Carolina, I'm not sure our building regs people really knew about the rules for horizontal wires either but in the end they said they could be climbed like a ladder and wouldn't permit them. Annoying when I've seen photos of them used in lots of places, including commercial buildings & bordering much higher drops than we needed.

Thanks all... we are changing our kitchen/dining room windows and doors to be grey aluminium so would quite like top match. we can lock open current does but don't feel secure as they are really cheap doors and 20+ years old. I did consider the French door window but think look bit old fashioned. was thinking a 3 panel door with middle one tilting and opening. we rarely use as a door. Struggling to source anything.

I had that on my sandstone paving after installation and I was told it’s efflorescence and that it would go, and it did! I didn’t use any chemicals, just time and a bit of rain. There is a brilliant website called www.pavingexpert.com which has lots of useful paving information, including an article on efflorescence. Hope this helps!

Hi Mary. I think it’s a great idea to use gravel boards. With them being concrete they might need sealing?......not sure on that so maybe worth looking up. Personally I would keep the gaps in between to a minimum and use a resin or mortar grout/jointing or as mentioned setting the gravel in cement/resin stuff. Trust me getting weeds out of small gaps filled with gravel is no easy task. But if you leave fairly big gaps then groundcover plants sounds like a fab idea. You’re doing a grand job of your garden, looks like a mammoth task. I’m going really slowly taking my old paving up mainly because I’m re using stuff what I already have (messy progress so far in pic, excuse dog, he was giving me a shifty look🤔.) I’m leaving the centre circle hence my warning on the gaps. Took me at least two hours to rake out, de-gravel and weed. Cement is going in next! Love your neighbours! 🐄 I grew up next to a field with cows and used to feed them the grass off the verge, their tongues are huge! 😂.