Driveway Installers

If you think that a driveway is right for your property, and you've got plenty of space to install one, you will now have to decide what form of driveway you are going to build. You'll no doubt already be aware that there are many different driveway options available and not all these will automatically be of interest to you. If you are working to a strict spending budget your options might be to some degree limited. Other considerations that may affect your decision will be the configuration and dimensions of your garden, and exactly how the driveway will match the appearance of your property.

You might say "a driveway is just a driveway", however that simply isn't true, given that there are plenty of different designs and types of driveway, and if you were to take a stroll around, you will soon realise what I'm saying. 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 various forms, and this should 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?

You might think that planning permission is only necessary for major initiatives like extensions and loft conversions, but that's not always true. The legislation that cover driveways aren't only set by your local authority, but are actually enforced by government guidelines. These regulations only apply to driveways in front gardens at this time. Ever since 2008 driveway installations in front gardens in Great Britain have been covered by the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), which was brought in by the Labour government.

Driveways being built in front gardens that have an area of more than 5m² are covered by the SuDS regulations. You will not need to stress about this if you make your driveway from a porous (permeable) substance such as gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, which will permit any excess rainwater to pass through and subsequently drain away. You can find out more information on the SuDS regulations here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

People who don't have a problem with a bit of hard graft and are fairly adept at do-it-yourself, might be tempted to lay their own driveway. With such a lot of work involved with driveway installation including hauling materials, excavating and doing waste removal, nobody should assume that this is an easy undertaking. If you have any doubts about this, it might be best to call in an established driveway contractor to do the work for you.

Reliable tradesmen are not always that easy to get hold of in relation to doing this kind of project, therefore you need to be cautious and choose the right contractor or person. Regrettably, there are a lot of dishonest folks around who'll capitalize on your situation and pretend to be experts in this field. They will either do poor quality work, or just take your cash and do a runner. If you're going to build a driveway you might as well have it done to a decent standard, even if this means spending a little more on the enterprise. It is better to look for locally based driveway pavers who have been providing their services in the area for a number of years.

When vetting these contractors, at the very least you should 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).

It is not necessary to be excessively pushy or aggressive with this questioning, seeing as what you're really aiming to do is get an idea about the sort of tradesperson you are dealing with. It's safe to assume they're genuine and honest if they're perfectly willing to answer all these questions and discuss your fears. If they act in a confrontational or uncertain way when asked these sorts of questions, you can deduce that they're hiding something or being less than honest - so steer well clear.

If you are cautious and pick an excellent driveway contractor, they'll help you make all of the important decisions in relation to your project, including the ideal driveway technique, the best materials and the preferred location. They'll also help you with all the preparation, planning and design, so that all aspects is taken care of before any actual work begins on your driveway.

Gravel Driveways

Of all the styles, the ubiquitous gravel driveway is the most economical and simplest. In spite of their inherent simplicity gravel driveways can be an exceptionally eye-catching solution, particularly in a rural setting. Gravel can be bought in a variety of sizes and shades, so you should not have any trouble finding one that looks great in your garden. For gravel driveways to be efficient they need a robust base layer of hardcore, and substantial, well-bedded edging. If you want to end up with a really top quality gravel driveway, you should make certain that three or four separate layers are applied, with each one individually rolled and tamped and left to settle for a couple of days before the next is laid. Gravel driveways are obviously SuDS compliant, therefore you'll not need to apply for planning permission no matter how big your driveway is.

Asphalt Driveways

When you're looking for that extra bit of 'curb appeal' for your home in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth uninterrupted surface, is a great choice. When put in by a reputable contractor, an asphalt driveway will give you many years of good service with very little maintenance. In flood risk areas it may be necessary to have a porous drive, and there's an asphalt type, with sub-layer for rainwater drainage, which stops surplus water from overwhelming highway drainage systems.

Asphalt driveways offer very good value for money and asphalt is a durable, strong material that's perfect for enduring freezing and thawing effects of a British winter. Asphalt is also the simplest driveway substance to repair or remove because of the process by which it is manufactured. If you're concerned about the environmental impact of your driveway installation, you might be interested to know that asphalt can be lifted and recycled for re-use elsewhere.

Block Paving Driveways

Block-paving driveways are among the most frequently seen styles in right now, and dozens of these have appeared in recent years. Forming eye-catching and sometimes intricate patterns, hundreds of specially designed block paving bricks are butted together to produce a robust and hard wearing driveway. The gaps between the blocks are filled with kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the exposed joints, producing a tidy finish. It is preferable to have your block-paved driveway sealed after 4 or 5 months with Thompson's sealant or similar. This is vital to stop weed growth. There are a number of designs in which block paving is laid, including herringbone, fan, basketweave and stretcher bond.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: To comply with SuDS block paved driveways are perfectly possible by adjusting the normal technique. Wider spaces than normal are allowed between the blocks and as opposed to the usual kiln-dried sand, these are then packed with fine aggregate material.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is terrific as a driveway material as it improves with age. The natural stone option will provide you with a robust and sturdy driveway, for any motor vehicle, and will look awesome for an entire lifetime. It provides your property with a driveway that, due to the different colours and shades of the individual stones, is completely bespoke to you. It gives that crucial wow factor and curb appeal that every home owner yearns for.

Driveways made from natural stone don't just look amazing, but they're easy to maintain and less at risk of being damaged than paved alternatives. The smooth, solid surface of the natural stones makes them a lot easier to keep clean, and weeds are less likely to take hold in the smaller joints of a stone driveway. A professionally prepared and installed natural stone driveway is an investment that will add considerable value to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If you've already got a driveway, but it's beginning to look a little tatty, you may manage to boost it's appearance by giving it a clean. Maintaining the cleanliness of a driveway isn't normally a priority for many householders. Yet, from both an aesthetic and maintenance viewpoint, cleaning a driveway is important, and this should be performed on a regular basis, not just once in a while. The structure of your driveway can be weakened over the years, by unwanted weeds and other plant growth. If your drive has existing cracks and crevices, these can be widened which could eventually lead to structural complications.

It's better to remove stains, dirt or weeds from your driveway the instant you notice them. It isn't the best option to wait around for the springtime and summer to arrive to pressure wash your driveway, despite the fact that these are the periods when you're most likely to notice the appearance of weeds and moss. Brake fluid, oil and petrol spots from your vehicle can blight the appeal of your driveway. You should remove these quickly, so that any unsightly discolouration of your driveway's surface is avoided.

If you're cleaning the driveway yourself, you will need access to a jet washing device, and to accomplish it correctly you will also need some additional tools and equipment, including a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. A professional driveway cleaning service might be required if you don't have the correct gear, or are not confident in doing it yourself. You might even discover that your local driveway installers will be prepared to provide this service.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac offers a surface with both strength and durability which makes it a really good choice for a driveway. When it is installed by a proficient driveway company, tarmac offers exceptional weatherproof properties, looks good and doesn't need much maintenance. A tarmac driveway can handle larger vehicles, such as carvans and camper vans, without dimpling or damage to the surface, and will remain looking pristine for many years.

Tarmac is also great value for money and is available in an assortment of colours to match your home and surrounding areas. Tarmac allows you to move away from a conventional black coloured surface and have it coloured to blend in with your property. Tarmac driveways are among the simplest to install, and most driveway projects are completed in a day. Many householders opt for tarmac over other driveway materials because of its low maintenance qualities, fast installation, surface finish and durability.

Resin Driveways

One of the most popular forms of driveway these days, resin-bound or resin driveways are permeable (porous) and compliant with SuDS. Available in a wide variety of designs and patterns, resin-bound driveways can be custom-made to your specifications, and installed to complement any theme or concept. For speedier, and easier installation resin-bound driveways can be laid over a current concrete or asphalt base with a lot less mess and hassle. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a great alternative to gravel, tarmac, block paving or concrete. A resin driveway will give you many years of good service, and when installed by a trusted specialist, come with an extended warranty.

Concrete Driveways

A very popular material for driveways, concrete is hard wearing, strong and doesn't need much maintenance. When it comes to cost, concrete is about average for driveway construction, being dearer than gravel or asphalt, but less costly than block paving and resin. For many people, the drawback of concrete is its rather uninspiring and drab appearance, but this can easily be overcome by adding a stamped or imprinted surface finish. (Tags: Concrete Driveways, Concreted Driveway, Stamped 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 Most of Your Homes Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is what realtors are chatting about when they are thinking about boosting the appearance of a house that may go up for sale. Even if your house is not currently for sale; you may want to give curb appeal a little thought. Frequently these will not be major fixes, but will add tremendously to the general look of the home. Below we will offer you some methods you can apply for improved curb appeal.

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 is often a good idea, but it may not be necessary. 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 effortless as pressure washing us, it can certainly save you a bundle of money and your house appearance will shine. As time goes by so slow sometimes, it is hard to see the dirt and grime collect on your home. You can hire someone to power wash your home or you can rent a power washer for a day. Don't forget to hit every exterior on your property, including any decks, sheds or garage doors.

Look long and hard at the yard in both the front and the back. Are they neat and inviting, or are they cluttered with toys, tools and random objects? A considerable influence to curb appeal is the look of your yards. Assuming backyard or front yard is cluttered, the endeavor to clean it up will be worthwhile. Move any objects that hinder your ability to go through your yard with ease. Provided you need to weed or have bushes that need to be cared for, these issues need to be taken care of. If you have kids who leave toys around the yard, teach them to put them away when they're finished playing with them.

Oftentimes, the consideration of replacing an existing green lawn with something that is much easier to care for will cross the minds of homeowners. Many homeowners are turning to landscaping that requires less water and maintenance than a traditional lawn. To make your house look more interesting, you could certainly replace the grass was something that required less maintenance and looked much more interesting. Xeriscaping is a new type of landscaping that is very trendy which requires little work and is very environmentally sustainable. It really doesn't matter where you live, xeriscaping will work in any climate or region.

Laboring to enhance your landscape can be incredibly gratifying. Each wee action from the neat as a pin lawn, deck painting or driveway improvements will cause your home to increase in price as well as make it look nicer. Whether you center your focal point on elaborate home improvements or less expensive and simple actions, all of the effort will create a better curb appeal for your residence.

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