How I Saved Thousands on My Driveway Makeover: DIY Steel Design and Sustainable Landscaping!
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- čas přidán 1. 06. 2024
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It’s refreshing to hear someone talk about what they gain from spending their time this way as opposed to the more traditional “oh my time is worth ‘x’ .” Glad you had fun and made a great driveway!
I am self employed, so judging my time is a fruitless task.
contractor realized he underbid
Yup that's one of the reasons people are so lazy these days. They think they're owed money just for the effort of breathing. 😂
Your house looks beautiful and these additions and hearing about all the laws and regulations is super interesting.
Thanks! The house was a part of a architecture competition. So 5 architects submitted plans and one was built.
One hot house indeed
his house looks like a IKEA
germany seems to have a high standard than a lot of places here in the US. that 5 year warranty? that sounds really cool
@@alltimenative And most of all it got high prices, most people cant afford a house as the prices skyrocket. even flat units are overpriced.
The 5-year guarantee requirement on contract work is an excellent regulation! We do not have that in Canada. Not many contractors take pride in doing a good job, unfortunately. That regulation would protect customers and raise standards.
Very impressed with your driveway. Congratulations on a job well done.
I'd love to have that in Canada! They just don't care and cut so many corners
@@superzohaib96 Those who don't understand that government regulation can be helpful would oppose this. That's why we can't have nice things
Be careful what you wish for. It is probably what makes it more expensive. Like putting insurance on a sports car.
@@brendadeatherage4543 Alternatively, it weeds out unethical people. Those actually skilled and responsible would do the job properly. Why would they need extra insurance if they aren't in the business of doing a shoddy job and disappearing with your money?
@@lousialb8962actually I can imagine someone willing to pay less for a less experienced worker. Laws like that one can weeds out less experienced workes who are starting their business and what you end up with is no less expensive ones and only good but pricey contractors for which even this, judging by the house, rich you tuber was not willing to pay.
It was definitely worth doing it yourself, the skills and fun gained are immeasurable and it looks amazing. Can't wait for the update with blooming flowers.
They are growing for sure, but this winter is annoyingly cold. Always about 5° which could be much worse emergy wise, but the plants need 10° to start growing.
Make sure you plan ahead for water runoff or you will be pulling up your bricks and resetting them because water pulls both sand and setting stones away, so always put pipes under your tamping gravel in a sloping way away from high spots and towards gutters in street. Trust me I've done lots of pavers and walks
So far we had no standing water at all. Its sloped towards the garden. We are not allowed to slope towards the street. Only with a gutter.
You want pipes to drain away from low spots. High spots drain themselves.
Also telling someone to plan ahead when the project is done is kind of pointless.
Anyway, great idea with the lateral support containment of pavers. I’ve never seen anything like this as I’ve been exploring ribbon driveways.
Great work!
I bought a house 2 years ago at auction with no surveys and we've slowly been renovating it (because it was falling down). Got to say the landscaping/driveway was the most fun and rewarding job I've completed to date.
Roof next. Wish me luck 😂
Take care of your safety when you work on the roof. Good luck.
In Germany you are not allowed to drain towards public land. So here the slope is backwards into the garden. Luckily the house has a good drainage system in the the lawn. The water gets funneled into a underground cavity from where it slowly seeps down.
Good luck! That's a big job!
Being an Engineer myself I love basic over engineering of a every day issue.
Looks fantastic but don't forget to mastic the open copper pipe ends or you'll be inviting every bug to use the super highway into your basement.
That looks really good, and I like the idea of using galvanised steel as the border. I'm all for doing work on a house as much as possible, as long as you know your limits. A competent DIYer can do a better job than most contractors, as you don't have the time pressure. The satisfaction of completing a job is massive and satisfies something deep inside us to create things. It's also a welcome change from being infront of a computer.
Very true! I think the same way.
As someone who lived in Germany I’m always pleasantly reminded of these little rules. Like the Sonntagsruhe and stuff. But great project. I love to follow these build projects. 👍🏼😊👏🏼
Very nice! Would like to see later how it turned out with all the plants etc.
Lets hope it gets as nice as the Photoshop in the Thumbnail! 😂
A few things: 1) In the USA, driveways can cost $10-20k depending on the features, so the contracted quote is pretty accurate, but it's still smart to save money where you can. Love seeing the ways in which you're using your engineering background to add value to your home with the new driveway and Trash Train. The real draw here is the acquisition of new knowledge and hard skills which is more useful than conveniently contracting out such services.
2) All of this home renovation work is reminding me of the 1990s Father of the Bride films with Steve Martin. As a kid, I once helped a friend and his father lay down lots of new red brick for their walkway. I agree, it's fun learning a new skill. Love that you are forgoing the use of grass. Can't wait to see an update with the new flowers and herbs.
3) All of the red brick featured here reminds me of older places in the Northeast like Cambridge, MA (specifically Harvard Square), the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, and various buildings around NYC and Georgetown that feature Federal and Georgian style architecture with beautiful red brick.
I am astonished at the engineering considered necessary for a drive way in Germany! In Australia we’d only dig out about 30 cm and lay the bricks over a foundation of gravel and then sand, but no edges of any kind except perhaps a decorative brick border. I’m not quite sure what the edging is for really. Fascinating.
The edging is there to keep the bricks in place when heavy loads are applied. Such as cars driving over it. It alse keep the sand underneath the bricks maintaining the steady foundation.
Yes it's interesting hey? On the one hand I was blown away what went into this. I would have thought of the sand between the bricks and the granite bed for drainage... But putting down the rails is brilliant! And working out the best brick pattern for structure rather than simply aesthetics. I learned a ton here. Great video!
yes fascinating to watch this. My driveway is all concrete rn, and considering like this and glad this video popped up on my recommendation out of nowhere!
We have a much harder time laying roads and foundations. With the rather wet climate an the deep penetrating winter frosts, there is a lot of genral movement, softening and spot-sagging in the soil. If you don't build right, it will look like a medieval road in 3 to 10 years.
the rails weren't really nesccessary, it's just good practice. It probably would have been fine if he just added some concrete around the pavers to secure them.
Very unique and nicely built driveway! Not sure if anyone have mentioned this but, there shouldn't be any vegetation under cars. (Though I can't tell from this video if you leave your car over the flower bed). The moisture coming from that compost and plants will significantly speed up rusting of any vehicle.
Thyme helps with the moisture, and the undercarriage of electric cars doesn't rust as easily. I don't think he'll have any rusting issues.
Yeah no. Its so little that it does not bother the car.
Bigger hazard with combustion vehicles is hot exhausts setting fire to dry grass in summer
I'm a pay-for-it kind of guy. I did a lot of DIY on mates house over the years, so I'm not inexperienced, i just don't have the time these days. 3 weeks, 15 days. I noticed a few people helping so I'm going to assume 2 people per day. That's probably about €300 per day to pay professionals (in the UK). That's around €4500. So, with your materials and hire cost, that adds up to €8800. The original quote wasn't far off.
Yes, but you can’t count your time like this. If he did it in his free time and he likes it. You can also sit and watch CZcams all day like me ;)
I mean that was the idea xD. Sure the bid was done buuuut at the end of the day he still did not spend half the money but his tone and if he does not mind, best possible solution i guess
I'll be honest, I played this video on my second screen while doing some work...just for the sound of someone talking.
I spent the entire 17minutes watching this video instead of focusing on my work. 😂
Super interesting to watch and it came out perfectly! I wish I have the effort to do that sort of work in my life. Haha.
New subscriber earned. ;) Keep up the awesome stuff!
I love the tracks because it saves on materials, adds water permeability and reduces stored heat.
If you add some terracing to your property, and driveway, it will:
Decrease ground subsidence (reduce the need to repair concrete structures); reduce the amount of water at the foot of the hill; decrease downstream flooding; decrease the need to water the upper portions of your garden; prevent overdrying, and soil loss: maintain greenery longer; decrease grid strain on 'gridded'(pumped) water; reduce irrigation/watering effort; build soil, etc, terracing is a great way to offset maintenance and other problems.
I don't know about the rest of the world, but where I live contractors are usually considered unreliable and dishonest. If you have a problem with a job they did they would do everything not to take responsibility for the damage and blame everything possible or straight up disappear into the void.
your videos are always satisfying but with this one you've outdone yourself. Thank you for making quality content!
Same here! You get a mix. 60% do high quality work. 40% cut corners which leads to defects and they never owe up to them. But we have a good legal system to deal with that.
This project came out fantastic! I think it was well worth the cost and time to do it yourself.
anyone know what program he's using at 1:23?
I'm pleased its not just in England where contractors do not turn up!
Very common here! I think it would have even been quite easy and profitable!
Sieht mega nice aus ! (Eine kleine Sache hab ich aber, Kabel im Außenbereich bitte mit Warnband verlegen so wie 60cm Tief mit einer schicht Sand unter dem kabel damit durch Vibrationen das kabel nicht beschädigt wird)
Hab ich tatsächlich gemacht!
@@MaxMakerChannel Dann will ich nichts gesagt haben :D Sieht wie gesagt schon echt nice aus, bin momentan selbst am überlegen ob man sich was eigenes kaufen sollte bei der momentanen Lage.
First time viewer. Your decision to DIY was perfect. Your attention to detail is top shelf. The final product looks fantastic and kudos for not planting grass. The aroma and the color in the summer will be amazing. Great job!!!
Thanks for watching!
Be very PROUD of yourself ,you did a super fine job
Fun and informative video and the driveway looks great! I've got to say though, you are likely to have some issues going forward:
The galvanized steel will be straight and look good for a few years, but it won't last under soil. That's the reason the normal procedure is to use concrete blocks. The steel, even galvanized, will corrode eventually, you'll probably get 10+ years, but concrete would last 50+ years.
Also, you kind of built a bathtub from what I saw in the video. You have lots of free draining material in your subbase (the granite dust and sand under your paver layer) and around your pavers, but where does the water go once it drains through them? Perforated underdrain pipes to collect the water in your subbase sloped to an outlet would be the best way to handle this. You may get lucky and the soil under your constructed subbase may drain well and then you'll have no problems, but if you have a lot of clay in the native soil, that makes an impermeable layer that will hold the water in your free draining subbase material. Where that material is so shallow, you may well find everything frost heaving over the next winter and spring. If your bricks move up and down after a few freeze thaw cycles, know that it is because you have water stuck in your subbase without a good outlet. That water expands as it freezes, then contracts as it thaws, creating a lot of hydraulic pressure pushing upwards where ever water is trapped.
Just some lessons learned working as a civil engineer for the last 16 years building public roads and sidewalks in Maine, USA. Again, great video, thank you for sharing!
Those are some very good points! Since the house is relatively new, there is a drainage system all around the foundation. So the surrounding soil gets wicked dry and flows into a underground cavern in the garden. It hold about 3000l I think and from there it can drain naturally.
Ah yes, German laws and regulations :D The driveway looks really good, I would love an update once the plants have grown.
For reference: you said 5 years of warranty in Germany, but it's 10 years of warranty ("décennale") in France for anything made by a pro to your house.
Very good!! Thats how it should be.
@@MaxMakerChannel indeed, not complaining about that :)
one hundred percent you doing it yourself was the best way. enjoying your time is worth money. its a different kind of fun plus satisfaction and pride. and you got to make a video on CZcams showing others.
Here in Qazaqstan contractors give only a single year of warranty. Five years is so nice. Those kind of small things are nice to know. Thx
I’m 100% with you, I do everything myself, and whilst ground works like that would be new to me, after watching your video I would very happily roll my sleeves up and do it.
Definitely in the summer though 😂😂
I would never do something like this because this is so much planning and I freeze when there's too much planning to do but it was so satisfying to see such good planning AND execution, very well done sir!
Take it one step at a time!
I got my stepdad one of those dumpers since he is getting on in years. He loves it. Makes things easier for him around the farm. Sure wasn't easy finding one around. So I went online and there was a company that has tons of attachable beds for it. I ordered that. So much easier for him doing the light jobs and he still has the larger trailer for the bigger jobs. That little excavator is so fun to use. Everyone that has some land should have one or rent one just once.
Remember if you want to save your lawn there are systems you can rent with your equipment that aren't that expensive. You might also want to look at just some simple PLYWOOD. I just did a drive way in the country for my stepfather about a year ago using a cellular grid system. It was the easiest and best things ever. I love it, and even with the grain trucks going down our farm drive we have 0 issues. Anyone looking for a solution to their driveway or long paths or even for like a rock yard and you want it to hold up. I highly recommend that you check out a cellular grid system. I know it's easier to find them over in the Europe.
Well if you get what you paid for, you got a great deal! It looks wunderbar!
Love the work and design. Can’t wait to see what the thyme looks like once it’s all filled in. Great job!
Its growing a lot at the moment!
Can't wait to see it fully grown. Great work!
Will post an update!
Thanks for sharing your DIY projects, its great to see people enjoying their homes 🏡.
My husband is German and his mom and Dad house is so nice with all that brick just like yours I just love when I visit your country..
This was fun to watch! I dont think I could ever want to do something like this by myself so I really admire the work you did. It looks so nice! And its true that the people you pay, dont always do a good job, sometimes its even bad.
careful with having plants under your car as the hot exhaust can light fire. prolly not an issue for your climate but for others it might, looks amazing!!
there is no exhaust, he clearly drives an electric car seeing as he talks about finally using his charger :P
@@swedneck It looked like a long drive so i assumed he would have guest park there instead of the street sorry for the confusion!
We have lots of ribbon driveways where I live (Indianapolis). But yes--you do have to keep the grass or other plants short and well-watered.
".....and I did have a lot of fun and gained a lot of knowledge..." . This is the best part of the story
The most important thing in doing a good job is wanting the job to be the best possible. Builders don't care, but you as the owner do. I've learned this with my own house and I try to do the things that I can.
I like the way you think. “If you want a job done, do it yourself”. Kudos and subscribed.
The greatest German to ever German has returned! He has even blessed us with a new video!
Very nice! Well done. Regarding workmanship guarantees, the US doesn't have rules about that, each company can set their own plan or not have one. That allows more freedom of choice and lower costs to build, but it also reduces quality in many places.
It makes working with contractors a nightmare in the US. Its common for them to abandon jobs in the middle of a project if they feel like they underbid or just found a better paying job. Good luck getting anyone to come back after you have paid. Many contractors are what they call 'lawsuit proof' where even if you get a judgement, good luck ever collecting your money. There are reputable contractors of course, but be prepared for some shocking bids.
lol. in Russia we have freakin freedom
- any contractor is free to disappear the month they got money.
a year of warranty? sounds like lifetime. good luck =)
(I'm a bit jokin)
@@ruleslawyer part of which is why I separate materials and labor, and I only pay labor at the end of the day.
That sounds very difficult. Especially in building where so many things get hidden. Like waterproofing in a bathroom or insulation.
@@MaxMakerChannel that’s why you need to hire good Supervisor or do supervising yourself.
I saw your dumpster train video a while ago...
Didn't expect to see your video to pop up in my feed again, but I'm glad it did!
This is such a nice project and it ought to look fantastic when all the greens have grown in!
How about Subscribing then?
I think you did well to hire out. I'd say it turned out better with you in charge. You did a fantastic job!!
Worth 100%. They only thing I don't understand, why didn't you choose those gitter stones with grass growing in the openings?
Because we need a way to walk back from the cars. You can walk over the thyme but it doesn’t feel good. Its not as smooth as gras. When you open your car door you don’t step on the paved area.
@@MaxMakerChannel I mean Rasengittersteine instead of plain stones where your wheels roll. It would blend optically better with greens around and they are rather cheap from a Baumarkt.
I think those Rasengittersteine look awful. And those bricks match perfectly with the house and do give the whole area a common style instead of an additional element. I also think that while planing someone might have thought about what he will like and do. Especially when the research goes as far as to use dwarf Thyme as a lawn substitute.
@@MathieuDeVinois Then why he doesn't say "I don't like how they look" if that's the case?
This 5 year warranty that contractors have to give on anything they do at your home, I don't think it exists anywhere else 😅
10 in france
Good job!
It looks good, and well made.
I love the use of thyme as a middle strip.
The only thing I would do differently, is that I would plant the tall ornamental grass "Carl Foerster" in the flowerbed next to the wall.
This will give you height and movement, as a nice contrast.
(You leave it standing through winter, and then cut it down completely once a year, in March.)
You did a very good job. I am in rural US and it has become nearly impossible to even find a contractor in my area to get a bid. So DYI 👍
That is an absolutely beautiful house! Great job on the driveway!
Great job! Looks much better than before both these projects, and I bet your quality of life has gone up as a result!
Worth it every day of the week… and it’s the satisfaction every time you park and charge that gives the real pay back!
Love the work you did. I don't know any contractor here in the U.S. that would give 5 year warranty, that's amazing to me.
Job very well done. Sir! Regarding the price; What you get of knowledge by doing it yourself is worth it´s weight in GOLD! I have done a job like that (and similar) before, and now...37 years later i still get to teach someone how to do it 😊 Knowledge is the best cash saving thingy on the planet 😉
I agree! Having done it once its far easier to estimate contractors quotes.
I love the copper look to the top half of your house!
Its super cool! We have 7 churches in town with the exact same look. Thats where the inspiration came from.
Das war Perfekt Job. DIY ist der richtige Weg.
In the US since the '50s we've just laid down a 100mm thick slab of concrete two or three meters wide in front of every house. It's led to some crazy flow rates in the local creeks of big cities. In my city we now have a limit on impermeable groundcover which I already exceed. The paver and sand solution here would work well on the side of my house where the slab is breaking up after 80+ years. I always do my own work because it adds to my skill set and makes things even easier on the next project.
I am building a production workshop soon and I plan to use concrete as well for the driveway. Bricklaying never stays straight and you get weeds.
In US asphalt driveways are also very popular but for our European eyes there is just nothing more ugly!
Clean job , interesting video and learnt a lot from this, Thank you
you should be really proud of this job, it turned out great!
not only that it looks like it was original with the house!
I am!!
That is beautiful, well done. Im in the 🇬🇧 and good contractors are hard to find.
Dude very nice Idea with the minimalistic Bricks it looks very cool. But you should have added measurements in soccer field size to further spread the German vibes
You got more than you paid for! What a beautiful and awesome driveway! Really nice job 😃❤
This is how you "throw it together"? Well done man. Stunning!
nice video, it also adds a huge value to the house. you save yourself even more than half ot the contractor price.
While you may have found it worthwhile to do the job yourself, not everyone has the necessary skills, knowledge, or equipment. Additionally, some may not have access to rentals nearby. It's important to keep in mind that DIY projects can often lead to mistakes that can end up costing more in the long run to fix.
Just my take.
Exactly. And 3 weeks of intensive labor. Time is money, spend those 3 weeks working on a side hustle or business and it will outweigh the $4000 in savings.
Question. What kind of research do you do before you start a project like this? This looks super intimidating.
I typically watch CZcams videos. There is so much knowledge there and I have been watching people make things for years now. For specific things like the layer heights of the granite I read building codes. Also sometimes I ask for advice on Reddit.
By Canadian standard this the outstanding job. It's 10 out of 10 job.
Very well done. Not your usual driveway - some really great ideas. Had fun watching it.
Great video, it really looks professional! I’m always impressed with German made tools, and me being from Nova Scotia I like the fact that you used Canadian made (Robertson) screws, and not inferior Phillips head screws.
Torx, not the inferior Robertson 😜
Where did you see Robertson screws? For the sign? Those are Torx (always the superior screw), not Robertson.
You definitely did a better job than the contractor would have done. This is always the way to think about it. Although they're professional and complete a job quickly- no one will take as much time care and effort as yourself on your own house! Only use contractors if you do not have enough time to complete a job, never for a better finish.
I mean when it comes to foundations I would tend to disagree. Pretty hard to beat 7 people working at once with the tools and experience. Doubt I could beat that pouring my own concrete.
"You definitely did a better job than the contractor would have done" are you a bit thick?! Of course he didnt. theres a reason they are doin these kinds of jobs in a professional capacity ... Also the fact that you have no way of knowing AT ALL . even if hell burned over if he "did a better job .." your comment is prob some of the dumbest crap ive read in a long time. Sorry!
@@Mawyman2316 ikr .. some people are just at tad bit slow and thick as bricks. not much to do about that apart from telling them they are wrong ... :)
"Wouldn't mind doing my own electrics, but putting wallpaper on the wall is not my skillset..." Yeah, you summed me up too :)
I love learning new skills. It's what life is about for me.
Wonderful looking house - I think it would suit the house wonderfully to get a medium sized tree in the bench-area in the middle. It would suit the era and style of the house perfectly.
I know it would result in a bit of leaf-removal in fall - but I really think it would add some great play and character.
There was a tree! A cherry and it died after 7 years. The roots were so small that I could rip it out by hand.
@@MaxMakerChannel Cherry needs a bit of space for the roots, but there are a lot of beautiful trees that don't need a lot of space for the roots - like Japanese Maple. We have one of those right outside here in Denmark, so the climate isn't an issue :)
@@illus1ve That is a great idea! Thank you!
now put the car on a train.
I might build a monorail to the garden. But one that you need to balance yourself and walk behind.
Wo wohnst du ?
Bricks = Hamburg, most of the time
Lübeck!
You did a Great job - Planning, Executing and also Learning along the way!!
Fantastic Job! Always worth doing things yourself if you have the time, the experience you gained is invaluable. It’s not always about the money…
Großartiges Video. Sauber Quzeng! Stabil gemacht. Stramm wirklich stramm. Grüße gehen raus Haboob.
Looks great and your enthusiasm and passion is contagious. 👍👍
Amazing job! I love your house! The copper roof and brick goes so well together and so does your addition!
The end result looks great. When it comes to construction work around the house, I usually multiply the material cost by two. I figure labour is around 50% of the total cost. Your example is a proof of that.
Well done. Fun to watch.
That's the most German tool cabinet I have ever seen. Awesome!
Great work man! Really nice seeing someone doing their work properly and enjoying it! Turned out great!
This is such an amazing video. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Great job! It will be lovely when the plants fill in and bloom.
You certainly improved the value by at least the amount you spent. Beautiful.
Another amazing DIY Max. Truly inspiring.
The tire straps remind me of my Dad. His first house had them to backyard garage but Mom couldn't stay on them all the way to street so he gravelly the abutting sections.
Sometimes I screw up too.
I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Very informative and was overall a very fun watch. Turned out amazing and am keen to see how the plants will look in the future!
Fantastic job! I love doing work like this when I can fit it around looking after my kids. Also your house looks awesome, I would love to live in it! 😊
It turned out wonderfully!
I want to see the thyme in bloom!
It looks amazing.
Your house is beautiful! now take care of the garden. I'm sure everything will be wonderful. Have a great day 🤗
Thank you!
You did a beautiful job, worth all of your time and effort, congrats ❤👍
I think it turned out looking really nice. Great idea with the plant choice also.
Not all work is required to be warrantied here in the states unless you buy a new house with a purchased warranty. Super awesome work and we appreciate your can do spirit!
Wow that turned out great.
It looks really nice! Well done Max 👍
The one thing about doing it yourself is you know you care and you did it right (hopefully).
Ich finde das so cool wenn man technisch begabt ist und dann eigene Dinge schafft. Wenn ich ein eigenes Haus hätte, dann würde ich mir alle Möbel selber bauen und Raffinessen einplanen. Wie zum Beispiel einen höhenverstellbaren Tisch im Haushaltsraum. Auf mass gefertigte Sachen habe ich in der Wohnung, weil ich hier und da blöde Absätze oder einen kleinen Flur habe. Das ist so satisfying wenn man dann alles aufgebaut hat und es passt einfach in die Wohnung 😊 vielleicht baust du dir ein carport mit nem kleinen solardach fürs Auto. Ein Kumpel von mir hat das gemacht weil er nen tesla hat und im Haus einen Nachtspeicherofen-dings...