Driveway Installers

If you do elect to forge ahead with having a driveway installed the next task will be to decide what kind of driveway you want. Driveways come in all styles and sizes and can be created from a number of different materials, some may be more suitable than others. Your choices could be limited to some extent if you are working to a strict spending budget. Your decision could also be impacted by the configuration and dimensions of your property.

You might just believe "a driveway is a driveway", but that's simply not the truth, as there are various different designs and types of driveway, and if you were to take a wander around, you'll soon realise what I mean. You will be able to select 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, although not every one of these will actually be appropriate for your garden layout and geography.

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?

Even though you might feel that planning permission would not be needed for putting a driveway on your own property, this is not always true. There are in reality regulations covering the installation of driveways, and these are nationally binding rules, not only local. However, at this moment in time, these restrictions only affect driveways that are being laid in front gardens. The law that we're referring to here is the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), which was introduced by the government in 2008.

If you're aiming to build a driveway having an area of more than five square metres and it's in your front garden, you'll be affected by these SuDS legislation. In order for a driveway to be SuDS compliant it has to be made from a permeable (porous) material which permits excess water to drain through it. Materials that comply with SuDS would include: gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock. You can find out more information on the SuDS regulations here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

Of course it is quite possible for you to build your own driveway, if you are reasonably good at do-it-yourself and don't have an issue with a bit of hard work. With so much hard work involved with driveways including carting materials, doing rubbish removal and heavy digging, nobody should presume that this is a simple task. When push comes to shove, it might be better to call in an established driveway specialist, if you've got any concerns doing it yourself.

Reliable tradesmen aren't always that easy to find with regards to conducting this kind of task, so you need to be mindful in choosing the right person or company. You'll want to be on the lookout for cowboys and rogue trader types who are renowned for doing this kind of work, and can can soon catch you by surprise if you aren't careful. If you're going to build a driveway you might just as well have it done properly, even if it means shelling out a bit more on the project. It would be a good idea to look for locally based driveway pavers who've been operating in the area for several years.

When vetting these tradespeople, 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).

Asking for such relevant information ought to give you a notion of the type of individual you're going to be dealing with, but it shouldn't be done in an aggressive manner. Any driveway specialist in TOWN who is prepared to respond to all of your questions, and give assurances about the standard of work they do, will probably also be trustworthy and honest. If questions of this nature produce a hesitant or aggressive response, you should be dubious about their integrity, and maybe look for someone better.

Picking an experienced tradesman is vital, because if you manage to hire a capable driveway company, they won't just do a good job, but also give you advice about the most suitable location, materials and style for your driveway. They'll also help you with all the preparation, planning and design, so every aspect is dealt with prior to any actual physical work commencing on your driveway.

Gravel Driveways

Of all the driveway methods, the standard gravel driveway is the simplest and least expensive. Regardless of their inherent simplicity gravel driveways can be an exceptionally eye-catching option, especially in rural locations. Gravel can be purchased in a variety of sizes and shades, so you should have no trouble finding one that looks great in your garden. A efficient gravel driveway will need a well-defined and substantial edging, and a good substantial base layer of hardcore. If you apply 3 or 4 separate layers of shingle, each individual one rolled and tamped and left to settle down, you'll get the most effective gravel driveway. You will not require planning permission with a gravel driveway, seeing that it will be SuDS compliant regardless of how large it is, or if it is in your front or back garden. (Tags: Aggregate Driveways, Gravel Driveways, Shingle Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

When you are looking for that extra bit of 'curb appeal' for your house in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth uninterrupted surface, is the ideal choice. For the best outcome make sure you employ a proficient asphalt contractor who'll install a driveway that lasts for many years and needs very little maintenance. If your local authority has restrictions that bar non-permeable materials being used, in order to preclude localised flooding, a special permeable asphalt substrate enables rainwater to drain into a sub-grade reservoir.

Asphalt driveways offer excellent value and asphalt is a durable, strong material that is perfect for withstanding the freezing and thawing effects of a typical British winter. Because of how asphalt is manufactured, it's also cheap and simple to repair, maintain and where necessary, remove. If you're worried about the ecological impact of your driveway installation, it's good to know that asphalt can even be lifted and recycled for other uses. (Tags: Asphalt Driveway Recycling, Asphalt Driveways, Asphalt Driveway).

Block Paved Driveways

Over the last decade or so dozens of driveways have appeared in built with the block-paved technique. These are built using specially designed block-paving bricks which butt together forming attractive and interesting designs. Once the blocks have been laid, they're firmly tamped down, and kiln-dried sand is rigorously brushed into the joints. It is recommended to have your block-paved driveway sealed after 4 or 5 months with Everbuild sealant or something like that. This is crucial to stop weed growth. Block paving can be laid in a lot of designs, including stretcher bond, herringbone, fan and basketweave.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: It's even possible to install a Compliant with SuDS block paving driveway in, if that's what you require. By simply leaving wider spaces between the blocks and filling them with a very fine aggregate in place of the traditional kiln-dried sand, you are able to achieve a porous paved surface that doesn't require planning permission.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone, as a driveway material, never loses its eye-catching appearance even as it gets older. Deciding on natural stone for your driveway will provide you with a lifetime of serviceable use for any vehicle and will look fantastic from day 1 to year 50. It provides your house with a driveway that, owing to the unique shades and colours of the individual stones, is wholly bespoke to you. The natural stone gives a soft, warm edge to any driveway, and provides that crucial curb appeal.

In contrast to some alternatives, driveways made from natural stone are less vulnerable to being damaged and are a lot easier to maintain and look after. The narrower gaps in between the stones means there is significantly less likelihood of unwanted weed growth, and the smooth surface is far easier to clean. An expertly prepared and installed stone driveway is an investment that will add value and appeal to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If you don't have a driveway at this moment in time, then obviously cleaning will not be necessary, but this is definitely an issue you'll have to think about sooner or later. For lots of homeowners, it's not often a priority to keep their driveway clean. Nonetheless, from both a maintenance and aesthetic perspective, cleaning your driveway is important, and this ought to be completed on a regular basis, not just now and then. The structure of your driveway can be weakened over time, by unwanted weeds and plant growth. If your driveway already has cracks or crevices, these can soon be widened, and structural issues could ensue as a result.

If stains, weeds or dirt show up on your drive, removing them as quickly as possible is advisable. However, the spring and summer is when you are most likely to notice the appearance of moss and weeds, you should not wait till them to jet wash your driveway. The appeal of your driveway can really be ruined by diesel, brake fluid and oil stains from your car. Therefore it's crucial to quickly remove them to avoid the surface being stained too severely.

Together with a pressure washer, you will also need a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent, and a few other tools if you wish to clean your driveway properly. A professional driveway cleaning service may be necessary if you don't have the right gear, or are not confident in doing it yourself. You may even discover that your local driveway installers will provide this service.

Tarmac Driveways

Due to its durability and strength, tarmac is a perfect choice for surfacing a driveway. When it's installed by a reliable driveway company, tarmac looks amazing, requires little or no maintenance and offers outstanding weatherproof properties. Tarmac's durability and strength means it can cope with larger vehicles, such as carvans and camper vans, without damaging the surface.

It offers fantastic value for money, and tarmac can be coloured to complement the surroundings or your property. You can custom-build a tarmac drive to complement your house, with countless colours on offer. A tarmac drive is also one of the easiest to install, and the majority of driveway projects are completed in a day. Many householders choose tarmac over other driveway materials due to its low maintenance qualities, simple installation, robustness and surface finish.

Resin-Bound Driveways

Among the most flexible and attractive forms of driveway that are available at this time, resin driveways (or resin-bound driveways) are becoming more and more popular and also comply with SuDS, if that is what you're interested in. Available in an array of designs and colours, resin driveways can be customized to your specifications, and installed to complement any theme or concept. For speedier, more convenient installation resin-bound driveways can be laid on top of a current asphalt or concrete base with less mess and hassle. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a terrific substitute for gravel, block paving, concrete or asphalt. A resin-bound driveway should give many years of good service, and when laid by a trustworthy installer, come with a long warranty. (Tags: Resin-Bound Driveways, Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

A much favoured material for driveways, concrete is strong, durable and doesn't need much maintenance. Being more expensive that tarmac or gravel, but significantly cheaper than some of the other alternatives (i.e. block paving or resin), concrete is an easy choice for many householders. Many would agree that concrete driveways in general are rather drab and uninspiring. However this doesn't have to be a problem, seeing as it's quite possible to finish the surface off with a patterned 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.

Suggestions on Ways to Give Your Home a Better Curb Look

What is curb appeal? It is the way you can increase your home's value by making it look outstanding to any passersby. People that go into your home, or see it from the street, this perception is what curb appeal is all about. Many of the actions you can take in this area are simple and inexpensive, yet they are still very important because they are among the first things anyone notices when they see your home.

The initial thought when you are thinking about improving your curb appeal is to give it a paint job. This might seem like the thing to start with, but you may want to reconsider. If you like the color of your home's exterior and the paint isn't too old or chipped, you might want to consider power washing it. 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. 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.

Your yards need to be looked at carefully. Are children's toys, tools and hit-or-miss items all over the yards, or do they appear clean and alluring? The way your yard/yards look, is a huge determinant in terms of an appealing curb. Cleaning up your yards is worth the effort, assuming they are untidy. Take away everything that is in your way as you meander through the yards. Tackle issues such as growing weeds and bush overgrowth, assuming you have these. When your kids play with their toys in the yard and then depart, advise them to place them in their proper places when they have completed their play time.

Putting new siding up on the exterior of your house might be something to ponder as an alternative to painting it. Many choices are out there for it, in addition it could produce a more modern looking home. This can make your insulation better and make your home more valuable as well. You could give your dwelling the look of typical stone or stucco without the cost of it, with stone or stucco veneer. If something like stone veneer or new siding is under consideration, individuals would be wise to examine all of the various choices in order to choose what pleases you best.

An appealing curb could be affected by numerous aspects, hence there is wisdom in examining your home from all areas. If there are many things that need attention, make a list and then set priorities. Scheduling a time to take care of these is the next thing you want to do, even if you are going to pay someone to do the work or do it alone. The instruction above for designing a home with greater attraction on the outside might help you to begin, and then you can possibly figure out numerous ideas yourself.

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

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• Driveway Services
• Gravel Driveways
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• Asphalt Driveways
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• Driveway Installation
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• Block Paving Driveways
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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