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Your next step, if you do opt to proceed with installing a driveway will be make up your mind about what kind of driveway is going to be the most suitable for your circumstances. Driveways come in all styles and sizes and can be made from numerous different materials, some may be more appealing than others. If you haven't got a lot of money to expend on such a project, the choice of style and materials may be constrained by what you can comfortably afford. Other considerations that could have an impact on your decision will be the configuration and dimensions of your available space, and exactly how the driveway will match your property aesthetically.

There are of course plenty of different designs and types of driveway, as you will undoubtedly have noticed while wandering around. The chances are that on your travels you'll 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, and if your property is suitable, you should be able to choose from just about any of these.

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 imagine that planning permission is only needed for large projects like extensions and loft conversions, but that's not necessarily the case. There is in reality legislation pertaining to the the installment of driveways, and those are UK-wide rules, not simply local. You'll only need to concern yourself with these rules if you happen to be installing a driveway in the front garden of your property. This legislation, which is known as the SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System) has been in place since 2008, when it was first announced.

A driveway in excess of 5m2, that is being installed in a front garden is going to be subject to the SuDS legislation. You won't need to worry about this if you build your driveway from a porous (permeable) material like gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, which allow the water to pass through and drain away successfully. Check here - Sustainable Drainage Systems - if you're worried that the Sustainable Drainage Systems legislation may affect your new driveway in TOWN.

To some people, installing a driveway might not appear to be that difficult a task, and for somebody who is a good do-it-yourselfer, it's by no means implausible. But no-one should consider this as an easy task, since there is a whole lot of groundwork involved as well as actually laying the driveway, including excavating, hauling materials and doing rubbish removal. If you are in any doubt about whether you'd be able to tackle a project such as this, it might be a good idea to retain the services of an established driveway specialist instead.

With this kind of project, you've got to be cautious of exactly who you choose, seeing as you obviously need to find someone who knows precisely what they're up to. Regrettably, there are too many deceitful folks around who'll make the most of your circumstances and pretend to be experts in this field. They will either produce second-rate work, or grab your money and vanish without a trace. Even if that means spending a little more on the enterprise, you may as well have it done properly by a professional. The best option will usually be a driveway and patio contractor who's been been providing their services in and around your area for a good few years, and who has a good reputation locally.

When assessing these contractors, 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).

You do not need to be too pushy with this questioning, seeing that what you are really aiming to achieve is get a notion of what kind of person you're going to be dealing with. If they're glad to answer all these questions, you can consider that they are honest. If they act in a hostile or hesitant way when asked such questions, you can assume that they are hiding something or being less than honest - so give them a wide berth.

Once you've discovered a decent driveway paver, you can ask their advice about all of the possible driveway choices including things like the most appropriate style, materials and location. They'll also help you with all the planning, design and preparation, so every aspect is in hand before any actual physical work begins on your driveway.

Gravel Driveways

Of all the available types, the standard gravel driveway is the easiest and cheapest. In a rural location, gravel driveways are particularly favoured and can be very appealing despite their simplicity. Gravel can be obtained in a wide array of shades and sizes, so you should not have any trouble finding one that looks good in your garden. For gravel driveways to be efficient they need a good robust base layer of hardcore, and substantial edging. If you want a really top quality gravel driveway, you must make certain that 3 or 4 separate layers are applied, with each one individually tamped and rolled and left to settle for a day before the next one is laid. Properly laid gravel driveways are of course SuDS compliant, so you won't need to apply for planning permission regardless of how large your driveway is.

Asphalt Driveways

When you're looking for that extra touch of 'curb appeal' for your home or property in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth consistent surface, is the perfect choice. For optimum outcome ensure that you hire a professional asphalt company who'll provide you with a driveway that lasts for many years does not need much maintenance or after-care. If your local council imposes restrictions that stop non-permeable materials being used, so as to preclude localised flooding, a special permeable asphalt substrate permits rain to soak into a sub-layer.

Asphalt can easily withstand the freezing and thawing impact of TOWN winters, and is excellent value for money in comparison with some other driveway alternatives. It's also the easiest driveway material to repair or remove due to the process by which it is manufactured. If you're worried about the ecological impact of your driveway installation in, it's good to know that asphalt can even be taken out and recycled for re-use elsewhere. (Tags: Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveways, Asphalt Driveway Recycling).

Block Paved Driveways

Scores of driveways have sprung up in over the last few years, created using the block-paved method, which can be extremely effective when done correctly. Forming eye-catching and elaborate patterns, many hundreds of purpose-made block paving bricks are butted together to produce a hard-wearing, robust driveway. When the blocks are laid and tamped down, the gaps are filled using kiln-dried sand which is brushed into the exposed joints. To get the best performance and longest life out of your block-paved driveway, you should get it properly sealed after four or five months to stop weed growth. There are various designs in which block paving is laid, including stretcher bond, fan, herringbone and basket weave.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Block paved driveways can also be made to comply with SuDS, by simply leaving bigger than standard spaces between the blockwork, which are then packed with very fine aggregate rather than the usual kiln-dried sand.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is a material that always improves with age. Selecting a natural stone finish on your driveway will provide you with a lifetime of use for any motor vehicle and will stay looking great from day one to year fifty. It provides your house with a driveway that, due to the unique colours and shades of the individual stones, is wholly bespoke to you. It gives that WOW factor and curb appeal that every home owner desires.

Driveways made from natural stone not only look good, but they're low maintenance and less at risk of damage than paving alternatives. The narrower joints between the stones means that there's less potential for weed growth, and the smooth, hard surface is simple to clean. You must consider an expertly installed stone driveway as an investment on your home's overall value.

Driveway Cleaning

If you do not have a driveway at this moment, then of course cleaning won't be needed, however this is certainly something you'll need to think about sooner or later. For a lot of homeowners, maintaining the cleanliness of their driveway isn't often considered a priority. Nevertheless, for both aesthetic and maintenance purposes, cleaning a driveway on a regular basis is important. As time passes, your driveway's structure can be severely weakened by weeds, roots and other organic plant growth. If your drive has existing cracks and crevices, these can quickly be enlarged, and structural issues could ensue as a consequence.

If you discover that your drive has weeds, dirt or stains, it is advisable to get rid of them before they get any worse. However, most people hold out for the spring and summer months to clean their driveways, simply because moss and weed growth is more obvious at this time of year. Oil, petrol and brake fluid spillages from your vehicle can spoil the appearance of your driveway. To prevent unattractive staining of your driveway's surface, it is therefore crucial to remove them promptly.

Together with a jet washing device, 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. You could bring in a professional driveway cleaning service, if you're not certain about cleaning it yourself, or you haven't got the correct equipment.

Tarmac Driveways

Due to its durability and strength, tarmac is an extremely good choice for surfacing driveways. When professionally laid it needs very little maintenance, looks amazing and is weatherproof. Tarmac driveways are able to cope with larger vehicles, such as camper vans and vans, without damage to the surface or dimpling, and will look good for many years.

If want a coloured tarmac, that is also possible, and it offers fantastic value for money compared to other types of driveway. You are able to customise a tarmac drive to suit your property or home, with countless colours available. It's possible for a competent driveway company to lay a brand new tarmac drive in one day. Tarmac is truly a decent material for almost any driveway, due to its low maintenance properties, strength and ease of installation.

Resin-Bound Driveways

One of the most frequently seen sorts of driveway in recent times, resin-bound or resin driveways are porous and compliant with SuDS. Available in a host of designs and patterns, resin-bound driveways can be customized to your specifications, and installed to complement any concept or theme. For speedier, and simpler installation resin-bound driveways can be laid over an existing concrete or asphalt base with less mess and hassle. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a fantastic alternative to concrete, block paving, asphalt or gravel. Normally coming with an extended warranty when laid by a trusted installer, a resin driveway should give you good service for years to come.

Concrete Driveways

A very popular material for driveways, concrete is hard wearing, strong and doesn't need much maintenance. With regards to price, concrete is about average for driveways, being costlier than tarmac or gravel, but cheaper than resin or block paving. Many would acknowledge that concrete driveways in general are somewhat boring and dreary. Yet this does not have to be the case, seeing as it is possible to finish the surface off with a stamped 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.

Simple Ways to Give Your Home More Curb Appeal

Sometimes realtors will refer to rejuvenating a home that may go on the market as giving it curb appeal. If you are tossing the idea of selling your home around or not; curb appeal is something that you may want to toss around in that discussion. These are usually not things that will require a lot of attention, but at the same time will enhance your home immensely. We'll be covering a few simple ways to give your home better curb appeal in this article.

The appearance of your windows contributes a great deal to the curb appeal of your home. Certainly, the top priority is to ensure that the windows are immaculate. Dirty windows can detract from the beauty of a home like nothing else. The exterior and interior of your home are impacted by this. Assuming one has panes that have broken on any place in your home, even the cellar, they ought to be changed as soon as it is possible. Undoubtedly, the windows are imperative for energy efficiency in addition to the cosmetic value. In case the windows you have are not truly energy efficient, it could be the time to restore them. Assuming your home does not have shutters, contemplate getting them, because this is one attribute that is truly distinctive to a home's presentation, painting them the best color in particular.

One fundamental section of your house that needs specific attention is the roof; if not just for the shelter it provides your family, it is also a key to good curb appeal. Your roof should take priority over any other home enhancing schemes; so if it needs attention, start there. Architectural roofing shingles will make your roof more extraordinary. This roofing product will enhance the look of your roof and is quite strong and eye catching; the latest type is made from synthetic slate. This roofing product can emulate just about all of the conventional styles of design; so regardless of whether or not your roof needs attention, they would make your roof awesome.

When people look at a home, the walkway to the front door should look very inviting, something that you should improve on at your home. You might change your walkway a little bit by paving it replacing perhaps the cement that was there - it is totally up to you. 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. Whether people walk or drive to your home, make it a positive experience for them.

If you are selling your home, or you simply want to make your home look better, curb appeal is something that you should be focused on. Visitors will definitely be impressed with the appearance of your property if you utilize any of the suggestions outlined in this article. If you do implement some of the curb appeal ideas we have suggested, anyone that sees your house will understand how much you appreciate it.

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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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.

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