Concreting over chipping at side of patio

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paulfoel

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Pretty common I guess. Concrete slabs/patio then chippings down the sides.

Anyway my dear wife has had a bright idea that you can just pour concrete over the chippings and its job done. Shes bought a bag of floor levelling compound.

Is is this easy?
 
heres a pic
 

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OK so you just want ot replace the chippings with concrete? What's under the chippings? And what happens to the rainwater off the wall if you remove the chippings? Are the chippings acting as a french drain around your house atm?
 
I'd leave the chippings so that the brick work doesn't get soaked by standing water, that's what they're for.
 
Well I was going to pour the concrete onto the chippings. Bad idea then?

I wasn't aware why they existed. Same for the side by the fence I guess?
Good idea I guess but I've seen loads of house that don't have this.

Could I do but leave a small gap by the wall?
 
At the front of the house, the driveway runs straight up to the front of the house so no chippings gap there. Is this normal? Just wonder how this is OK.
 
Just been reading about it. So potentially down each side of my concrete slabs (and between the patio and back of house) there may be buried a pipe which is a french drain?

Hmm. knowing what housebuilders are like I'm not so sure if they'd even bother. This is Barratt built 2000. It seems they did what they could to save money - Im betting they just chucked a load of chippings down and stuck paying slabs on top.

(and I notice you're not supposed to use sharp gravel/chippings? Hey ho they did).

Worth digging the chippings out to have a look whats under there?
 
I very much doubt there's a pipe down there, it's just letting any rain soak into the ground, a simple but effective solution, in theory if you ensure your concrete was laid to a fall towards your paving you would be OK but only on the proviso that the rain can then run off the paving away from the house? That's probably what happens on your driveway. That said you'll have all of the rain that runs off your walls will end up draining over your paving and that might increase the dirt build up. The gravel they've used has been fine for 23 years has it not?
 
Yeh I suppose it has worked so far. Not so sure about the back garden - the patio does flood.
Dear wifes bright idea this is because one of the neighbours has done it.
 
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