Driveway Installers

Your next task, if you do choose to proceed with a driveway installation will be come to a decision about what sort of driveway is going to be the most suitable for your situation. You will no doubt already be aware that there are lots of different driveway options available and not all of these will necessarily be of interest to you. If you are on a tight spending budget you could be to some degree limited in your choices. Your final decision may also be impacted by the dimensions and configuration of your property.

If you have a quick wander around the streets of, you will notice all the different designs of driveway that other folks have put in, and maybe get a bit of inspiration for your own drive. You should 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, however this will give you a concept of some of the potential choices.

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 assume that a driveway wouldn't normally be of interest to the local council, and wouldn't be affected by planning permission requirements, but that presumption would quite often be incorrect. The legislation that cover driveways are not only set by your local council, but are actually imposed by government law. For the time being these only affect driveways in front gardens. Since 2008 driveway installations in the United Kingdom have to abide by the SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System), which was introduced by the government at the time.

A driveway of more than 5 sq metres, that is being laid in a front garden is going to be affected by the SuDS regulations. For your driveway to be in compliance with it must be made of a porous (permeable) material which allows excess water to drain through it. Materials that are in line with SuDS would include: gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock. It is possible to take a look at the SuDS legislation here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

To some people, laying a driveway may appear to be a pretty straightforward undertaking, and for anybody who is a good DIYer, it is by no means unthinkable. With so much work involved including digging out, doing rubbish removal and manhandling materials, no-one should imagine that this is an easy task. If you're in any doubt about this, it may be better to bring in an experienced driveway installer to complete the work on your behalf.

Honest tradespeople aren't always that easy to find with regards to conducting this kind of work, so you need to be mindful in choosing the right contractor or person. Cowboys and rogue traders are always lurking in the area, their workmanship will be second-rate and some of them could even pocket your money and disappear into the ether without doing anything at all. If you are going to invest in a driveway you might just as well have it done to a decent standard, even if this means spending a little more on the project. The best option will usually be a patio and driveway company who has been been operating in the area for the past few years, and has an outstanding track record locally.

When assessing these tradespeople, 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).

Asking for this germane information ought to give you a notion of the kind of individual you are planning to work with, but it shouldn't be done in an aggressive manner. Anyone who is ready to answer all your questions, and give assurances about the standard of work they do, will very likely also be trustworthy and honest. You should steer well clear if they act in a confrontational or uncertain way when asked these sorts of questions, since it is very likely that they are hiding something or being less than honest.

Selecting a decent tradesperson is vital, as should you manage to find yourself a capable driveway installer, they'll not just do an excellent job, but also give you advice on the best materials, style and location for your driveway. They will also help you with all the planning, preparation and design, so every aspect is in hand prior to any actual work commencing on your driveway.

Gravel Driveways

Of all the driveway alternatives, the ubiquitous gravel driveway is the cheapest and easiest. Regardless of their simplicity gravel driveways can be a really eye-catching option, especially in rural locations where they are the most popular. Because there's such an array of gravel sizes and colours, you shouldn't have any difficulty locating one that you are satisfied with. A effective gravel driveway will require a substantial and well-defined edging, and a good robust layer of hardcore. If you put down 3 or 4 separate layers of shingle, each individual one rolled and tamped and left to settle, you will get the finest gravel driveway. You won't need to apply for planning permission for a gravel driveway, because it will be SuDS compliant regardless of how large it is, or whether it's in your front or back garden. (Tags: Aggregate Driveways, Gravel Driveways, Shingle Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

When you are looking for that extra touch of 'curb appeal' for your property in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth uninterrupted surface, is an ideal choice. When put in by an experienced company, an asphalt driveway will give you years of reliable service with very little maintenance. It is even possible to install permeable asphalt options whereby rain can drain away into a sub-base, rather than run off into highway drains, which are known to lead to localised flood risks.

Asphalt driveways are exceptionally well designed to successfully hold up to anything that typical winters can toss at them, and offer very good value. Because of how asphalt is manufactured, it's also cheap and simple to maintain, repair and if required, remove. It could be considered the most environmentally friendly of hard driveway materials because it is even possible to recycle an asphalt driveway for use in a different location. (Tags: Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveways, Asphalt Driveway Recycling).

Block Paving Driveways

Over the past few years dozens of driveways have sprung up in constructed using the block-paved technique. Forming a robust and hard wearing driveway, hundreds of specially designed block paving bricks are butted together in attractive and elaborate designs which can be customized to your requirements. The gaps between the blocks are filled using kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the exposed joints, resulting in a neat finish. To get the longest life and best performance out of your block-paved driveway, you'll want to get it properly sealed after a few months to stop weed growth. Block paving can be made very attractive and can be laid a variety of designs, including stretcher bond, basketweave, fan and herringbone.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Block paved driveways can even be made to comply with SuDS, by leaving wider than standard spaces between the blocks, which are then packed with fine shingle rather than the usual kiln-dried sand. (Tags: Block Paving, Block Paving Driveway, Block Paved Driveway).

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is a driveway material that never loses its wonderful appearance even as it grows older. The compact and dense material looks great on any driveway and will give a whole lifetime of serviceable use for any vehicles you might own. It can provide your house with a driveway that, owing to the distinctive shades and colours of the individual stones, is totally bespoke to you. The natural stone gives a warm, soft look to any driveway, and adds to that crucial WOW factor.

A driveway made from natural stone is also far easier to maintain, and is less at risk of cracking and damage from weather than concrete based materials. The narrower joints in between the stones means that there is significantly less potential for weed growth, and the smooth surface is easy to clean. A professionally prepared and laid natural stone driveway is an investment that will add to the appeal and value to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If your home already has a driveway, and you're thinking of changing it because it's looking shabby - why not give it a good clean instead? For a lot of property owners, it isn't normally a priority to maintain the cleanliness of their driveway. Yet, cleaning your driveway is something that should be conducted on a fairly regular basis, and is essential from both an aesthetic and maintenance viewpoint. If roots, weeds and other unwanted plant growth are allowed to establish themselves, over time they can severely weaken the structure of your driveway. An enlargement of existing cracks or crevices could ensue, and structural issues may occur if this harmful growth isn't eradicated.

The instant you discover weed growth, dirt or stains on your driveway, it's recommended that you remove them ASAP. Although, weeds and moss are certainly more noticeable on your drive during the springtime and summer, you should not wait till then to give it a good clean. If diesel, oil and brake fluid is spilled from your car, the appeal of your drive can be really spoilt. Hence it's essential to immediately clean them off to avoid your driveway's surface being stained too badly.

In addition to a pressure washing machine, you'll also need a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent, and a few other tools to clean your driveway properly. If you aren't clear about doing it yourself, or you don't have the right equipment, you should ask your driveway company if they are prepared to do this, or bring in a specialist driveway cleaning service.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a popular sort of surface for driveways because of its durability and strength. When laid by a competent driveway company it is weather resistant, needs very little maintenance and looks fantastic. Tarmac driveways are able to cope with larger vehicles, such as camper vans, without dimpling or damage to the surface, and should remain looking pristine for many years.

Tarmac is also fantastic value for money and is available in a variety of colours to complement your property and the surrounding areas. You're able to customise a tarmac driveway to blend in with your house, with lots of colours on offer. The installation of tarmac driveways is comparatively straightforward and can be achieved by an experienced contractor in a day. Many homeowners choose tarmac over other driveway materials because of its simple installation, finish, low maintenance qualities and robustness.

Resin Driveways

One of the most popular sorts of driveway these days, resin driveways are permeable (porous) and SuDS compliant. Resin-bound driveways can be customized to your precise requirements and can be installed in a whole host of different patterns and designs. If you've a current 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 a terrific substitute for asphalt, concrete, gravel or block paving. A resin-bound driveway will give you many years of reliable service, and when laid by a reputable installer, come with a long warranty.

Concrete Driveways

Well suited for driveways, and a very popular material for many years, concrete has got the advantage of being strong, durable and relatively maintenance-free. With regards to the cost, concrete is about average for driveway construction, being more expensive than gravel or tarmac, but cheaper than block paving and resin. Many would acknowledge that concrete driveways, generally speaking, are rather uninspiring and drab. But this does not have to be a problem, since it is possible to finish off the surface with a patterned or stamped design. (Tags: Patterned Concrete Driveways, Concreted Driveway, Concrete 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.

Making The Best Impression With Your Home's Curb Appeal

The curb appeal of your home is very important, especially when you're trying to increase its overall market value. This is simply how your home appears to anyone entering it or passing by. The reason this is important is that, if you are actually trying to sell your home, the first things that people notice when they see your house may actually cause them to buy it.

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. This might seem like the thing to start with, but you may want to reconsider. You should inspect the existing paint for cracking, or blistering and if the color is satisfactory; you ought to simply power wash it. As effortless as pressure washing us, it can certainly save you a bundle of money and your house appearance will shine. You may not even realize how much dirt has accumulated since your home was last washed or painted. 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. Be careful not to miss any of the outer structures, like garage doors, fences, etc.

You really need to consider the outside of your home and what colors go with it. Even if you do like the existing color of the exterior of your home, it would actually be fun to conceptualize a completely different color and see how it looks in your mind. In addition to painting your house, you may want to think about changing the color of the deck or any other structures on your property. Decorations can really liven up the outside of any house; you might want to add some flowers or plants that would go perfectly with the exterior of your home. 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.

You might have to get other peoples' impressions to do an absolute job of revitalizing your dwellings curb appeal. Enlist the estimation of how your home appears to your companions or family whose opinions you value. Another tactic you might want to try is going all around your home and taking some good photos. Take a look at these pictures when you are done taking them and act like you are examining a home other than yours to visualize what amendments you would do. The necessity might be there for individuals to look at their residence with fresh eyes to sincerely have the ability to realize how they could better their curb appeal.

Hopefully you can see how easy it is to provide almost instant curb appeal to your residence. Unlike most home improvement projects, enhancing the curb appeal of your home will not take very long at all. 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