Driveway Installers

So, you've made the decision to to press ahead, but what sort of driveway is going to be best for you? There are many kinds of driveway available, as I'm sure you will be well aware, but these may not all be of interest to you. If you are on a tight budget you might be to some degree limited in your choices. The dimensions and layout of your property's garden may also have an affect on your final decision.

Whilst wandering around you'll probably have observed all the various kinds of driveway. The chances are that on your travels you'll see stone resin driveways, concrete driveways, patterned concrete driveways, tarmac driveways, natural flagstone driveways, permeable driveways, asphalt driveways, aggregate driveways, pebble driveways, block paved driveways, and if suited to your garden area, you ought to be able to choose from any of these.

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?

Though you may feel that you can simply plonk a driveway wherever you like on your land, this isn't always true. Driveways are in fact covered by a raft of rules and regulations, and these are applicable on a national scale rather than just being locally binding. Presently these regulations only apply to driveways in FRONT gardens. The legislation that we are talking about here is the SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System), which was brought in by the government in 2008.

The SuDS legislation applies to driveways in front gardens with an area of more than 5m2. This requires that your drive is made from gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, so that excess water can easily soak away safely. You will be able to find out more about the SuDS regulations by clicking here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

Naturally it's perfectly possible to build your own driveway, if you are good at do-it-yourself and don't have a problem with a bit of hard work. But, do not be deceived, there is a great deal of hard work associated with laying a driveway, in particular the groundwork work, which involves humping materials, excavation and rubbish removal. That being said, it might be advisable to bring in an established driveway paver, if you're in any doubt doing it yourself.

With driveway pavers, just as with a number of other building related occupations, you have to be cautious of exactly who you employ to do the job. There are a lot of rogue traders and cowboys out there who will soon pocket your money and do a lousy job. Even if this means spending a little more on the enterprise, you may as well have it done to a decent standard by an expert. If a local driveway paving company has been running a business in and around your area for a number of years, you can normally assume that they will be reasonably reliable, and a good choice for your assignment.

When you are sifting through possible installers to lay your driveway you should 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).

Don't go over the top with this questioning, but just ask enough to get a decent impression of the kind of person you are considering, so you are able to make an informed choice of tradesman. Anybody who's ready to answer all your questions, and put your mind at rest about the standard of work they do, will likely also be honest and reliable. If enquiries like this invoke a confrontational or hesitant response, then you should have doubts about their trustworthiness, and perhaps look at some alternative providers.

If you pick your driveway installer intelligently you'll realise that they can provide you with all sorts of useful guidance and advice about the perfect materials to employ and the most suitable style of driveway for your garden. And that is not all, because they will also take care of all the planning, design and preparation that is necessary for your new driveway installation to go like clockwork.

Gravel Driveways

Of all the available types, the gravel driveway is the easiest and cheapest. In a rural location, gravel driveways are particularly popular and can be extremely attractive in spite of their inherent simplicity. Gravel can be bought in a variety of sizes and shades, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding one that looks great in your garden. For gravel driveways to be successful they need a robust layer of hardcore, and firmly-bedded edging. If you put down three or four separate layers of shingle, each and every one rolled and left to settle, you'll get the most effective gravel driveway. No matter what size your driveway is, or whether it's in your front or back garden, if it's built from gravel it won't need to apply for planning permission, since it will be SuDS compliant.

Asphalt Driveways

When you are looking for that extra touch of 'curb appeal' for your home in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth uninterrupted surface, is an ideal choice. A professional driveway company in will supply you with an asphalt driveway which will give you years of pleasure, with a bare minimum of maintenance required. There are even permeable asphalt options so that rain is allowed to soak away into a sub-grade reservoir, rather than run off into highway drainage systems, which are known to cause localised flooding.

Asphalt can successfully tolerate the freezing and thawing effects of British winters, and is excellent value in comparison with several other driveway options. Asphalt is easy and cheap to maintain and repair, and is not difficult to remove if circumstances change in the future. In fact, asphalt can be recycled and used elsewhere, and can this be called the most environmentally friendly of hard driveway products.

Block Paving Driveways

Over the past few years dozens of driveways have appeared in built using the block-paving technique. Forming attractive and sometimes elaborate designs, hundreds of specially designed block paving bricks are butted together to produce a robust, hard-wearing driveway. After the blocks are laid and firmly tamped down, the gaps are filled using kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the exposed joints. After several months it is recommended to get your block paving driveway sealed with a high quality sealant (like Thompsons), this helps to stop weed growth. Block paving can be laid in several designs, including stretcher bond, fan, herringbone and basketweave.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Compliant with SuDS block paving driveways are quite possible by adjusting the normal methodology. Bigger gaps than normal are allowed in between the bricks and rather than the usual kiln-dried sand, these are then packed with a fine aggregate material.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is great as a driveway material because it improves with age. The compact and dense material looks fantastic on a driveway and will provide a lifetime of serviceable use for any cars or vehicles you might have. The natural colouring and depth of tone gives a quintessential appearance to every stone driveway, and delivers a bespoke look to any house. The natural stone gives a soft, warm look to any driveway, and contributes to that valuable curb appeal.

A natural stone driveway is also a lot easier to maintain, and is less prone to weather damage than concrete materials. The narrower gaps in between the stones means that there's less chance of unwanted weed growth, and the smooth, hard surface is much easier to clean. A properly prepared and installed stone driveway is an investment which will add value and appeal to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If your home has already got a drive, and you're thinking about replacing it because it's looking shabby - why not give it a good clean instead? For many property owners, keeping their driveway clean is not often thought of as a priority. Nonetheless, cleaning a driveway is a process that should be performed on a regular basis, and is important from both a maintenance and cosmetic perspective. Unwanted weeds and plant growth can weaken your driveway's structure with time. Existing cracks or holes can be enlarged which can eventually trigger structural complications in your driveway.

It is preferable to remove stains, dirt or weeds from your drive the minute you notice them. However, the spring and summer is when you most notice the growth of moss and weeds, you ought not wait till them to pressure wash your drive. Spots from your car such as oil, brake fluid and diesel can spoil the appearance of your drive. Thus it's important to quickly clean them off to avoid the surface being stained too seriously.

If you're cleaning the driveway yourself, you'll require the use of a jet washer, and to accomplish it thoroughly you will also need some additional tools and equipment, such as a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. You can get in touch with a specialist driveway cleaning service, if you're not certain about doing it yourself, or you haven't got the correct gear.

Tarmac Driveways

Due to its strength and durability, tarmac is a really good choice for the surface of a driveway. It requires little maintenance, is weather resistant and looks great, when professionally laid. Tarmac's strength and durability means that it can handle heavier vehicles, like motor-homes, without damaging the surface.

If want a coloured tarmac, that is also possible, and it offers excellent value in comparison with alternative kinds of driveway. Tarmac allows you to outshine a traditional black surface and colour it to tie in with your house. A tarmac drive is also one of the most straightforward to install, and many driveway projects are finished in a day. Tarmac is truly a great material for just about any driveway, because of its straightforward installation, low maintenance properties and strength.

Resin Driveways

There is no doubt that in recent times resin-bound driveways have become one of the most popular forms of driveway. The added advantage that they're SuDS compliant merely contributes to their appeal. Resin driveways can be tailor-made to your precise requirements and can be installed in a wide range of different colours and patterns. If you've an existing tarmac or concrete driveway, a brand new resin-bound surface can be laid on top of your existing surface. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and an awesome substitute for tarmac, concrete, gravel or block paving. Generally coming with a long warranty when laid by an experienced installer, a resin driveway should give you excellent service for years to come.

Concrete Driveways

Strong, durable and needing little maintenance, concrete is an ideal material for driveways. Being more pricey that tarmac or gravel, but considerably cheaper than some other alternatives (i.e. resin or block paving), concrete is a straightforward choice for many folks. Most would concur that concrete driveways in general are quite drab and boring. But this doesn't have to be a problem, because it's perfectly possible to finish off the surface with a stamped or imprinted design.

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.

Making The Best Impression With Your Home's Curb Appeal

One has to center their attention on their homes curb appeal if they want to have their dwelling place look as nice as possible. Though this is particularly important if you are exhibiting your house to someone who might be buying it, it is something you ought to be thinking about regardless of whether you are trying to sell it or keep it. Many times when individuals will inspect their abode to see how appealing the outside is, they see it with new eyes and often they can see the parts that need modification and the mistakes that weren't noticeable to them earlier.

Typically, the first idea when mulling over a curb appeal update; is adding a fresh new look with a few coats of paint. You have to start somewhere, but take the time to make sure you will need to go to that extreme. Examine the paint for things like signs of aging or flaking; then if the color is reasonable, you might just need to give it a power wash. By taking this route, you will be saving money, it will be simple and you will be pleasantly surprised how great it will look. As time goes by so slow sometimes, it is hard to see the dirt and grime collect on your home. You have the option to rent a power washer to do the job or you can pay someone to do it for you. Don't forget to hit every exterior on your property, including any decks, sheds or garage doors.

Front and back yards should be looked at well. Do your yards look inviting and immaculate, in turn are they a mess with different toys, tools and things? The appearance of your yard or yards is a major factor when it comes to curb appeal. Assuming backyard or front yard is cluttered, the endeavor to clean it up will be worthwhile. Eliminate each barrier that makes walking in your yard challenging. Tackle issues such as growing weeds and bush overgrowth, assuming you have these. Provided your children walk away from their toys after playing with them in the yard, educate them in putting them where they belong when they are done.

If you have a long walkway, or even a short one, it should look appealing to those passing by. Options include adding colorful flowers on either side that people will see as they walk toward your home. You might even want to put in a new driveway which is always an eye-catching feature. Aside from being appealing, the driveway should people a sense of security and spaciousness. By improving the outside, the surrounding area adjacent to the driveway, even if it is full of potholes from years of use, it will look better than it did before. Guests should always feel important. This includes people that drive into your driveway or those that walk to your house for a social visit.

There are many home improvement projects that can give your home a more appealing look. While you may be focused on interior plans such as your kitchen or floors, you shouldn't neglect the outside either. Hopefully you now have some hints on what you can try to uplift your curb appeal; when you think you have done it all, take a look around and you may notice some projects that you may not have noticed before.

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