Driveway Installers

Your next task, if you do elect to press ahead with a driveway installation will be come to a decision about what style of driveway is going to be the most suitable for your circumstances. Driveways come in all shapes and sizes and can be created from a range of different materials, some may be more appealing than others. If you do not have a lot of cash to expend on this project, your style and material options might be constrained by what you can afford. The composition and style of your driveway may additionally be influenced by the layout and dimensions of your garden.

When walking around you will probably have seen all the various types of driveway. You'll 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, even though not all of these will necessarily be appropriate for your garden geography and layout.

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 might imagine that you're entitled to stick a driveway anywhere you like on your land, this is not automatically the case. Driveways are actually governed by a number of rules and regulations, and these apply on a national scale rather than just being locally binding. These rules only apply to FRONT gardens at this moment. The regulations that are currently in force were set by a government act of 2008 - the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

A driveway of more than 5 square metres, that is being installed in a front garden will be subject to the SuDS regulations. This demands that your driveway is built from gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, so that surface water is able to drain away safely. You will be able to find out more information on the SuDS regulations here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

To some people, laying a driveway might not appear to be that difficult a task, and for somebody who is adept at do-it-yourself, it's by no means impossible. With such a lot of hard work involved with driveways including carting materials, heavy digging and doing waste removal, no-one should consider this to be a simple task. If you are in any doubt about doing this, it could be advisable to call in an experienced driveway specialist to complete the work for you.

Reliable tradesmen are often not that easy to track down with regards to conducting this type of project, therefore you need to be mindful in choosing the right person or contractor. The sad thing is, there are unscrupulous "rogue traders" out there who'll take advantage of your circumstances and claim to be experts in this field. They'll either do unsatisfactory work, or grab your cash and do a "runner". If you are going to invest in a driveway you may as well have it done to a decent standard, even if it means spending a bit more on the project. It would be better to search for locally based driveway pavers and landscape gardeners who have been serving customers in the area for several years.

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).

This shouldn't be an inquisition, but asking these relevant questions will give you a sense of the type of tradesperson you are planning to work with. It's pretty much safe to consider that they are reliable and honest if they are quite happy to answer all of your questions and talk about your concerns. You can deem that they are less than honest or hiding something if they appear uncertain or confrontational when asked these types of questions. If that happens you'd be smart to give them a wide berth and try a different contractor.

As soon as you have identified a good driveway contractor, you can pick their brains about all of the possible driveway alternatives including things like the best style, location and materials. Having a professional around will mean that all of the preparation, design and planning is in hand before any real physical work commences.

Gravel Driveways

Of all the driveway styles, the standard gravel driveway is the simplest and most economical. Regardless of their inherent simplicity gravel driveways can be an extremely attractive solution, particularly in rural settings where they're the most popular. You should have no problem finding a kind of gravel that looks good in your garden, given that there are a wide range of sizes and colours to choose from. A sturdy base of hardcore is required for a gravel drive to be successful, along with a well-bedded edging. The finest gravel driveways result from applying three or four layers of shingle, with each and every layer rolled and left to settle before laying the next. You will not need to apply for planning permission with a gravel driveway, since it will be SuDS compliant regardless of how large it is, or whether it is in your front or back garden. (Tags: Gravel Driveways, Shingle Driveways, Aggregate Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

When you're looking for that extra bit of 'curb appeal' for your home or property in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth uninterrupted surface, is the perfect choice. When installed by a competent company, an asphalt driveway will provide many years of trouble free use with minimal maintenance. In flood risk locations it might be necessary to have a porous drive, and there is an asphalt type, with sub-grade reservoir for rain run-off, which stops surplus water from filling up road drainage systems.

Asphalt driveways are very smartly designed to withstand anything the British winters can throw at them, and deliver exceptional value. Asphalt is easily and cheaply repaired and maintained, and is not too difficult to remove should circumstances change. Actually, asphalt can even be recycled and used elsewhere, making this the most environmentally friendly of the solid driveway products.

Block Paving Driveways

Over the last few years scores of driveways in have popped up constructed using the block-paving process. These are fashioned using purpose-made block-paving bricks which butt together forming attractive and sometimes intricate patterns. After the blocks have been put down and firmly tamped down, the gaps are filled with kiln-dried sand which is brushed into the joints. To get the best performance and longest life out of your block paving driveway, it is best to get it professionally sealed after a few months to stop weed growth. There are various designs in which block paving is laid, including fan, herringbone, basket weave and stretcher bond.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: SuDS compliant block paved driveways are quite possible by adjusting the traditional technique. Bigger gaps than normal are allowed between the bricks and rather than the standard kiln-dried sand, these can then be filled with fine aggregate material.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is a driveway material that never loses its wonderful appearance even as it gets older. This dense and compact material looks magnificent on any driveway and will provide a lifetime of good service for any vehicles you might have. The natural colouring and depth of tone gives a quintessential appearance to every stone driveway, and provides a bespoke and individual look to any garden. The natural stone gives a soft, warm edge to any driveway, and is part of that much desired curb appeal.

A natural stone driveway is also a lot easier to maintain, and is less susceptible to cracking and damage from weather than concrete based materials. The smooth surface of the natural stones makes them easy to clean, and weeds find it harder to sprout up in the narrower gaps of a stone driveway. You must class an expertly prepared and installed natural stone driveway as an investment on your property's value.

Driveway Cleaning

If your home has already got a driveway, and you're thinking of replacing it because it's looking shabby - why not clean it instead? For many property owners, maintaining the cleanliness of their driveway is not always thought of as a priority. Nonetheless, cleaning a driveway is crucial from both an aesthetic and maintenance perspective, and this should be performed on a fairly regular basis. Unwanted weeds and other plant growth can weaken the structure of your driveway with time. An enlargement of existing holes or cracks can happen, and structural problems could arise if this growth isn't eradicated.

The minute you notice stains, dirt or weed growth on your drive, it's preferable to get rid of them as soon as possible. However, moss and weeds are certainly more obvious on your driveway in the spring and summer months, you shouldn't wait till then pressure wash it. Oil, brake fluid and petrol spills from your vehicle can really spoil the attractiveness of your drive. You should get these removed promptly, so that any a permanent staining of your driveway's surface is prevented.

You'll need a few tools such as a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent, together with a pressure washer, in order to get your driveway completely clean. If you are not clear about doing it yourself, or don't have the correct equipment, you can ask your driveway company if they are prepared to do it, or contact a professional driveway cleaning service.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac offers both a resilient and strong surface making it a great option for driveways. When laid by a professional driveway company it looks great, requires almost no maintenance and offers outstanding weatherproof properties. A tarmac driveway can handle larger vehicles, like trucks and camper vans, without damage to the surface or dimpling, and should look good for many years to come.

If want a coloured tarmac, that's also possible, and it offers great value compared to alternative driveway options. You do not need to have a boring, traditional looking drive; you can customise your driveway to any colour of your choosing. It's possible for a skilled driveway contractor to install a new tarmac drive in one day. Tarmac really is a decent material for any driveway, because of its ease of installation, maintenance free properties and durability.

Resin-Bound Driveways

There is little doubt that in recent times resin-bound driveways (or resin driveways) have become one of the most favoured forms of driveway. The fact that they are also compliant with SuDS of course further increases their appeal. Resin-bound driveways can be custom-made to your exact requirements and can be installed in a wide range of different colours and patterns. For far less hassle and mess a new resin driveway can quickly be laid on top of a current tarmac or concrete surface. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a terrific substitute for gravel, tarmac, block paving or concrete. When laid by a trusted installer, a resin-bound driveway should come with a long guarantee and give years of reliable service. (Tags: Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways, Resin Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

A much favoured material for driveways, concrete is strong, durable and doesn't need much maintenance. When it comes to cost, concrete is about middling for driveways, being more expensive than gravel or asphalt, but less costly than resin or block paving. Many would acknowledge that concrete driveways in general are rather boring and drab. However this does not have to be a problem, since it's quite possible to finish off the surface with a stamped or imprinted design which can be extremely attractive.

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.

Your Home's Curb Appeal - How To Enhance It For Less

How your home looks, and it's perceived market value, can skyrocket if you have the proper curb appeal. This is simply how your home appears to anyone entering it or passing by. You can improve the overall appearance of your home without spending too much money; the reason you want to do this is to improve its outward appearance dramatically for others.

Painting is usually what comes to mind when you start wondering what you can do to modernize your curb appeal. You have to start somewhere, but take the time to make sure you will need to go to that extreme. Take a close look at the paint, and if it is not too weathered looking or chipping away, and you do not mind the color; you could always get a power washer and give it a thorough cleaning. As basic a task as pressure washing is, you will see the incredible difference it can make, at a much lower cost than a paint job. You may not even realize how much dirt has accumulated since your home was last washed or painted. Power washers are available to rent at many stores and if you are unable to do it yourself, you can always hire the job out. If you leave out any of the structures, they will look even worse than before; so make sure to pressure wash everything that can be.

Your yards need to be looked at carefully. Are they neat and inviting, or are they cluttered with toys, tools and random objects? The way your yard/yards look, is a huge determinant in terms of an appealing curb. If there is a lot of clutter in your yard, it's worth the effort to clean it up. Eliminate each barrier that makes walking in your yard challenging. Unwanted vegetation or small trees that should be cut are problems that you need to deal with. 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.

As an alternative to painting the outer surface of an individuals residence, they might want to meditate on hanging siding instead. There are many options for this, and it can make your home look more modern. An improvement in your insulation is possible and additionally the improvement of your homes worth. Other choices could be stucco or stone veneer, these could convey the look of a conventional stucco or stone dwelling but not burden you with the same expense that actual materials would cost. If siding is something you are wanting to think about, or a commodity akin to stone veneer for the outer part of your dwelling, looking at all the many various choices to decide what attracts you is something you should do.

As we've seen, giving your home more curb appeal can be quite simple. This is not a home improvement project - you are simply making your house look better by doing a couple different things. From your driveway, to your backyard, just enhance a few things here and there, and curb appeal will be yours.

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