Driveway Installers

If you do opt to proceed with a driveway installation the next job will be to decide what sort of driveway you prefer. For a number of reasons, not all types of driveway will be right for you, and there are clearly many to pick from. If you are working to a strict budget you could be to some extent limited in your choices. Your decision might also be affected by the size and layout of your garden.

You might just think "a driveway is a driveway", however that's simply not true, given that there are lots of different designs and types of driveway, and if you take a wander around, you'll realise what I'm saying. You will be able to 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, in different states of repair, yet this will still give you an idea about some of the potential alternatives.

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?

Although you may think that planning permission will not be necessary for putting a driveway on your own property, this isn't always true. The legislation that address driveways are not only set by the local council, but are in reality enforced by government guidelines. You'll only need to worry about these rules if you happen to be installing a driveway in the front garden of your property. This driveway legislation, which is called the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) has been in force since October 2008, when it was first brought in.

A driveway in excess of five square metres, which is being laid in a front garden is going to be affected by the SuDS legislation. You don't need to stress about this if you build your driveway from a permeable (porous) substance like gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, which will permit the water to soak through and drain away successfully. Check here - SuDS - if you think that the SuDS regulations might affect your new driveway in TOWN.

To some homeowners, building a driveway might not appear to be that difficult a task, and for anyone who's good at do-it-yourself, it is by no means impossible. However you should not suppose that this is a simple undertaking by any means, since apart from the laying of the driveway there's a whole lot of carting materials, waste removal and digging out associated with such a endeavour. If you have any concerns about doing this, it might be advisable to bring in a professional driveway installer to complete the work for you.

With driveway installers, just as with some other building related trades, you have to be cautious about who you choose to let loose on your property. It is wise to be on the lookout for rogue traders and cowboys who are renowned for doing this kind of work, and can easily take you by surprise. Even if it means shelling out a little more on the enterprise, you may as well get it done to a decent standard by a pro. driveway contractors who have been offering their services in and around your area for several years would be the smartest choice.

When vetting these tradesmen, 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 be too pushy with these questions, as what you're really aiming to do is get an inkling of what sort of tradesman you're dealing with. You can consider that they are fairly genuine, if they're relaxed about answering all these questions. If they seem hesitant or hostile when asked such questions, you can conclude that they are hiding something or being less than honest - so steer clear.

If you pick your driveway contractor wisely you'll find that they can offer you lots of useful guidance and advice about the best materials to use and the most suitable type of driveway for your garden. Before any actual physical work starts your driveway expert will make sure all the necessary design, planning and preparation work is taken care of.

Gravel Driveways

The least expensive and simplest of all the styles is the ubiquitous gravel driveway. Despite their inherent simplicity gravel driveways can be an extremely attractive option, especially in rural settings where they are the most popular. Seeing that there's such an array of gravel colours and sizes, you should have no trouble locating one that you're happy with. For gravel driveways to be successful they need a sturdy layer of hardcore, and firmly-bedded edging. The very best gravel driveways are the result of putting down three or four layers of aggregate, with each and every layer rolled and tamped and then left to settle before laying the subsequent layer. Properly laid gravel driveways are naturally SuDS compliant, so you'll not need to apply for planning permission regardless of how big your driveway is. (Tags: Gravel Driveways, Aggregate Driveways, Shingle Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

When you're looking for that extra touch of 'curb appeal' for your home in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth consistent surface, is a great choice. When put in by an experienced contractor, an asphalt driveway will give you many years of reliable service with virtually no maintenance. In high flood risk areas it may be required to have a permeable driveway, and there's a type of asphalt sub-layer for rain run-off, which prevents excess water from over-filling highway drainage systems.

Asphalt driveways are exceptionally smartly designed to successfully withstand anything that typical winters can throw at them, and offer outstanding value. Due to how asphalt is produced, it's also cheap and easy to maintain, repair and if required, remove. If you are worried about the environmental impact of your driveway, you might be interested to learn that asphalt can even be lifted and recycled for re-use elsewhere. (Tags: Asphalt Driveways, Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveway Recycling).

Block Paved Driveways

Block-paved driveways are among the most popular designs in at the moment, and scores of these have sprung up over the last few years. Forming a hard wearing and robust driveway, hundreds of specially designed block paving bricks are butted together in attractive and elaborate designs which can be personalized to your specifications. The gaps between these blocks are filled up using kiln-dried sand which is brushed into the joints, resulting in a neat and tidy finish. After several months it might be a good idea to get your block-paved driveway sealed with a good quality sealant (like Everbuild), this helps to stop weed growth. Block paving can be made very attractive and can be laid a number of patterns, including stretcher bond, herringbone, basketweave and fan.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: To comply with SuDS block paving driveways are quite achievable by adjusting the traditional methodology. Bigger spaces than normal are allowed in between the bricks and instead of the standard kiln-dried sand, these can then be filled with fine shingle material.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is a driveway material that improves with age. Choosing a natural stone finish on your driveway will provide you with a lifetime of serviceable use for any car or vehicle and will look fantastic from day one to year fifty. The natural colouring and depth of tone gives a quintessential appearance to every stone driveway, and provides a bespoke look to any garden. When properly installed, a natural stone driveway has that all important wow factor that complements any home or business premises.

A natural stone driveway is also a lot easier to maintain, and is less prone to cracking and damage from weather than concrete based materials. They are easy to clean, and with smaller joints between the stones there is significantly less possibility of seeds and weeds germinating in your driveway. A professionally prepared and laid natural stone driveway is a sound investment which will add to the value of your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If you're intending to upgrade an existing driveway because your current one is looking scruffy, it is going to be appreciably less costly to clean it rather than rebuild it. The process of cleaning a driveway, is one of those things that many home owners delay, or neglect entirely. Yet, from both an aesthetic and maintenance perspective, cleaning a driveway is important, and this ought to be conducted with some regularity, not just now and then. The structure of your driveway can be damaged with time, by weeds and pernicious plant growth. Existing cracks or crevices can be widened which may eventually lead to structural problems in your driveway.

It's recommended that you remove weeds, stains or dirt from your drive the minute you discover them. However, moss and weeds are certainly more noticeable on your driveway in the spring and summertime, you should not wait till then to give it a good clean. If petrol, oil and brake fluid leaks from your vehicle, the look of your drive can be seriously blighted. Therefore it is vital to remove them immediately to prevent a permanent staining of your driveway's surface.

Along with a jet washing device, you will also need a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent, and also some other tools if you wish to clean your driveway effectively. If you haven't got the right gear, or are not certain about cleaning it yourself, you could bring in a specialist driveway cleaning service, or ask your local driveway company if they're prepared to do it.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac provides a strong and durable surface which makes it an excellent option for driveways. When professionally laid it doesn't need much maintenance, offers exceptional weather resistant properties and looks fantastic. Tarmac's durability and strength means that it can contend with bulkier vehicles, like camper vans and trucks, without causing any significant damage to the surface.

Tarmac is also excellent value and is available in a variety of colours to match your property and surrounding areas. You can customise a tarmac drive to blend in with your home, with lots of colours on offer. The installation of tarmac driveways is comparatively simple and can often be accomplished by a skilled contractor in a day. This straightforward installation, coupled with its simple maintenance and high strength makes a tarmac driveway a decent option for just about any property or home.

Resin-Bound Driveways

Among the most attractive and flexible forms of driveway that are available at this time, resin driveways are becoming progressively more favoured and also comply with SuDS, if that's what you are interested in. Resin driveways come in a whole host of colours and patterns that can be custom-made to your requirements. For much less hassle and mess a new resin driveway can easily be laid over a current concrete or asphalt surface. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and an excellent substitute for tarmac, concrete, block paving or gravel. Normally coming with an extended warranty when installed by a trustworthy contractor, a resin-bound driveway should give good service for years to come. (Tags: Resin Driveways, Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

Hard wearing, strong and requiring little maintenance, concrete is an excellent material for driveways. When it comes to the cost, concrete is about middling for driveway construction, being more expensive than gravel or asphalt, but less costly than resin or block paving. If you find concrete driveways to be quite boring and dreary, it's perfectly possible to add a stamped or imprinted design to make them look like stones or pebbles.

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.

Make An Outstanding Impression - Wonderful Home Curb Appeal Ideas Revealed

What is curb appeal? It is the way you can increase your home's value by making it look outstanding to any passersby. This is simply how your home appears to anyone entering it or passing by. There are many reasons that people focus on curb appeal including showing off their home, trying to sell it, and, more simply, just wanting people to appreciate the house that they live in.

A great place to start is to paint a portion of your house, or the entire house; doing this can really catch the eye of people driving by. Some people have a deck that surrounds the house; if you do repaint the deck, you might consider changing the color. If your home has window casings, and shutters, you can give these a fresh coat of paint as well. Sometimes all you need is a detailed cleaning which may consist of picking up around the yard, and washing the windows to make everything look brand-new. Moss, mildew, and mold are three things you definitely do not want to have on the outside of your home as it will absolutely detract from your overall curb appeal. Sometimes you can clean all of this up yourself. However, if it is extremely bad, always hire a professional to get the job done right.

The exterior of your home should be colorful, but you need to choose wisely. A simple exercise would be to imagine your home a completely different color and then compare it against the color that it is now. Aside from the house itself, you may want to use different colors for certain spots, such as your front door, shutters, the deck or any other structures on your property. Many people will do simple things such as add color by adding a plant here and there instead of painting their entire home for the effect. Walk around the outside of your house, from front to back and consider how you could make better use of colors and what changes might make it more appealing.

Rather than painting the exterior of your home, you may want to consider putting new siding on it. There are many options for this, and it can make your home look more modern. It is a possibility that the value of your house is increased by this and the insulation is improved. Stone or stucco veneer are other possibilities, which can give your home the look of a traditional stone or stucco house without the expense that the real materials would entail. If you want to consider new siding, or something like stone veneer for the exterior of your home, you should look into all the different possibilities and decide which most appeals to you.

As we've seen, giving your home more curb appeal can be quite simple. The ability to change the way your house looks by adding a few diverse elements is really a miracle in regard to how fast it can be achieved. It is important to simply consider what you have available, from front door to backdoor, to make your curb appeal really come alive.

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