Need Help on making Block/Grass Driveway...

[westbounder]

Hi,
I am planning on making a driveway from paver blocks with several holes in them.  they are made for making a block and grass driveway.  

Does anyone have experience here in Thailand on this and could possibly give me some advice on how to lay these pavers as pictured below?
I have a basic idea on how to do it but not 100% sure and don't want to do it incorrectly.

Thank You

[bankruatsteve]

We used a different kind of brick but imagine what worked for us would work for you...

 

We leveled the dirt as much as possible with NE clay and then put down 3-4 cm of sand.  If the bricks lay in with a route for water drainage, give thought to that  In my case, I switched direction every few rows.  Probably doesn't matter much but that's what I did.  Then, we stained the bricks.  Then, put down more sand to almost fill the gaps and holes.  Then, we bought some lawn turf and my wife meticulously tore off pieces and plugged into the gaps and holes.  After a couple months of watering, the turf started spreading out.  A couple years later, the bricks can't be seen at all - just a beautiful grass driveway that now needs mowing.  Cheers.

[VocalNeal]

The problem for me in your 1st picture is there is too much concrete and not enough grass. I do not believe one can buy the chocolate block type concrete blocks here. 

 

 

I have made a mental note of Steve's method.

  

[bankruatsteve]

Found a post I made last year with a photo of my driveway after a couple years...

 

 

[Allen Ginsing]

If you have a wet area then you can install some drainage pipes underneath. You level the soil and pack it down so it is tight, it should be good soil so the grass can root and grow. It can be a mixture of sand, clay and top soil.

It is a good idea to lay these on a bit of slope so water rolls off. You can use a string lines for the keep the bricks level, one for you X & Y axis.

Once you get all the bricks down then you fill with grass seed. Water every other day for 1-2 weeks.

Don't worry if you they are one or two not level, you can take a pry bar and easily pull a couple up and adjust the soil underneath. It will take a couple of weeks for the bricks to settle.

[grollies]

4 hours ago, bankruatsteve said:

We used a different kind of brick but imagine what worked for us would work for you...

 

We leveled the dirt as much as possible with NE clay and then put down 3-4 cm of sand.  If the bricks lay in with a route for water drainage, give thought to that  In my case, I switched direction every few rows.  Probably doesn't matter much but that's what I did.  Then, we stained the bricks.  Then, put down more sand to almost fill the gaps and holes.  Then, we bought some lawn turf and my wife meticulously tore off pieces and plugged into the gaps and holes.  After a couple months of watering, the turf started spreading out.  A couple years later, the bricks can't be seen at all - just a beautiful grass driveway that now needs mowing.  Cheers.

Spot on.

[VocalNeal]

BKS,

 

Did you lay your bricks flat, on edge or on end? Using the small local ones?

[bankruatsteve]

The bricks we used are approx. 24x13x6 cm in a "wave" pattern (IE: not rectangular).  To wit, they cost 4.5 baht/brick from the local builder supply.  We laid them flat and with about a 1+cm gap between bricks in which the sod was plugged.  We have had big trucks come in and never a problem and with the underlying soil being the hard pack clay/gravel common in Isaan, there has been no sinking.  Cheers.

 

Edit:  Above was suggestion to throw in grass seed for the lawn.  Has anybody ever even seen grass seed in LOS?  Just get the (I think it's called Japanese grass) sod and tear it up to plug the gaps and be done with it.

Edited October 18, 2017 by bankruatsteve