nexusdee   10 #1 Posted November 14, 2012 Hi I have a pretty large garden & 4 dogs so as you can imagine its impossible to keep a nice looking lawn & with dark night quite hard to keep it clear.  I've decided to get rid of the lawn & was wondering what would be the cheapest - either concrete, Tarmac, brick, anything really apart from flagstones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Keen Mustard   10 #2 Posted November 14, 2012 Not sure exactly which would be the cheapest. It would be between concrete and tarmac in my opinion though depending of course on the quotes you receive.  However though you will not need planning permission for getting rid of your lawn and replacing it with any one of the options you've listed you might want to consider that you may have to get some form of additional drainage installed. Grass and more importantly the soil underneath retain rainwater and let it soak away naturally which concrete/tarmac will not do. This is dependent on the area of your garden though, and can be avoided if you use a permeable surface (though these are normally more expensive). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
ccit   10 #3 Posted November 14, 2012 I have had gravel and slate in the past and would advise not to go down that route as it can be hard picking up poo without taking up a handful of the stuff. Also, the dogs don't seem to be able to run around easily on it. A solid surface would be easier to manage. We had artificial lawn laid last year and it has been a good alternative but it is pricey. Perhaps tarmac or concrete would be cheapest. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
g&k services   10 #4 Posted November 14, 2012 give me a call gary 07913010534 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Springer   10 #5 Posted November 14, 2012 I'd be happy to provide advice and a quote. I have dogs too. Have you thought about a largish dog enclosure where the dogs could have their space and the rest could be a garden area? That's what I've done myself. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
jm79 Â Â 10 #6 Posted November 14, 2012 If you have a large garden, wouldn't that account for a decent chunk of your property value? If you tarmac (or similar) over this, you could potentially devalue your property/land. Just food for thought. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Strix   11 #7 Posted November 14, 2012 Don't have tarmac - not if dogs are toileting on it  If you're having concrete, consider giving it a coat of sealant of some description so urine doesn't soak into it  I can recommend Safe4 for cleaning - it doesn't need rinsing off, and doesn't smell detergenty. I just slop it on with a watering can and leave it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
nexusdee   10 #8 Posted November 14, 2012 I'd be happy to provide advice and a quote. I have dogs too. Have you thought about a largish dog enclosure where the dogs could have their space and the rest could be a garden area? That's what I've done myself.  Thanks everyone for your suggestions, I like the idea of a dog enclosure. I did have a quote for the artificial grass & that was around 3.5k. I just want something that's easier to keep clean really, my garden is a bit like a mine field in Winter as its hard to keep up with the cleaning when you don't have any daylight hours - bit like hide & seek but not fun Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Strix   11 #9 Posted November 14, 2012 We don't have an enclosure - Brude has freedom to roam over the whole garden, but he's trained to toilet in a shower tray Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
nexusdee   10 #10 Posted November 14, 2012 We don't have an enclosure - Brude has freedom to roam over the whole garden, but he's trained to toilet in a shower tray  I wish I had thought of that a long time ago - well when I got my dog I lived elsewhere & it was a mainly concreted yard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
ccit   10 #11 Posted November 16, 2012 An separate enclosure is an excellent idea. You can then keep the rest of the garden tidy and your dog/s will not be bringing mud indoors. Concrete would be a good compromise and can be swilled clean. Years ago I had a portion of the garden fenced off just for the dogs and pups and it was very convenient as it was adjacent to the conservatory door. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
bhoy   10 #12 Posted November 29, 2012 Speak to these people  http://www.sheffieldpaving.co.uk/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...