Driveway Installers

If you think that a driveway is right for your home, and you've got more than enough space to put one, you'll now have to decide what kind of driveway you're going to build. You'll no doubt already be aware that there are lots of different types of driveway available and not all of these will interest you. If you do not have a lot of cash to expend on this project, your style and material options might be limited to what you can comfortably afford. Your final decision might also be impacted by the dimensions and layout of your property and the available space for the driveway.

You may just presume "a driveway is a driveway", but that simply isn't the truth, as there are lots of different designs and styles of driveway, and if you were to take a wander around, you will soon 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, but this should still give you an outline of all the possible 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?

You might feel that planning permission is only needed for major projects like extensions and loft conversions, but that's not necessarily true. There are UK-wide regulations addressing the installation of driveways, not merely local ones. At this time these regulations only affect front gardens. This legislation, which is known as the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) has been in force since 2008, when it was first announced.

Driveways being laid in front gardens having an area higher than 5m² are covered by the SuDS legislation. For a driveway to be compliant with SuDS it should be made out of a porous (permeable) material that permits excess rainwater to soak through it. Materials that comply with SuDS would include: gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock. You'll be able to find out more information on the SuDS regulations by clicking here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

Some householders might be tempted to have a go at laying their own driveway, particularly if they don't mind a bit of hard work and are pretty good at do-it-yourself. However you should not imagine that this is an easy undertaking by any means, as aside from the laying of the driveway there's a whole lot of manhandling materials, rubbish removal and heavy digging involved in this sort of endeavour. In most situations it is more sensible to contact a professional driveway installer, who'll come armed with all the equipment, knowledge and manpower to carry out the task correctly.

Due to the nature of this type of work, it's not necessarily that easy to find dependable tradesman who can be trusted to do a decent job. There are plenty of cowboys and rogue traders out there who'll gladly pocket your cash and do a shoddy job. Even if this means having to spend a bit more on the enterprise, you might as well get it done to a decent standard by an expert. Driveway and patio contractors who've been providing their services in and around your area for several years would be the smartest choice.

When screening these companies, you should at the very 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 doesn't need to be an inquisition, but asking these salient questions should give you an idea of the type of individual that you're planning to work with. If they are willing to answer all of your questions, you can assume that they are for the most part honest. If questions like this bring forth a hostile or hesitant response, you should be dubious about their integrity, and perhaps look someplace else.

Choosing a first rate tradesman is crucial, because should you manage to find yourself a capable driveway installer, they will not only do a great job, but also give you guidance about the most suitable location, materials and style for your new driveway. And that is not the end of it, because they will also be on top of all the planning, design and preparation that is needed for your new driveway.

Gravel Driveways

When looking into the various different kinds of driveway you might choose to go with the ubiquitous easiest and least expensive, which is gravel. Regardless of their simplicity gravel driveways can be an extremely eye-catching solution, particularly in rural settings where they're the most popular. Gravel can be acquired in a wide selection of sizes and colours, so you should not have any trouble finding one that looks great in your garden. For gravel driveways to be efficient they need a good solid base of hardcore, and firmly-bedded edging. If you apply 3 or 4 separate layers of shingle, each and every one tamped and rolled and left to settle, you will get the best quality gravel driveway. You won't need planning permission for a gravel driveway, seeing as it will be SuDS compliant no matter how large it is, or if it's in your back or front garden. (Tags: Aggregate Driveways, Gravel Driveways, Shingle Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

Any home in will gain the benefit of the "curb appeal" of the smooth, consistent appearance of a newly installed asphalt driveway. A skilled driveway contractor in will provide you with an asphalt drive that will give you many years of good service, with virtually no maintenance required. In flood risk locations it might be necessary to have a permeable drive, and there is an asphalt type, with sub-grade reservoir for rain run-off, which stops surplus water from overwhelming road drainage systems.

Asphalt driveways are smartly designed to successfully hold up against anything the British winters can toss at them, and deliver outstanding value for money. Asphalt is easily and cheaply repaired and maintained, and can be removed if your circumstances change. In fact, asphalt can be recycled for use elsewhere, and can this be called the most ecological of the hard driveway materials. (Tags: Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveways, Asphalt Driveway Recycling).

Block Paving Driveways

Dozens of driveways have popped up in in recent times, created using the block-paved method, which can be very effective when done properly. These are crafted using purpose-made block-paving bricks which butt together forming attractive and sometimes intricate patterns. Once the blocks have been put down, they're tamped down firmly, and kiln-dried sand is brushed into the joints. After several months it is preferable to get your block-paved driveway sealed with a high quality sealant (like Thompson's), this helps to stop weed growth. There are a variety of designs in which block paving is laid, including basket weave, fan, herringbone and stretcher bond.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Block paving driveways can also be made compliant with SuDS, by leaving wider than standard spaces between the blockwork, which are then filled with very fine shingle as opposed to the usual kiln-dried sand.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is a driveway material that improves with age. Going with natural stone for your driveway will provide you with a whole lifetime of use for any vehicle and will stay looking great from the first day until fifty years down the line. Due to the distinctive depth of tone and colours of the stone, you will wind up with a driveway which is bespoke to your garden. When professionally installed, a natural stone driveway has that much desired wow factor that complements any property.

Driveways made from natural stone not only look good, but they're easy to maintain and less at risk of damage than concrete alternatives. The smooth, hard surface of the natural stones means they are far easier to keep clean, and weeds are less likely to gain a foothold in the narrower joints of a natural stone driveway. A stone driveway properly installed by an experienced contractor should be seen as an investment that will bump up the value of your house.

Driveway Cleaning

If you already have a driveway, but it's starting to look a bit shabby, you may manage to make it look better by giving it a clean. For many householders, keeping their driveway clean isn't normally deemed a priority. Nonetheless, for both aesthetic and maintenance purposes, cleaning a driveway on a fairly regular basis is very important. The structure of your driveway can be damaged over time, by unwanted weeds and other plant growth. Existing cracks and holes can be widened which might eventually trigger structural complications in your driveway.

When you discover that your drive has weeds, stains or dirt, it is preferable to remove them before the situation worsens. However, the springtime and summer is when you most notice the appearance of moss and weeds, you should not wait till them to jet or pressure wash your drive. Brake fluid, diesel and oil spillages from your vehicle can ruin the look of your driveway. To prevent unsightly staining of your driveway's surface, it's therefore vital to clean them off quickly.

You will need a few tools such as a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent, together with a power washing device, in order to get your driveway completely clean. A professional driveway cleaning service will be necessary if you don't have the correct equipment, or are not clear about doing it yourself. You may even discover that your driveway installer will offer this sort of service.

Tarmac Driveways

Due to its strength and durability, tarmac is an extremely good choice for driveway surfaces. When laid by a reputable driveway company it looks fantastic, is weather resistant and requires very little maintenance. Tarmac driveways are able to handle heavier vehicles, like camper vans, without damage to the surface or dimpling, and will look good for many years.

If you wish to colour tarmac, it is incredibly easy to do so, and it offers great value in comparison with alternative driveway materials. You're able to custom-build a tarmac drive to complement your home, with a number of colours available. The installation of a tarmac driveway is comparatively simple and can frequently be accomplished by a competent contractor in one day. This simplicity of installation, coupled with its simple maintenance and high strength makes a tarmac driveway an ideal option for almost any home.

Resin-Bound Driveways

Among the most attractive and flexible types of driveway that are available today, resin driveways (or resin-bound driveways) are becoming progressively more popular and are also SuDS compliant, if that is what you are looking for. Available in a host of designs and colours, resin-bound driveways can be custom-made to your exact specifications, and installed to match any theme or concept. For less mess and hassle a new resin driveway could be easily laid on top of an existing tarmac or concrete surface. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a terrific alternative to concrete, block paving, gravel or asphalt. A resin driveway should give years of excellent service, and when laid by an approved installer, come with a long guarantee.

Concrete Driveways

Suitable for building driveways, and a very popular material for years, concrete has got the advantage of being hard wearing, strong and relatively maintenance-free. A straightforward choice for many householders, concrete costs less than resin or block paving, but if installed properly is more durable and stronger. If you find concrete driveways to be quite boring and drab, it is possible to add a patterned or imprinted surface finish to make them look more eye-catching. (Tags: Patterned Concrete Driveway, Concrete Driveways, Concreted Driveways).

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

Curb appeal is an expression that real estate agents often use when they are talking about how to make a house look better to people who are shopping for a house. Even if selling your residence is not an option, thinking about better curb appeal for your home may be helpful in the future. Most of these projects are not big and are simple to upgrade, but they can make a huge positive change for the whole appearance of your home. Within this article we hope to give you a few thoughts to consider when and if you ever decide to make some changes to your home for enhancing the curb appeal.

Painting your entire house, or just portions of it, can really add to the overall curb appeal that it has. Some people have a deck that surrounds the house; if you do repaint the deck, you might consider changing the color. Painting your shutters, as well as your window casings, can also add curb appeal almost instantly. Many people will just clean around their yard, spray down their house, and just improve their home with a thorough cleaning. Always remove mold and moss from the outside of your home as this will give the impression that no one cares for the house. You really need to take this seriously, and if you have quite a bit of mold on your home, professional removal services are always recommended.

Improving your homes landscape enticement can happen with changes you weren't even aware were important. There are times that you view something daily for years on end, therefore you do not even understand how this stands out to other people. Take for example, a thorough view of your garage entrance. For the most part, individuals do not contemplate putting in a new one with the exception of when it is broken. Though if the door is dingy and old, a big difference could be had with an upscale new one. A mailbox is something else that can repeatedly be ignored. Purchasing a postal box doesn't cost a lot, however, provided the one you have is ancient and dirty, you will have a better outlook when you get a new one.

If you have a long walkway, or even a short one, it should look appealing to those passing by. Your walkway should definitely have a friendly appearance which may include adding plants, flowers, and other ornamental objects on either side. You might even want to put in a new driveway which is always an eye-catching feature. A sense of security is something that you should impart upon your driveway. You should also make it visually appealing. 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. Anyone that enters your driveway should be made to feel as if they are special so that they always remember visiting.

Getting your home curb appeal is actually quite an easy process. This is not a home improvement project - you are simply making your house look better by doing a couple different things. Curb appeal for your home is as simple as tidying up a few things from your backyard to your front door - whatever you do is up to you!

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