Paving a driveway, patio or path: what lies beneath in Malta

Concrete block paving is the common choice for driveways: individual blocks on a sand bed over a compacted sub-base, which can be lifted and relaid if a service trench is needed. Permeable block paving uses wider joints and an open-graded sub-base so rain soaks through. Resin-bound surfacing is a mix of aggregate and resin laid smooth; when laid on a suitable permeable base it drains through, while resin-bonded surfaces, with stones scattered on a resin coat, do not.

Tarmac and concrete are hard-wearing but impermeable unless a porous version is specified. Gravel is cheap and drains well, but moves under car tyres unless held in a grid. For patios and paths, natural stone such as sandstone, limestone, slate or granite, and porcelain slabs are popular. Porcelain is dense and stain-resistant but needs a specific priming slurry and careful laying; natural stone varies in thickness and needs a laying method to suit.

If you will drive across a pavement to reach the new driveway, you need a dropped kerb, and it is illegal to drive over the pavement without one. Apply before you commission the driveway: a refusal leaves you with a parking area you cannot legally use.

Most arguments about paving come from what was not written down. The depth and type of sub-base, the edging and the falls are what make a driveway last; the visible surface is the easy part. Ask the contractor to state them. Where excavation will expose drains, inspection chambers or cables, the quote should say how they will be dealt with, and whether chamber covers will be raised to the new level.

• the area in square metres and the surface product by name
• excavation depth, sub-base material and compacted thickness
• edging or kerbs, and how the edges are restrained
• falls away from the house and where the water goes
• drainage channels, soakaways or planted areas, if any
• damp-proof course clearance next to the house

Raising the ground level against the house is one of the most damaging. Paving should finish well below the damp-proof course, never level with it, and fall away from the walls, not towards them. Covering air bricks cuts off ventilation to suspended timber floors.

Very low prices sometimes mean block paving laid straight on soil or on a thin layer of sand, with no proper sub-base. It looks the same on the day it is finished and fails within a few winters. Pressure to decide on the doorstep, or a request for full payment in cash before any work, are warning signs too.

Whether the garden project needs a development permit from the Planning Authority depends on what is built and where; in apartment blocks, the rules of the condominium also apply. Ask before you commit, and let the business tell you which documents it needs from you.

Electrical installation work is carried out by licensed electricians; ask to see the licence and the certificate for the finished installation. Maltese businesses are registered with the Malta Business Registry, so ask for the company registration and VAT numbers, and check whether the quote includes VAT.

Source: mbr.mt

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