take it you mean the drain thing that is raised, that's just outside the kitchen window? Is the issue that it is concreted in, and therefore couldn't pop off?
The ORG's purpose is to provide a point where sewage surcharge can discharge to an outside area to protect the interior of the house. The ORG's top must be able to easily pop off so that sewage isn't forced into the house in the event of the grate becoming blocked. Being new, the top should easily pop off.
The regulations require that the spill level must be a minimum of 150mm lower than the lowest fixture connected to the drain and this will be either a floor waste or the shower drain. If you look at the weep holes (open slots between the bricks) on the outside wall, you will find that the bottom of the weep hole rests on the damp proof course (DPC) which is invariably at floor level to allow any interior water build up in the wall to drain. It appears that the gap (distance) between your ORG's spill level and the floor level is about 50mm and not the minimum 150mm.
Note that the spill level is the surface surrounding the ORG, not the height of the ORG's grate.
The diagram below is copied from the VBA Technical Solution Sheet 3.05.
The path also appears to be spooned (but maybe it is lens distortion) and there are stormwater drain grates in the path for drainage. This is good path drainage design but because there is also an ORG, it means that sewage overflow will also go into the stormwater. I don't know whether there are regulations to cover this situation but any overflow does however have to go somewhere, it may be wise to ask the VBA for a ruling.
I don't like the bottom of your weep holes being in close proximity and lower than the top of the ORG but
in cases where the 150mm minimum height cannot be achieved, a reflux valve must be installed in addition to the ORG and you should find out as to whether this has been done.