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If you have come to the conclusion that a driveway is just the thing for you, and you've got adequate space to put one, you'll now need to figure out what form of driveway you're going to choose. You will undoubtedly be aware already that there are a number of different driveway options available and not all of these will automatically be of interest to you. Prices will vary significantly across these different driveway styles, thus your options could be limited if you only have a certain amount of money to use. The size and layout of your property could also have an affect on your final decision.

You might think "a driveway is just a driveway", however that simply isn't true, since there are many different styles and designs of driveway, and if you take a wander around, you will 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 different states of repair, but this will still give you a perception of some of the possible 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 may believe that planning permission is only needed for extensions, loft conversions and other similarly large assignments, but this is not necessarily the case. Driveways are actually covered by a raft of regulations and rules, and these apply on a national basis rather than being just locally binding. Currently these regulations only apply to driveways in front gardens. The legislation that is currently in force stem from a government act of 2008 - the SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System).

The SuDS legislation applies to driveways in front gardens with an area of over five square metres. You won't have to stress about this if you make your driveway from a porous (permeable) material like gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, which allow the rainwater to soak through and subsequently drain away. You'll be able to find out more information on the Sustainable Drainage Systems legislation here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

Clearly it's perfectly feasible to build your own driveway, if you are good at DIY and relish a touch of hard work. However don't expect that installing a driveway is an easy task, as besides actually laying the driveway there is a lot of heavy digging, rubbish removal and lugging materials associated with this type of endeavour. If you've got any concerns about whether you would be able to handle a project such as this, it would perhaps be best to contact an established driveway installer.

Because of the nature of this kind of work, it is not necessarily that simple to find dependable tradespeople who can be guaranteed to do a proper job. Rogue traders and cowboys are always lurking in the area, their workmanship will be poor and some of them will even pocket your cash and vanish into the ether without completing any work at all. Even if this means shelling out a little more on the enterprise, you may as well get it done to a decent standard by a pro. It is best to look for locally based driveway companies who have been providing their services in the area for several years.

When you are sifting through possible tradesmen to lay your driveway 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).

Asking for this salient information should give you an inkling of the kind of tradesman that you are dealing with, but it shouldn't be the Spanish Inquisition. Any driveway installer in TOWN who is prepared to answer all of your questions, and put your mind at rest about the calibre of the work they will be doing, will likely also be honest and trustworthy. You can deem that they are less than honest or hiding something if they act in a hesitant or confrontational way when asked these sorts of questions. If that occurs you'd be smart to give them a miss and try somebody else.

When you've identified a decent driveway company, you can pick their brains about all of the available driveway alternatives including the best location, style and materials. Before any actual physical work starts your driveway expert will make certain that all the required planning, preparation and design work is looked after.

Gravel Driveways

The cheapest and easiest of all the available styles is the standard gravel driveway. In a rural location, gravel driveways are particularly favoured and can be very attractive despite their simplicity. Because there is such an array of gravel sizes and colours, you should not have any trouble locating one that you're happy with. A effective gravel driveway will need a clearly-defined and sturdy edging, and a good substantial layer of hardcore. If you put down 3 or 4 separate layers of stones, each and every one rolled and tamped and left to settle, you'll get the best quality gravel driveway. Properly laid gravel driveways are naturally SuDS compliant, so you won't need planning permission regardless of how large your driveway is.

Asphalt Driveways

An asphalt driveway, with its smooth, uninterrupted appearance gives immediate "curb appeal" to any property or home in. For the optimal results make certain you hire a reputable asphalt contractor that will provide you with a driveway that lasts for many years and requires a bare minimum of maintenance and after care. In high flood risk locations it may be necessary to have a porous drive, and there is a type of asphalt sub-base for rainwater drainage, which prevents excess water from filling highway drains.

Asphalt driveways offer very good value and asphalt is a durable, strong material which is perfect for tolerating freezing and thawing effects of a typical winter. It's also the simplest driveway material to remove or repair because of its manufacturing process. If you're worried about the environmental impact of your driveway, it's good to know that asphalt can be taken out and recycled for re-use elsewhere. (Tags: Asphalt Driveway Recycling, Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveways).

Block Paved Driveways

Block-paving driveways are among the most frequently seen styles in right now, and scores of these seem to have emerged in recent years. These are fashioned using hundreds of specially designed block-paving bricks which are butted together to form attractive and sometimes elaborate patterns. The gaps between these blocks are filled up using kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the joints, resulting in a neat finish. To get the longest life and best service out of your block paving driveway, it is best to have it properly sealed after 4 or 5 months to stop weed growth. Block paving can be made very attractive and can be laid lots of designs, including herringbone, fan, stretcher bond and basket weave.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: It's also possible to install a SuDS compliant block paving driveway in, if that is what you require. By simply leaving wider gaps between the blocks and filling them with a very fine shingle as opposed to the standard kiln-dried sand, you are able to achieve a porous paved surface that does not require planning permission. (Tags: Block Paving, Block Paving Driveways, Block Paved Driveway).

Natural Stone Driveways

The attributes of natural stone means it continually improves with age. Looking great from day 1 to year 50, a natural stone driveway will give you a lifetime of use for any motor vehicle. It can provide your garden with a driveway that, thanks to the unique tones and colours of each individual stone, is completely bespoke to you. When correctly installed, a natural stone driveway has that desirable curb appeal that will complement any house.

A natural stone driveway is also easier to maintain, and is less susceptible to weather damage than concrete based materials. They're a lot easier to clean, and with smaller gaps in between the stones there's considerably less possibility of weeds and seeds germinating on your new driveway. A properly prepared and installed stone driveway is a sound investment which will only add value to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If you don't currently have a drive on your property, then obviously cleaning will not be necessary, however this is definitely something you will need to look at in the coming months and years. For many property owners, keeping their driveway clean is not always considered a priority. Yet, cleaning your driveway is a process that should be conducted with some regularity, and is essential from both an aesthetic and maintenance viewpoint. Weeds and pernicious plant growth can damage your driveway's structure over the years. A widening of existing driveway cracks or crevices can ensue, and structural complications could appear if such harmful growth isn't removed.

When you notice that your drive has weed growth, dirt or stains, it is preferable to get rid of them before they get any worse. However, most householders hold out until the springtime or summer to jet wash their driveways, mainly because moss and weed growth is more obvious during this time. If oil, petrol and brake fluid is spilled from your vehicle, the attractiveness of your driveway can really be spoilt. Thus it's important to promptly clean them off to avoid the surface being stained too severely.

To get your driveway properly clean you'll need to use a jet washing machine, and you'll also need some other tools and equipment, for instance a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. You should get in touch with a specialist driveway cleaning service, if you are not clear about doing it yourself, or you haven't got the right gear.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a favourite sort of surface for driveways on account of its durability and strength. When laid by a reputable driveway company it looks terrific, requires hardly any maintenance and offers outstanding weatherproof properties. The sturdiness of a tarmac driveway means that it is able to withstand daily wear and tear from larger and heavier vehicles, such as trucks and camper vans, with no damage or ridges being caused to the surface.

If want a coloured tarmac, that is also possible, and it offers exceptional value when compared with alternative driveway materials. You're able to customise a tarmac drive to correspond to property or home, with a large number of colours available. It's possible for a competent driveway contractor to install a new tarmac drive in less than a day. Tarmac really is a great material for almost any driveway, due to its durability, straightforward installation and low maintenance properties.

Resin-Bound Driveways

Among the most flexible and attractive styles of driveway that are available today, resin-bound or resin driveways are becoming increasingly more popular and are also SuDS compliant, if that's what you are interested in. Resin driveways can be installed in a wide range of patterns and colours that can be tailor-made to your requirements. For less mess and hassle a new resin driveway can easily be laid over a current concrete or tarmac surface. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and an outstanding alternative to gravel, concrete, tarmac or block paving. A resin-bound driveway will give years of reliable service, and when laid by an experienced installer, come with an extended guarantee.

Concrete Driveways

A very popular material for driveways, concrete is strong, hard wearing and doesn't need much maintenance. With regards to price, concrete is about middling for driveway construction, being more expensive than asphalt or gravel, but less costly than resin or block paving. For many folks, the downside of concrete is its rather dreary and boring visual appearance, but this can be easily remedied by requesting a patterned or imprinted surface finish. (Tags: Concrete Driveway, Concreted Driveway, Stamped Concrete Driveway).

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.

Easy Avenues to Create a More Appealing Curb

Focusing on the curb appeal of your home is what it takes to have your home look as attractive as it can, provided that is what you desire. You should concentrate on this whether you are displaying your home to potential buyers or not, yet it is especially vital when you are. During the time you peer at your residence with how appealing it looks from the curb, you are visualizing it through eyes that are fresh and many times you can see the blemishes or patches that have a necessity for improvements that you didn't otherwise note.

Your widows provide a huge amount to the way your home appeals to people. Obviously, the first thing to make sure of is that your windows are clean. There isn't anything else that can take away from the appearance of a home like filthy windows. 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. Surely the appearance of a home is effected mightily by windows but the insulation is as well. Provided your windows do not conserve energy well, replacing them might be what is needed. If you don't have shutters, consider getting some, as this is one element that can really add distinction to your home's appearance, especially if you paint them the right color.

One facet of you home that demands the most attention is your roof; it will be the part of the home that is critical to curb appeal as well as creating a safe and secure home for your family. Your roof should take priority over any other home enhancing schemes; so if it needs attention, start there. One product you may consider to spruce up your roof would be architectural roofing shingles. 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.

As an alternative to painting the outer surface of an individuals residence, they might want to meditate on hanging siding instead. Many choices are out there for it, in addition it could produce a more modern looking home. It is a possibility that the value of your house is increased by this and the insulation is improved. Stone or stucco veneer are other possibilities, which can give your home the look of a traditional stone or stucco house without the expense that the real materials would entail. If you want to consider new siding, or something like stone veneer for the exterior of your home, you should look into all the different possibilities and decide which most appeals to you.

Many components can be involved in curb appeal, therefore it is wise to think about every angle of your residence. Make an account of anything that requires your consideration if there are a lot, then put them in the order of importance. Afterward, make a time frame of working on these problems, regardless of whether you hire someone or do the work yourself. Proposals above can give you a starting point to a more captivating curb appeal, or possibly support you in gaining your own ideas.

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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