Driveway Installers

If you believe a driveway is right for your property, and you've got ample space to install one, you'll now need to decide what type of driveway you are going to construct. For various reasons, not every kind of driveway will be right for you, and there are naturally lots to pick from. Your choices may be to some degree limited if you happen to be sticking to a tight spending budget. The style and makeup of your driveway may additionally be influenced by the size and configuration of your property.

You might just presume "a driveway is a driveway", but that's simply not the truth, since there are various different types and designs of driveway, and if you were to take a stroll around, you will realise what I mean. There is a fair chance 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 suited to your garden area, you should be able to pick from 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 may presume that council planning permission is only necessary for large assignments like loft conversions and extensions, but that's not automatically true. There is in fact legislation addressing the installation of driveways, and these are nationally binding rules, not simply local. You will only have to be concerned with these regulations if you're installing a driveway in the front garden of your home. The legislation that is currently in force stem from a government act of 2008 - the SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System).

Driveways being built in front gardens that have an area of more than 5m² are impacted by the SuDS regulations. For your driveway to be SuDS compliant it must be made from a permeable (porous) material which allows the rainwater to drain through it. Materials that comply with SuDS include: gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock. You are able to view the SuDS legislation here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

To some homeowners, laying a driveway may appear to be a fairly straightforward undertaking, and for anybody who is good at DIY, it's by no means impossible. However no-one should think of this as an easy process, seeing as there's a great deal of groundwork involved as well as actually laying the driveway, including doing waste removal, excavating and manhandling materials. In most instances it is wiser to hire a specialist driveway contractor, who'll have all the manpower, knowledge and equipment to carry out the task properly.

Due to the nature of this sort of project, it is not necessarily that easy to identify reliable tradesman who can be guaranteed to do a good job. It is wise to be on the lookout for cowboys and rogue traders who are renowned for doing this kind of work, and can can soon catch you out if you aren't careful. It is well worth forking out a bit more money to get a decent job done, instead of taking a chance with a low quality worker just to save yourself a few quid. If a local driveway installer has been advertising and working in the area for quite a few years, you can generally take it that they will be reasonably reliable, and a decent choice for your project.

When vetting installers for your driveway project, 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 such relevant information should give you a sense of the kind of person that you are going to be working with, but it doesn't have to be an inquisition. You can safely consider that they're reliable, if they're relaxed about answering all of these questions. If they appear to be hostile or uncertain when asked these kinds of questions, you can presume that they're hiding something or being less than truthful - so steer well clear.

Choosing a first rate tradesperson is vital, as if you manage to get hold of a reputable driveway installer, they will not just do an excellent job, but also give you advice about the most suitable location, style and materials for your driveway. Before any real work starts your driveway expert will make sure that all the required preparation, design and planning work is in hand.

Gravel Driveways

The simplest and least expensive of all the styles is the standard gravel driveway. In a rural location, gravel driveways are especially favoured and can be extremely attractive despite their simplicity. Seeing that there's such an array of gravel colours and sizes, you shouldn't have any difficulties locating one that you're satisfied with. A efficient gravel driveway will require a clearly-defined and sturdy edging, and a good solid layer of hardcore. If you put down 3 or 4 separate layers of stones, each individual one rolled and tamped and left to settle down, you'll get the very best gravel driveway. You'll not need to apply for planning permission with a gravel driveway, since it will be SuDS compliant regardless of how large it is, or if it's in your back or front garden.

Asphalt Driveways

Any home or property in will benefit from the curb appeal of the smooth, continuous appearance of a newly installed asphalt driveway. When installed by a reputable contractor, an asphalt driveway will provide years of reliable service with virtually no maintenance. If your local council imposes restrictions that bar non-porous materials being used, in order to stop local flooding, a special porous asphalt substrate enables rain to soak into a sub-base.

Asphalt driveways are smartly designed to hold up against anything that winters can chuck at them, and offer exceptional value. Due to how asphalt is produced, it is also cheap and easy to repair, maintain and if required, remove. Actually, asphalt can be recycled for use elsewhere, and can this be called the most eco-friendly of hard driveway materials.

Block Paved Driveways

Block-paving driveways are among the most popular designs in right now, and dozens of these have emerged over the last few years. Forming a hard-wearing, sturdy driveway, many hundreds of specially designed block paving bricks are butted together in eye-catching and sometimes intricate patterns that can be customized to your own specifications. When the blocks are laid and firmly tamped down, the gaps are filled up with kiln-dried sand which is then rigorously brushed into the exposed joints. After 4 or 5 months it might be a good idea to have your block paving driveway sealed with a premium quality sealant (like Thompson's), this helps to stop weed growth. Block paving can be made very attractive and can be laid numerous designs, including fan, basket weave, herringbone and stretcher bond.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Block paving driveways can even be made compliant with SuDS, by leaving bigger than normal gaps between the blockwork, which can then be packed with very fine shingle in place of the usual kiln-dried sand.

Natural Stone Driveways

The features of natural stone means it only improves as it ages. Going with natural stone for your driveway will provide you with a lifetime of serviceable use for any car or vehicle and will stay looking great from day 1 to year 50. Owing to the unique depth of tone and colours in the stone, you'll end up with a driveway that's bespoke to your property. It gives that WOW factor and curb appeal that every property owner craves.

A natural stone driveway is also a lot easier to maintain, and is less prone to weather damage than concrete based materials. They are a lot easier to clean, and with smaller gaps between the stones there is less possibility of weeds and seeds germinating on your drive. You should class an expertly prepared and laid natural stone driveway as an investment on your home's overall value.

Driveway Cleaning

If your home already has a drive, and you are considering replacing it because it's starting to look shabby - why not give it a clean instead? The process of cleaning a driveway, is one of those things that the majority of property owners put off, or ignore entirely. Nevertheless, for both maintenance and aesthetic purposes, cleaning a driveway on a fairly regular basis is crucial. With time, your driveway's structure can be damaged by roots, weeds and other destructive plant growth. If your drive has existing holes and cracks, these can easily be enlarged which might eventually trigger structural issues.

It is better to remove weeds, stains or dirt from your drive the instant you notice them. It isn't the best option to wait for the spring and summertime to arrive to cleanse your drive, even though that is the period when you're most likely to notice moss and weeds. Oil, diesel and brake fluid stains from your car can ruin the look of your drive. Therefore it's essential to promptly get them cleaned to avoid your driveway's surface being stained too badly.

If you are cleaning your own driveway, you'll require the use of a jet washing device, and to accomplish it correctly you will also need some other tools and equipment, for example a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. If you don't have the right equipment, or are not confident in cleaning it yourself, you should call on a specialist driveway cleaning service, or ask your driveway company if they do it.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a much loved type of surface for driveways on account of its strength and durability. It needs very little maintenance, looks great and is weatherproof, when laid professionally. The durability of a tarmac driveway means it can withstand daily wear and tear from heavier and larger vehicles, such as motor-homes, with no ridges or damage being inflicted on the surface.

Tarmac is also excellent value and is available in a variety of colours to match your property and surrounding areas. Tarmac allows you to go beyond a traditional black surface and have it coloured to complement your house. A tarmac drive is also one of the simplest to lay, and many driveway projects are completed in a day. Tarmac is truly an ideal material for almost any driveway, due to its durability, maintenance free properties and ease of installation.

Resin-Bound Driveways

Among the most attractive and flexible types of driveway that are available at this time, resin or resin-bound driveways are becoming more and more favoured and are also SuDS compliant, if that's what you're interested in. Resin driveways come in a whole host of patterns and colours that can be tailor-made to your exact requirements. For quicker, and simpler installation resin driveways can be laid on top of a pre-existing concrete or tarmac base with far less hassle and mess. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and the perfect alternative to gravel, asphalt, concrete or block paving. When laid by a trusted installer, a resin-bound driveway will come with an extended guarantee and give you years of excellent service. (Tags: Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways, Resin Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

Ideal for driveways, and a much favoured material for years, concrete has the advantage of being durable, strong and relatively maintenance-free. An easy choice for many people, concrete costs less than resin or block paving, but if laid properly is stronger. For many homeowners, the negative aspect of concrete is its rather uninspiring and drab appearance, but this can easily be resolved by adding a stamped or patterned finish.

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.

Make An Outstanding Impression - Wonderful Home Curb Appeal Ideas Revealed

There are countless ways to give your home more curb appeal when you start giving the matter some thought. Several abode owners mistakenly believe that the above isn't a big deal, since it is regarding issues that are frivolous. However, these seemingly minor characteristics can be extremely significant assuming you hope to sell your abode, or basically just hope to make it more inviting and beautiful. When the outside of your home looks attractive, it conveys that you are an owner who is diligent and attentive.

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 might seem like the thing to start with, but you may want to reconsider. If you like the color of your home's exterior and the paint isn't too old or chipped, you might want to consider power washing it. As effortless as pressure washing us, it can certainly save you a bundle of money and your house appearance will shine. You may not even realize how much dirt has accumulated since your home was last washed or painted. You have the option to rent a power washer to do the job or you can pay someone to do it for you. You need to be meticulous and not leave any washable service untouched.

To improve your curb appeal, you might also want to make your home look appealing and inviting. It is important that this coincides with your tastes and that you do not spend too much money in doing this outside redecoration. Your house should call out to people visually, which means you ought to have plants, flowers, and a few ferns to improve its external visual appeal. Find a convenient spot that you are okay with to put each of your plants so that everyone can see it and be impressed. Wicker furniture, even wrought iron outdoor chairs and tables, will make the entire front of your home look very livable. You can add some additional lawn decorations, nonetheless, it is a good idea to only had a few.

If you have a lawn that needs a lot of work and which never seems to be worth the effort or expense you put into it, consider an alternative. People that lack the time and resources to tend to a lawn are looking for other landscaping ideas that require less work and effort. Green grass is very beautiful, but it is also a good idea to change up the look of your home by choosing landscaping that requires less upkeep. If you are looking for something low maintenance, with exceptional landscaping design, xeriscaping may be for you. It really doesn't matter where you live, xeriscaping will work in any climate or region.

The different ways to spruce up your home are endless. You might be considering remodeling a room in your home or fixing the floors; just remember the outside needs attention also. You should be well armed to at least make a start to capitalize on curb appeal; although if you take a stroll around your residence, you will surely find a lot of things you could do to improve.

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