Driveway Installers

So, you've resolved to to press ahead, but what type of driveway is likely to be perfect for your requirements? You will no doubt be aware already that there are many different types of driveway available and not every one of these will necessarily appeal to you. If you haven't got a lot of money to expend on such a project, your style and material options could be limited to what you can afford. The configuration and dimensions of your property's garden might also have an impact on your decision.

There are of course plenty of different types and designs of driveway, as you'll undoubtedly have seen whilst walking around. Dependant upon the layout and ground conditions of your garden you will be able to choose from stone resin driveways, concrete driveways, patterned concrete driveways, tarmac driveways, natural flagstone driveways, permeable driveways, asphalt driveways, aggregate driveways, pebble driveways, block paved driveways.

What Type of Driveway is Best? Before deciding what type of driveway is right for your property, there are a few things that you will have to take into account. A few details that you would be sensible to think about - 1. Local authority planning permission - is planning permission needed for your driveway? 2. How the land lies - is the area level or sloped? 3. How successfully does your garden drain - does water collect where you're wanting to build your driveway?

While you might think that council planning permission will not be needed for putting a driveway on your own property, this is not always the case. The regulations that cover driveways are not only laid down by the local authority, but are in fact enforced by government guidelines. You'll only have to bother about these rules if you happen to be putting a driveway in the FRONT garden of your property. The law that we are referring to here is the SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System), which was introduced by the government in 2008.

A driveway of more than 5m2, that is being installed in a front garden is going to be affected by the SuDS legislation. You won't need to worry about this if you make your driveway from a porous (permeable) substance like gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, which will allow any excess rainwater to soak through and subsequently drain away. You can find out more about the SuDS legislation by clicking here - SuDS

Some householders could be tempted to have a crack at laying their own driveway, especially if they relish a bit of hard graft and are fairly adept at do-it-yourself. But, do not be deceived, there's a great deal of hard work involved with building a driveway, particularly with regards to the groundwork work, which includes lugging heavy materials, excavation and garden clearance. If you've got any uncertainties about doing this, it could be advisable to bring in an experienced driveway installer to complete the work for you.

Because of the nature of this kind of project, it's not necessarily that simple to track down honest tradespeople who can be guaranteed to do a decent job. Sadly, there are devious "rogue traders" around who will make the most of your circumstances and purport to be driveway "experts". They will either do substandard work, or take your money and disappear into the ether. Even if that means shelling out a little more on the enterprise, you may as well have it done properly by a professional. Driveway installers and landscape gardeners who've been offering their services in and around your area for a number of years would be the best option.

When assessing these contractors, you should at least ask to see a portfolio of earlier projects, ask for some references from previous clients, check that they've got adequate insurance, ascertain how long they've been in business, find out what warranties they offer on their workmanship, ask if they are affiliated with a trade association like ANTSCA (the surfacing trade association).

There's no need to get carried away with this questioning, simply ask enough to get a good sense of the kind of person you're dealing with, so you can make an informed choice. If they are willing to answer all of these questions, you can safely consider that they are for the most part trustworthy. If questions of this nature produce a hesitant or aggressive response, you should be skeptical of their credibility, and perhaps look someplace else.

Choosing an experienced tradesperson is important, because should you manage to hire a capable driveway installer, they won't only do a good job, but will also give you guidance about the most suitable location, style and materials for your new driveway. And that is not all, because they will also be in charge of all the design, planning and preparation that's necessary for your new driveway installation.

Gravel Driveways

The easiest and most economical of all the types is the gravel driveway. Gravel driveways are particularly popular in rural settings, and regardless of their simplicity they can be really pleasing. Gravel can be found in a host of shades and sizes, so you should have no problem finding one that looks amazing in your garden. For gravel driveways to be effective they need a robust base layer of hardcore, and substantial, firmly-bedded edging. If you want a really top quality gravel driveway, you should make sure that 3 or 4 separate layers are applied, with each one individually rolled and left to settle for a day or two before the next one is laid. Properly laid gravel driveways are of course SuDS compliant, so you will not require planning permission no matter how big your driveway is.

Asphalt Driveways

An asphalt driveway, with its smooth, continuous appearance offers instant "curb appeal" to any property in. A professional driveway company in will provide you with an asphalt drive that will give you many years of good service, with virtually no maintenance involved. In high flood risk locations it might be required to have a permeable driveway, and there's a type of asphalt sub-layer for rainwater drainage, which stops excess water from filling road drains.

Asphalt is resistant to the freezing and thawing impact of British winters, and is extremely good value in comparison with some other driveway alternatives. Asphalt is cheaply and easily repaired and maintained, and can be removed if circumstances change in the future. It could be considered the most ecological of hard driveway surface types because it's even possible to recycle an asphalt drive for use in another project. (Tags: Asphalt Driveways, Asphalt Driveway Recycling, Asphalt Driveway).

Block Paved Driveways

Dozens of driveways have popped up in in recent years, created using the block-paving technique, which can be extremely effective when carried out properly. Forming attractive and intricate patterns, many hundreds of purpose-made block paving bricks are butted together to create a hard-wearing, robust driveway. When the blocks have been put in place and tamped down, the gaps are filled up with kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the exposed joints. After five or six months it might be a good idea to have your block-paved driveway sealed with a high quality sealant (like Thompsons), this should help to stop weed growth. Block paving can be made very attractive and can be laid lots of designs, including herringbone, basket weave, stretcher bond and fan.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Compliant with SuDS block paved driveways are quite feasible by slightly adjusting the traditional methodology. Wider spaces than normal are left between the blocks and rather than the usual kiln-dried sand, these are then filled with a fine aggregate material. (Tags: Block Paved Driveways, Block Paving Driveways, Block Paving).

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is great as a driveway material since it improves with age. The natural stone option will provide you with a strong, stable driveway, for any motor vehicle, and will look great for a whole lifetime. Due to the unique colours and depth of tones of the stone, you will wind up with a driveway that's entirely bespoke to your house. When installed by a professional, a natural stone driveway has that desirable WOW factor that complements any home or business premises.

In contrast to paved alternatives, driveways made from natural stone are less vulnerable to damage and are easier to maintain and look after. The narrower joints in between the stones means there is considerably less potential for weed growth, and the smooth surface is much easier to clean. A properly prepared and laid natural stone driveway is a sound investment which will add value and appeal to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If you're planning to upgrade an existing driveway as your old one is starting to look tatty, it will be considerably less costly to clean it rather than change it. For lots of homeowners, it is not always a priority to maintain the cleanliness of their driveway. However, from both an aesthetic and maintenance perspective, cleaning your driveway is important, and this ought to be carried out on a regular basis, not just now and again. Weeds and other organic plant growth can damage the structure of your driveway as time passes. If your drive already has fractures and cracks, these could easily be widened, and structural complications can occur as a result.

The minute you discover stains, dirt or weeds on your drive, it is better to get rid of them as quickly as possible. It isn't a good idea to wait around for the spring and summertime to arrive to power wash your driveway, even though that is the time when you most notice the appearance of moss and weed growth. If oil, brake fluid and petrol leaks from your vehicle, the attractiveness of your driveway can really be blighted. To prevent a permanent staining of the surface, it's therefore vital to get them cleaned quickly.

If you are cleaning your own driveway, you'll need access to a pressure washing machine, and to accomplish it correctly you'll also need some other tools and equipment, such as a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. If you don't have the right equipment, or are not clear about doing it yourself, you can bring in a professional driveway cleaning service, or ask your local driveway company if they are able to do it.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac offers a strong and durable surface which makes it a great choice for a driveway. When it's installed by a professional driveway company, tarmac looks good, doesn't need a lot maintenance and offers outstanding weather resistant properties. A tarmac driveway will be able to contend with heavier vehicles, such as vans and camper vans, without damage to the surface or dimpling, and should look pristine for many years to come.

It offers excellent value for money, and tarmac can be coloured to suit the surroundings or your home. Tarmac makes it easy to move away from a conventional black surface and colour it to match your home. It is perfectly possible for a competent driveway contractor to lay a brand new tarmac driveway in a single day. Tarmac really is a decent material for virtually any driveway, because of its strength, straightforward installation and low maintenance properties.

Resin Driveways

There is little doubt that nowadays resin-bound driveways have become one of the most popular forms of driveway. The added advantage that they are also SuDS compliant plainly increases their attraction. Resin-bound driveways can be customized to your precise requirements and come in a host of different designs and patterns. For quicker, and simpler installation resin driveways can be laid on top of an existing concrete or asphalt base with much less mess and hassle. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a terrific substitute for asphalt, gravel, concrete or block paving. Usually coming with an extended guarantee when installed by an authorised specialist, a resin-bound driveway should give excellent service for years to come. (Tags: Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways, Resin Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

Strong, durable and requiring hardly any maintenance, concrete is an excellent material for driveways. A straightforward choice for many folks, concrete costs less than block paving or resin, but if laid properly is is more hard wearing. For many property owners, the drawback of concrete is its rather boring and dreary appearance, but this can be overcome by adding a stamped or patterned surface finish.

Driveway Tasks

Local driveway installers will likely help with the maintenance of concrete driveways, stone resin driveway installation, the repair of gravel driveways, cheap driveway ideas, grass driveway installation, driveway repair, driveway ideas, driveway replacement, garden patio installations, the building of flagstone driveways, Indian stone driveways, the building of brick driveways, bonded gravel driveways, driveway removal, coloured tarmac driveways, concrete driveway repairs, tar driveways, driveway sealing, shingle driveways, driveway lights, driveway bollards, gated driveways, the laying of aggregate driveways, gravel driveway laying, the maintenance of block paving driveways, driveway maintenance, the laying of concrete driveways, cobbled driveways, stone driveway installation, driveway resurfacing. Driveway providers will be happy to inform you of their whole range of services

Driveway Questions

In the past week or so I've been having a close look at the popular questions folks ask in relation to driveways in Gillingham. Quite a few of our visitors posted some noteworthy enquiries which are relevant to this discussion. The ones I picked out were, "How much weight can driveway hold?" "Does driveway sealer go bad?" "Where can I buy driveway gravel?" "What are driveway markers used for?" "How much does a driveway cost?" "What are the benefits of a concrete driveway?" The majority of these questions will have hopefully been answered on this page, if there are any left to be answered we'll be including a driveway "Q&A" section before long. Our gratitude goes out to Nolan Macdonald, Caroline Welsh, Oliver Beattie and Sheila Southern from Gillingham, for taking time out to send in these questions. It was also awesome to get offerings from Sawyer Tucker in Wouldham, April Exley in Rainham and Reginald Dwyer in Frindsbury.

Enhancing the Look of Your Curb Effortlessly

There are countless ways to give your home more curb appeal when you start giving the matter some thought. Several abode owners mistakenly believe that the above isn't a big deal, since it is regarding issues that are frivolous. Though, assuming you want to put your house on the market, or at the very least desire to create a more alluring and appealing home, what might feel inconsequential can in truth be very meaningful. It proposes that you are a caring and an interested owner.

Among the many projects you could take on for a new look to make your home have a more attractive curb appeal, would be painting. Even though this may sound like the place to start, you might need to think twice. Power washing your home may be an alternative to putting on new paint if there are no signs like chipping or weathering and the color is one that appeals to you. This is a lot easier and less expensive than a paint job, and the results can be almost as impressive. It is unbelievable how filthy your home can get without you even knowing it is happening. You can find people that will do the job for you for a reasonable amount, or you can really save and do the job yourself by renting the unit. Don't forget to hit every exterior on your property, including any decks, sheds or garage doors.

People that drive by should see a home that is joyful and cozy, something that you should make a priority as you improve your curb appeal. Spending lots of money on this project really is unnecessary; the main thing you want to consider is what you actually want to do. Potted plants, perhaps with colorful flowers can spruce up just about any area outside your home, from the front to the back porch. Of course, you should pick the best locations for your flowers and plants to make your home look lively and colorful once again. Furniture on the lawn is also something that catches the eye, something like wrought iron lawn furniture will definitely do the trick. There are also many attractive lawn decorations you can buy, though you shouldn't overdo it with these.

Curb appeal does not stop when the sun goes down; night time is just as crucial. You can actually change the impression your house exudes with the correct lighting. Be positive that your porch is well lit and there are no burned out bulbs. If you have a garden in your backyard, consider installing some attractive lights to make it visible at night. Outside lights are available in a lot of different designs; like old fashioned lanterns or trendy solar lights. When it is gloomy and the weather is wet, daytime or nighttime, lights like these will send out a message exuding safe shelter to your friends and impending home buyers.

As we've seen, giving your home more curb appeal can be quite simple. Compared to many other home improvement projects, you can accomplish a great deal with a small budget and not much time. Many elements, from your driveway to your backyard to your front door has an impact on your home's curb appeal.

Searching Online For a Driveway Installer

When looking for any kind of tradesmen these days, the vast majority of householders are inclined to head straight online to simply "Google it". Logic would say that you're seeing this webpage at this moment after you pinpointed it by typing a search phrase into Google, Yahoo or Bing and it appeared on the first page. From time to time the page 1 listings provided aren't exactly what you'd expected when making use of these particular search engines. The majority of householders, when trying to find a driveway expert will visit Google or bing and type "driveways", "Gillingham driveways", "driveway pavers near me" or "driveways". Nevertheless, most of the resulting page one listings on these search engines, as you will shortly discover, are either going to be "pay per click" results or listings for major lead creation sites like TrustaTrader, My Hammer, Checkatrade, Rated People, My Builder or Bark or directories such as Yell, Gumtree, Yelp or Hotfrog. You'll very likely discover the sites of bona fide driveway pavers hidden on page 2 or 3 of the results, outsmarted by the wealthier corporations who can more easily afford SEO. When you are endeavouring to find the most effective person to complete your driveway installation work, it's sensible to explore every technique open to you, so everything supplied by the search process should be reviewed so that you will be able to uncover the ideal driveway installer.

Driveway Installer Services

Find Driveway Pavers in the UK Here

• Driveway Services
• Gravel Driveways
• Driveway Pavers
• Driveway Estimates
• Concrete Driveways
• Tarmac Driveways
• Commercial Driveway Installation
• Driveways
• Asphalt Driveways
• Brick Driveways
• Driveway Installation
• Stone Driveways
• Block Paving Driveways
• Resin Driveways

More Tradespeople: Whilst you may just be looking for someone who can do driveway installation in the UK, you can also find garden clearance in the UK, a builder in the UK, a landscape gardener in the UK, a bricklayer in the UK, SKIP HIRE in the UK, a decking specialist in the UK, a garden designer in the UK, pressure washing in the UK, a fencing contractor in the UK, a gardener in the UK, an electrician in the UK, a carpenter in the UK, driveway cleaning in the UK, a tiler in the UK, a lawn care specialist in the UK, patio laying in the UK, waste removal in the UK, property extension in the UK.

Resin Driveways - Gravel Driveways - Residential Driveway Installation - Cheap Driveways - Concrete Driveways - Commercial Driveway Installation - Driveway Pavers - Driveway Services - Tarmac Driveways