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Your next task, if you do opt to press ahead with installing a driveway will be make a decision about what type of driveway will be the most suitable for your circumstances. You will doubtless already be aware that there are lots of different driveway options available and not every one of these will necessarily interest you. Your options might be limited to some degree if you happen to be sticking to a tight budget. Your final decision could also be affected by the configuration and size of your property.

When roaming around you'll undoubtedly have noticed all the different designs of driveway. You should be able to make a choice 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, even though not every one of these will automatically be suited to your garden terrain and layout.

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 feel that planning permission is only necessary for extensions, loft conversions and other correspondingly major assignments, but this isn't always true. There are nationally binding regulations addressing the the installment of driveways, not only local ones. However, at the present time, these restrictions only affect driveways that are being laid in front gardens. The law that we're referring to here is the SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System), which was introduced by the government in 2008.

The SuDS regulations apply to driveways installed in front gardens with an area of more than 5 sq metres. This requires that your driveway is built from gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, so that excess water can easily soak away safely and not cause flooding. If you suspect that the SuDS regulations might affect your planned driveway in TOWN, you can see more information here - SuDS

Some folks may be tempted to have a bash at installing their own driveway, especially if they don't mind a bit of hard work and are fairly good at do-it-yourself. But nobody should think of this as an easy process, given that there's lots of preparation work involved besides actually laying the driveway, including excavating, doing rubbish removal and hauling materials. In most cases it is wiser to hire a professional driveway contractor, who'll come armed with all the knowledge, equipment and manpower to complete the task correctly.

Trustworthy tradespeople aren't always that easy to find with regards to performing this type of task, so you need to be mindful in choosing the right company or person. Cowboys and rogue traders are frequently lurking in the area, their work will be poor and some will even take your money and vanish into the ether without doing any work at all. If you're going to build a driveway you may just as well have it done to a decent standard, even if it means spending a little more on the enterprise. Driveway companies and landscape gardeners who have been offering their services in and around your area for the past few years would be the best choice.

When searching for suitable tradespeople, it's wise 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).

Asking for this salient information will give you an idea of the sort of tradesman you are potentially going to work with, but it shouldn't be the Spanish Inquisition. Any driveway installer in TOWN who is happy to answer all of your questions, and put your mind at rest about the standard of work they do, will very likely also be genuine and trustworthy. You can deem that they're hiding something or being less than honest if they act in a uncertain or confrontational way when asked such questions. If that is what happens you would be smart to give them a miss and try another contractor.

If you pick your driveway installer with care you will discover that they can offer you loads of valuable guidance and advice in relation to the ideal materials to employ and the preferred sort of driveway for your home. They'll also help you with all the design, preparation and planning, so all the important aspects is in hand prior to any actual work commencing on your driveway.

Gravel Driveways

The simplest and least expensive of all the available types is the gravel driveway. Gravel driveways are particularly popular in a rural location, and despite their simplicity they can be highly attractive. Gravel is available in a whole host of sizes and colours, so you should have no problem locating one that looks great in your garden. A good sturdy base of hardcore is needed for a gravel drive to be successful, together with a well-bedded edging. The most effective gravel driveways are the result of applying 3 or 4 layers of aggregate, with each layer rolled and left to settle before laying the subsequent layer. No matter what size your driveway is, or whether it's in your back or front garden, if it's built from gravel it will not need to apply for planning permission, since it will automatically be SuDS compliant.

Asphalt Driveways

An asphalt driveway, with its smooth, consistent appearance gives immediate "curb appeal" to any house in. A professional driveway contractor in will supply you with an asphalt driveway which will give you many years of satisfaction, with minimal maintenance involved. If your local authority imposes restrictions that prevent non-permeable materials being used on driveways, so as to prevent local flooding, a unique porous asphalt substrate allows rainwater to drain into a sub-layer.

Asphalt driveways are very well designed to successfully hold up against anything that winters can throw at them, and deliver excellent value. Asphalt is cheap and simple to maintain and repair, and can be removed should your circumstances change in the future. It could be considered the most eco-friendly of solid driveway surfaces because it is even possible for an asphalt drive to be recycled and used in a different project.

Block Paving Driveways

Dozens of driveways have appeared in over the last few years, built using the block-paved method, which can be extremely successful when done correctly. These are created using hundreds of purpose-made block-paving bricks which butt together forming eye-catching and sometimes elaborate patterns. The gaps between these blocks are filled up using kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the exposed joints, resulting in a tidy finish. It might be a good idea to have your block-paved driveway sealed after a few months with Thompson's sealant or something similar. This is important to stop weed growth. Block paving can be made very attractive and can be laid a variety of designs, including fan, basketweave, stretcher bond and herringbone.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Block paving driveways can even be made to comply with SuDS, by simply leaving wider than normal gaps between the blocks, which are then filled with fine shingle instead of the usual kiln-dried sand. (Tags: Block Paved Driveway, Block Paving, Block Paving Driveways).

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone, as a driveway material, never loses its outstanding appearance even as it gets older. Looking amazing from day one to year fifty, a driveway built from natural stone will provide you with a whole lifetime of serviceable use for any car or vehicle. Owing to the distinctive depth of tone and colours in the stone, you will wind up with a driveway which is bespoke to your home. It provides that WOW factor and curb appeal that every householder wants.

Driveways made from natural stone don't just look attractive, but they are low maintenance and less at risk of damage than paved alternatives. The smooth, hard surface of the natural stones means that they're a lot easier to clean, and unwanted weeds find it harder to sprout up in the narrower joints of a stone driveway. A properly prepared and laid natural stone driveway is an investment that will add to the appeal and value to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If you are planning to replace an existing driveway as your old one is starting to look scruffy, it will be considerably less costly to clean it, if you think that may help. For the majority of people, maintaining the cleanliness of their driveway isn't necessarily thought of as a priority. However, from both an aesthetic and maintenance perspective, cleaning a driveway is crucial, and this process should be performed on a fairly regular basis, not just now and again. Weeds and unwanted plant growth can damage the structure of your driveway over time. If there are existing cracks or crevices, these could be enlarged which may ultimately lead to structural complications.

If dirt, stains or weed growth appear on your drive, getting rid of them as soon as possible is recommended. However, weeds and moss are more visible on your driveway in the springtime and summer, you shouldn't wait until then pressure wash it. Oil, brake fluid and diesel spillages from your car can undermine the attractiveness of your driveway. You must clean these off immediately, so that any a permanent staining of the driveway's surface is averted.

If you are cleaning your own driveway, you'll need access to a pressure washer, and to accomplish it properly you'll also need some other equipment and tools, for instance a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. You should call on a professional driveway cleaning service, if you're not confident in cleaning it yourself, or don't have the right gear.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac provides a surface with both durability and strength making it an extremely good option for driveways. When laid by a proficient driveway company it is weatherproof, needs little maintenance and looks great. The sturdiness of a tarmac driveway means that it is able to withstand the daily use of heavier and larger vehicles, such as carvans and camper vans, with no ridges or damage being caused to the surface.

It offers great value, and tarmac can be coloured to match the surroundings or your requirements. You do not need to have a dreary, traditional looking driveway; you are able to customise your drive to a colour of your choice. It is perfectly possible for a skilled driveway contractor to install a new tarmac drive in one day. Tarmac really is a great material for any driveway, due to its resilience, ease of installation and low maintenance properties.

Resin Driveways

One of the most popular types of driveway in recent years, resin driveways are permeable (porous) and compliant with SuDS. Available in a wide variety of patterns and designs, resin driveways can be customized to your exact requirements, and installed to complement any concept or theme. For a lot less hassle and mess a new resin driveway can quickly be laid over a current tarmac or concrete surface. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a terrific substitute for asphalt, gravel, block paving or concrete. When installed by a reputable specialist, a resin-bound driveway will come with a long guarantee and give you years of excellent service. (Tags: Resin-Bound Driveways, Resin Driveways, Resin-Bonded Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

A very popular material for driveways, concrete is hard wearing, strong and requires very little maintenance. An easy choice for many householders, concrete is considerably cheaper than block paving or resin, but if laid properly is stronger and harder wearing. If you find concrete driveways to be quite dreary and boring, it is possible to add a stamped or patterned finish to make them look like pebbles or cobblestones.

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

The curb appeal of your home is how a person passing by will perceive it from the road. To make your home look better, especially if it is something you are trying to sell, you should do external home improvement work to enhance its appeal. It is important that you appreciate the way that your home looks, which is why improving the curb appeal is something you ought to do anyway. To help you improve your home's curb appeal, we have written this article with some suggestions.

Your widows provide a huge amount to the way your home appeals to people. By all means, cleanliness of the windows is the first thing to make sure of. Filthy windows can minimize a home's appearance like little else. The above mentioned is crucial for the exterior and interior home alike. Provided there are cracked windowpanes any place, just the basement even, you need to replace them immediately. Windows, of course, are important for insulation as well as appearance. If your windows aren't very energy efficient, it may be time to replace them. If shutters are not part of your homes aesthetic, contemplate obtaining some since this can seriously add individuality to your dwelling place, specifically if they are painted the greatest color.

Take in the front yard as well as the back. . Are they neat and inviting, or are they cluttered with toys, tools and random objects? The appearance of your yard or yards is a major factor when it comes to curb appeal. 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. Instill knowledge in your children to put away their playthings when they are done in the yard, provided they like to leave them lying around.

If you have a long walkway, or even a short one, it should look appealing to those passing by. Another possibility is to put plants on the walkway which is very appealing to those that appreciate nature. If you have the money, you might want to pave your driveway giving it that brand-new appearance. Aside from being appealing, the driveway should people a sense of security and spaciousness. In case you don't have the money to put in a new driveway, you might want to improve the surrounding area to make it look as if you have installed something new. And when visitors come, just make them feel at home especially when they arrive in the driveway.

Hopefully you can see how easy it is to provide almost instant curb appeal to your residence. The ability to change the way your house looks by adding a few diverse elements is really a miracle in regard to how fast it can be achieved. From your driveway, to your backyard, just enhance a few things here and there, and curb appeal will be yours.

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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