Driveway Installers

If you think that a driveway is just the thing for you, and you have sufficient space to put one, you'll now have to establish what form of driveway you're going to build. Driveways come in all sizes and styles and can be created from various different materials, some might be more appealing than others. If you haven't got a lot of cash to spend on such a project, your choice of style and materials could be constrained by what you can afford. Your final decision might also be affected by the layout and size of your garden and the available space for the driveway.

There are lots of different styles and designs of driveway, as you'll likely have observed while strolling around. 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 adaptions, yet this should give you an outline of some of 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 may think that a driveway wouldn't normally be of any concern to the local council, and wouldn't be affected by planning permission, but that presumption would in many cases be wrong. There are UK-wide regulations addressing the the installment of driveways, not only local ones. These regulations only apply to front gardens at this time. This legislation, which is called the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) has been in force since 2008, when it was first announced as part of the Permitted Development Rights.

Driveways being laid in front gardens that have an area greater than 5 sq metres are impacted by the SuDS legislation. You won't have to worry about this if you make your driveway from a porous (permeable) material such as gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, which allow the water to soak through and drain away successfully. You can check out the Sustainable Drainage Systems regulations here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

To some property owners, laying a driveway may not appear to be that difficult a task, and for anybody who's adept at do-it-yourself, it's not at all implausible. But, do not be deceived, there's a lot of hard graft involved with building a driveway, particularly the preparatory work, which involves garden clearance, humping materials and heavy digging. If you're in any doubt about your ability to tackle a project like this, it would perhaps be advisable to bring in a professional driveway contractor instead.

Because of the nature of this sort of work, it is not always easy to find dependable tradespeople who you can be confident will do a proper job. Sadly, there are plenty of dishonest individuals out there who will take advantage of your situation and claim to be driveway "experts". They will either do unsatisfactory work, or pocket your money and do a "runner". If you would like your driveway to last, and to look great for the foreseeable future, you may as well have it done to a decent standard and by somebody with some know-how. If a local driveway contractor has been working in and around your area for quite a few years, it is reasonable to assume that they will be reliable, and a solid choice for your installation project.

When looking for suitable tradespeople, it is best to 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, however this questioning will give you a perception of the kind of tradesman you're going to be working with. If they are glad to answer all of these questions, you can assume that they're reliable. If questions of this sort invoke a hesitant or confrontational response, then you should have doubts about their trustworthiness, and perhaps look for someone better.

If you are cautious and choose an excellent driveway installer, they'll help you make all the important decisions in relation to your forthcoming project, including the most suitable materials, the preferred location and the recommended driveway technique. Having a specialist around means that all the preparation, design and planning is taken care of before any real physical work begins.

Gravel Driveways

Of all the available styles, the gravel driveway is the cheapest and easiest. Gravel driveways are especially effective in a rural location, and in spite of their simplicity they can be really attractive. Gravel can be purchased in a wide array of sizes and shades, so you shouldn't have any problem finding one that looks amazing in your garden. A effective gravel driveway will require a substantial and well-defined edging, and a good solid base of hardcore. If you put down 3 or 4 separate layers of shingle, each and every one tamped and left to settle down, you'll get the best quality gravel driveway. You won't need to apply for planning permission for a gravel driveway, seeing that it will be SuDS compliant no matter how big it is, or whether it is in your back or front garden.

Asphalt Driveways

When you are looking for 'curb appeal' for your property in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth consistent surface, is the ideal choice. When put in by an experienced contractor, an asphalt driveway will give you years of good use with minimal maintenance. In high flood risk areas it may be required to have a permeable drive, and there is an asphalt type, with sub-grade reservoir for rainwater drainage, which prevents excess water from overwhelming highway drains.

Asphalt driveways are very smartly designed to hold up against anything that winters can toss at them, and offer outstanding value. Asphalt is also the easiest driveway substance to repair or remove due to its manufacturing process. It can be looked on as the most ecological of solid driveway surface types since it's even possible for an asphalt drive to be recycled and used in a different location. (Tags: Asphalt Driveway Recycling, Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveways).

Block Paved Driveways

Dozens of driveways have popped up in in recent times, constructed using the block-paved process, which can be very successful when done correctly. Forming a hard wearing and sturdy driveway, many hundreds of specially designed block paving bricks are butted together in eye-catching and elaborate patterns which can be personalized to meet your requirements. The gaps that are left between the blocks are filled with kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the joints, producing a tidy finish. To get the longest life and best service out of your block-paved driveway, you'll want to have it properly sealed after a few months to stop weed growth. Block paving can be laid in lots of patterns, including fan, basket weave, herringbone and stretcher bond.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: SuDS compliant block paved driveways are perfectly possible by slightly adjusting the traditional methodology. Bigger gaps than normal are allowed between the bricks and instead of the usual kiln-dried sand, these are filled with fine shingle material.

Natural Stone Driveways

The features of natural stone means it only improves with age. The choice of natural stone will provide you with a robust, sturdy driveway, for any car or vehicle, and will look fantastic for many years to come. Thanks to the distinctive depth of tone and colours in the stone, you'll have a driveway that is totally bespoke to your house. The natural stone gives a warm, soft edge to any driveway, and provides that valuable curb appeal.

Driveways made from natural stone don't just look fantastic, but they're easy to maintain and less at risk of damage than concrete alternatives. They're also a lot easier to clean, and with smaller joints in between the stones there is considerably less possibility of weeds and seeds sprouting up on your new driveway. A stone driveway properly installed by a professional contractor should be thought of as an investment that will add value to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If you are planning to replace an existing driveway as your old one is starting to look shabby, it will be considerably cheaper to clean it, if you think that will help. Keeping a driveway clean is not generally a priority for many TOWN householders. However, cleaning a driveway is a procedure that should be carried out on a regular basis, and is essential from both an aesthetic and maintenance perspective. Unwanted weeds and plant growth can damage your driveway's structure with time. A widening of existing holes or cracks can ensue, and structural problems may appear if such growth is not eradicated.

It is better to remove dirt, stains or weed growth from your driveway the instant you discover them. Although, the spring and summer is when you most notice the appearance of moss and weeds, you shouldn't wait till them to jet or pressure wash your drive. Brake fluid, oil and diesel stains from your car can spoil the look of your driveway. Hence it is crucial to immediately get them cleaned to prevent your driveway's surface being stained too severely.

If you're cleaning the driveway yourself, you'll need the use of a pressure washer, and to do it correctly you'll also need some additional tools and equipment, such as a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. You should call in a professional driveway cleaning service, if you're not clear about doing it yourself, or you haven't got the correct equipment.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a very popular driveway surface because of its strength and durability. It needs little maintenance, looks good and is weatherproof, when laid professionally. Tarmac's strength and durability means it can cope with bulkier vehicles, like motor-homes and vans, without causing damage to the surface.

If want a coloured tarmac, that's also possible, and it offers great value for money compared to alternative kinds of driveway. Tarmac makes it simple to get away from a conventional black coloured surface and colour it to match your home. A tarmac drive is also one of the simplest to install, and the majority of driveway projects are completed in a single day. A lot of people pick tarmac over other materials for their driveway because of its robustness, finish, low maintenance qualities and rapid installation.

Resin Driveways

Among the most attractive and flexible styles of driveway that are available at this time, resin-bound driveways (or resin driveways) are becoming ever more favoured and are also SuDS compliant, if that's what you are interested in. Resin-bound driveways can be customized to your requirements and come in an array of different patterns and designs. For quicker, and easier installation resin-bound driveways can be laid on top of an existing asphalt or concrete base with less hassle and mess. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a great alternative to gravel, concrete, asphalt or block paving. A resin driveway will give you years of good service, and when installed by an authorised company, come with an extended warranty.

Concrete Driveways

Ideal for driveways, and a much favoured material for years, concrete has got the advantage of being durable, strong and relatively maintenance-free. Being more expensive that gravel or tarmac, but substantially cheaper than some of the other options (i.e. resin or block paving), concrete is an easy choice for many householders. Many would agree that concrete driveways, generally speaking, are rather uninspiring and drab. Yet this does not have to be a problem, given that it's perfectly possible to finish them off with a patterned or imprinted design which can be really 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.

How To Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal

If you want your home to be as attractive as possible, you have to focus on its curb appeal. You should concentrate on this whether you are displaying your home to potential buyers or not, yet it is especially vital when you are. One can generally spot the defects on their house and parts that need some enhancements when they think about their dwellings curb appeal as they are seeing it through new eyes.

Typically, the first idea when mulling over a curb appeal update; is adding a fresh new look with a few coats of paint. This is often a good idea, but it may not be necessary. Power washing your home may be an alternative to putting on new paint if there are no signs like chipping or weathering and the color is one that appeals to you. By taking this route, you will be saving money, it will be simple and you will be pleasantly surprised how great it will look. 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. 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.

To improve your curb appeal, you might also want to make your home look appealing and inviting. Spending lots of money on this project really is unnecessary; the main thing you want to consider is what you actually want to do. Potted plants, perhaps with colorful flowers can spruce up just about any area outside your home, from the front to the back porch. You can also hang these plants from convenient hooks, or just place them on the railing for all to see. Wicker furniture, even wrought iron outdoor chairs and tables, will make the entire front of your home look very livable. Lawn decorations are another option, but you shouldn't go too far with this.

It's possible that you will need to get acquaintances opinions, in order to make a complete job of enhancing your curb appeal. Ask any friends or relatives whose opinions you respect for any honest criticism of how your home looks. Something else one could do is to take some awesome pics all around your residence. When you are done, view the images in such a way that the home belongs to someone else and figure out what augmentations you would perform. You may need to look at your home in a new way to really figure out how to improve its curb appeal.

It's amazingly satisfying to strive to advance the landscape of your residence. Everything you do, whether it is improving the entrance to your home, painting the deck or mowing the lawn shall make a more beautiful and estimable house. However, each move you make, from the budget friendly and easy modifications to the major improvements, all steps will be an addition to the look of your home.

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