Driveways

Should you decide to proceed with installing a driveway, the subsequent step involves selecting the design that best suits your preferences. The UK market offers a diverse range of driveway options, a fact you're likely already familiar with, though not all may align with your tastes. Budgetary constraints may further narrow down your available choices, especially if you're aiming to keep expenses to a minimum. This stage requires careful consideration to ensure that the chosen driveway not only meets your financial parameters but also complements the aesthetic and functional requirements of your property Other stuff that may affect your choice will be the size and configuration of your available space, and precisely how the driveway is going to blend in with the aesthetics of your house.

As you may have observed while exploring various areas within the UK, there exists a wide array of driveway styles and designs. The choice of driveway can be influenced by the specific geography and configuration of your garden, offering a range of options including aggregate, permeable, flagstone, brick, patterned concrete, cobblestone, tarmac, asphalt, resin, and concrete driveways. Each type provides distinct advantages and aesthetic qualities, allowing you to select a driveway that not only suits the layout of your property but also meets your personal preferences and functional requirements.

What Type is Best? Now, which one of these would be ideal for your garden? Well, there are a couple of details that you'll have to bear in mind before deciding this. You will have to think about - 1. The lie of the land - is the area flat or inclined? 2. Does your garden drain successfully - does water gather where you are aiming to build your driveway? 3. Planning permission - does your driveway need to have planning permission?

While it may seem like you have the freedom to install a driveway wherever you wish on your property, this is not always the case. There are national regulations in the UK that govern the installation of driveways, in addition to any local guidelines that may apply. These rules primarily concern driveways being constructed in the front gardens of homes. Since the introduction of the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) by the Labour government in 2008, all new driveway installations in Britain must comply with these regulations. SuDS aims to manage drainage and reduce the impact of developments on potential flooding and water quality, ensuring that any new driveway does not contribute to environmental or drainage issues.

If you're hoping to install a driveway with an area of more than 5m2 and it is going to be in your front garden, you will likely be affected by these SuDS legislation. For a driveway to be compliant with SuDS it must be made of a permeable (porous) material that allows the rainwater to soak through it. Materials that comply with SuDS include the likes of: resin, permeable concrete block, grass (monoblock), porous tarmac or gravel. You can find out more information on the Sustainable Drainage Systems legislation by clicking here - SuDS

Some folks in the UK may be tempted to have a crack at installing their own driveway, particularly if they relish a bit of hard graft and are fairly good at DIY. However no-one should think of this as a simple process, given that there is a great deal of preparation work involved apart from actually laying the driveway, including carting materials, doing waste removal and digging out. If you've got any doubts about your ability to accomplish a project like this, it would perhaps be much better to retain the services of a professional driveway paver instead.

Due to the nature of this sort of work, it is not always easy to locate dependable tradesman who can be guaranteed to do a good job. There are too many rogue traders and cowboys out there who will happily take your money and do an second-rate job (or even no work at all quite often!). If you're going to build a driveway you may just as well have it done to a decent standard, even if that means shelling out a bit more on the project. It is best to look for locally based UK driveway pavers who've been serving customers in the area for a good few years.

When vetting these tradesmen, you should at the very least find out what guarantees they give on their work, check that they have got adequate insurance coverage, find out how long they have been in business, ask for some references from satisfied clients, ask to look at a portfolio of recent projects and ask if they are part of a trade association like ANTSCA (the surfacing trade association).

This shouldn't be an inquisition, but this questioning will give you an inkling of the kind of individual that you are dealing with. You can safely consider that they're honest, if they are glad to answer all your questions. You should steer well clear if they act in a confrontational or hesitant way when asked these types of questions, as it is likely they're less than honest or hiding something.

When you have located an experienced driveway installer, you can have a chat about all of the potential driveway choices including things like the most appropriate materials, style and location. They'll also help you with all the design, preparation and planning, so that everything is dealt with before any real physical work begins on your driveway.

Gravel Driveways UK

The easiest and cheapest of all the available styles is the gravel driveway. Gravel driveways are especially effective in a rural setting, and despite their inherent simplicity they can be highly attractive. Gravel is available in a variety of sizes and shades, so you should not have any trouble locating one that looks amazing in your garden. A efficient gravel driveway will require a clearly-defined and sturdy edging, and a good solid base of hardcore. If you apply 3 or 4 separate layers of shingle, each one rolled and left to settle down, you'll get the most effective gravel driveway. You will not require planning permission for a gravel driveway, given that it will be SuDS compliant regardless of how large it is, or if it is in your front or back garden in the UK. (Tags: Gravel Driveways UK, Shingle Driveways UK, Aggregate Driveways UK)

Block Paving Driveways UK

Over the last decade or so scores of driveways in the UK have popped up constructed using the block-paving method. Forming a hard-wearing, robust driveway, many hundreds of purpose-made block paving bricks are butted together in attractive and interesting patterns which can be personalized to your requirements. The gaps that are left between the blocks are filled up with kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the joints, resulting in a tidy finish. After four or five months it is advisable to have your block-paved driveway sealed with a high quality sealant (like Everbuild), this should help to prevent staining, improve the colouring of the blockwork, stop moss growth, keep out the elements, increase the potential lifespan of your driveway and stop weed growth. Block paving can be laid in a number of designs, including fan, basket weave, herringbone and stretcher bond.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: It is also possible to install a SuDS compliant block paved driveway in the UK, if that's what you need. By leaving wider gaps between the blockwork and packing them with a fine shingle in place of the usual kiln-dried sand, you are able to achieve a porous paved surface that does not require planning permission.

Concrete Driveways UK

Suitable for building driveways in the UK, and a very popular material for years, concrete has got the advantage of being durable, strong and relatively maintenance-free. Being more costly that tarmac or gravel, but significantly cheaper than some other alternatives (i.e. resin or block paving), concrete is a straightforward choice for many homeowners in the UK. Most would concur that concrete driveways in general are somewhat uninspiring and drab. However this does not have to be the case, because it's perfectly possible to finish the surface off with a stamped or patterned design. (Tags: Concrete Driveways UK, Concreted Driveways UK, Stamped Concrete Driveway UK)

Styles of Driveway

• Natural flagstone driveways
• Asphalt driveways
• Pebblestone driveways
• Permeable driveways
• Gravel driveways
• Concrete driveways
• Block paved driveways
• Tarmac driveways
• Resin driveways
• Printed concrete driveways

Resin Driveways UK

One of the most popular styles of driveway in the UK in recent years, resin-bound driveways are permeable (porous) and compliant with SuDS. Resin-bound driveways come in a whole host of designs and colours that can be custom-made to your exact specifications. If you have a current tarmac or concrete driveway, a new resin-bound surface can be laid on top of your existing one. Resin-bound driveways are permeable, durable, easy to clean and maintenance-free, and an excellent alternative to concrete, tarmac, block paving or gravel. A resin-bound driveway should give you years of excellent service, and when installed by an authorised contractor, come with an extended guarantee. (Tags: Resin-Bonded Driveways UK, Resin-Bound Driveways UK, Resin Driveways UK)

Natural Stone Driveways UK

Natural stone is a driveway surface that never loses its outstanding appearance even as it grows older. Selecting natural stone for your driveway in the UK will give you an entire lifetime of use for any motor vehicle and will be the envy of your neighbours from the first day until fifty years down the line. It can provide your house in the UK with a driveway that, due to the different colours and tones of the individual stones, is entirely bespoke to you. It provides that crucial wow factor and curb appeal that every home owner in the UK craves.

In contrast to some alternatives, natural stone driveways are less liable to being damaged and are much easier to maintain. The narrower gaps between the stones means that there is considerably less potential for unwanted weed growth, and the smooth, hard surface is easy to clean. You must consider an expertly laid stone driveway as an investment towards your home's value.

Tarmac Driveways UK

On account of its strength and durability, tarmac is an ideal choice for surfacing driveways. When it's installed by a professional UK driveway company, tarmac doesn't need a lot maintenance, offers excellent weather resistant properties and looks terrific. A tarmac driveway will be able to cope with heavier vehicles, such as motor-homes, without damage to the surface or dimpling, and should look pristine for many years.

If you want to colour tarmac, it is incredibly easy to do so, and it offers exceptional value in comparison with other types of driveway. You are able to custom-build a tarmac driveway to correspond to home or property in the UK, with a large number of colours on offer. The installation of a tarmac driveway is fairly straightforward and can often be achieved by an experienced driveway contractor in a single day. This straightforward installation, in conjunction with its simple maintenance and high durability makes a tarmac driveway an ideal choice for any property in the UK. (Tags: Tar Driveways UK, Tarmac Driveways UK, Tarmac Driveway Ideas UK, Tarmac Driveway UK)

Driveway Cleaning UK

If you do not have a driveway at this moment in time, then clearly cleaning won't be necessary, however this is certainly an issue you'll have to think about in the future. For the majority of householders in the UK, keeping their driveway clean is not often considered a priority. Nevertheless, for reasons of both appearance and maintenance, cleaning a driveway on a fairly regular basis is vitally important. If weeds, roots and other pernicious plant growth are allowed to become established, over the years they can severely weaken the structure of your driveway. Existing cracks and fractures can be enlarged which might eventually lead to structural problems in your driveway.

If weeds, stains or dirt show up on your drive in the UK, removing them as quickly as possible is recommended. It isn't a great idea to wait for the spring or summertime to power or pressure wash your drive, although that is the time when you most notice the appearance of weed and moss growth. If brake fluid, oil and diesel leaks from your vehicle, the look of your driveway in the UK can really be ruined. It's therefore vital to get them cleaned promptly to avoid a permanent staining of your driveway's surface.

In addition to a power washing device, you'll also need a stiff broom, a scrubbing brush, a bucket, a scraper and detergent, and some other tools to clean your driveway correctly. If you don't have the correct equipment, or aren't confident in doing it yourself, you should call on a specialist driveway cleaning service in the UK, or ask your local driveway company if they are able to do it. (Tags: Cleaning Driveways UK, Driveway Cleaning UK, Driveways Cleaned UK, Driveway Jet Washing UK).

Driveway Installation Tasks

You will soon appreciate that there are plenty of tasks that most driveway pavers will be ready to deal with in the UK and examples of these are: driveway resurfacing, the building of concrete driveways, bonded gravel driveways, asphalt driveways, the repair of aggregate driveways, commercial driveway installations in the UK, monoblock driveway installation UK, grass driveways, driveway planning permission applications, concrete driveway repair, cobbled driveways in the UK, brick driveway laying, gravel driveway installation, driveway sealing in the UK, granite block driveways, driveway replacement, cheap driveway ideas, coloured tarmac driveways, patterned concrete driveways, the repair of gravel driveways, the installation of natural stone driveways, the maintenance of asphalt driveways, grey Indian stone driveways UK, tarmac driveways, asphalt driveway recycling, the repair of block paved driveways, and a good many more not mentioned on this page.

Driveway Installer Services UK

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• UK Tarmac Driveways
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• UK Block Paving Driveways
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• UK Domestic Driveway Installation
• UK Stone Driveways
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• UK Concrete Driveways

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