Driveway Installers

If you do elect to press ahead with your driveway installation the next task will be to determine what type of driveway you prefer. You will no doubt already be aware that there are a whole host of different driveway solutions available and not all of these will necessarily appeal to you. If you're on a tight budget you could be to some degree limited in your choices. Other considerations that may have an impact on your choice will be the size and configuration of your garden, and precisely how the driveway is going to sit with the aesthetics of your property.

There are lots of different designs and styles of driveway, as you'll probably have noticed when walking around. Depending on the layout and geography of your garden you can pick 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.

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 mandatory for loft conversions, extensions and other equally large undertakings, but this is not necessarily the case. The regulations that address driveways are not only set by the local council, but are in fact imposed by government guidelines. These regulations only apply to front gardens at this moment. This legislation, which is known as the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) has been in force since 2008, when it was first brought in.

Driveways being installed in front gardens which have an area of over 5 square metres are covered by the SuDS regulations. You won't have to worry about this if you build your driveway from a permeable (porous) substance such as gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, which will allow the rainwater to pass through and subsequently drain away. You'll be able to find out more about the SuDS legislation here - SuDS

Homeowners who relish a bit of hard work and are fairly good at do-it-yourself, may be tempted to lay a driveway on their own. But nobody should think of this as a simple task, given that there is a whole lot of preparation work involved besides actually laying the driveway, including hauling materials, excavating and doing waste removal. If you're in any doubt about your ability to handle a project such as this, it might be a good idea to call in an established driveway contractor instead.

Honest tradesmen are sometimes not that easy to find in relation to conducting this type of project, therefore you need to be mindful in choosing the right person or company. Cowboys and rogue traders are frequently taking advantage of people in the area, their workmanship will be poor quality and some of them can even take your cash and do a "runner" without accomplishing any work at all. If you want your driveway to endure, and to look good for many years to come, you may just as well have it done to a decent standard and by somebody with experience. The best choice will usually be a driveway and patio paver who's been been offering their services in and around your area for a good few years, and who has a fine reputation locally.

When you are sorting through prospective companies to lay your driveway you must 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).

There's no need to get carried away with this questioning, but just ask enough to get a decent sense of the sort of company you are considering, so you can make an informed choice of tradesman. You can safely assume that they are for the most part genuine, if they are relaxed about answering all your questions. You should avoid them like the plague if they are confrontational or uncertain when asked these sorts of questions, since it's likely that they are hiding something or being less than honest.

Identifying a first rate tradesman is crucial, because should you manage to find yourself a reputable driveway installer, they will not just do a good job, but also give you guidance on the best materials, location and style for your driveway. Before any actual work begins your driveway paver will make sure that all the necessary preparation, planning and design work is taken care of.

Gravel Driveways

When looking at the various types of driveway you may decide to opt for the standard cheapest and simplest, which is gravel. In spite of their inherent simplicity gravel driveways can be a really attractive solution, particularly in a rural setting. You should have no trouble finding a kind of gravel that looks great in your garden, since there are a host of sizes and colours to choose from. A successful gravel driveway will need a clearly-defined and sturdy edging, and a good robust layer of hardcore. If you apply three or four separate layers of shingle, each one tamped and left to settle down, you will get the best quality gravel driveway. Irrespective of what size your driveway is, or whether it is in your back or front garden, if it's constructed from gravel it will not require planning permission, because it will automatically be SuDS compliant. (Tags: Aggregate Driveways, Gravel Driveways, Shingle Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

Any home or property in will gain benefits from the "curb appeal" of the smooth, consistent appearance of a newly installed asphalt driveway. When laid by an experienced contractor, an asphalt driveway will provide years of trouble free service with very little maintenance. You can even install permeable asphalt options so that rainwater is allowed to drain away into a sub-grade reservoir, rather than run off into highway drains, which are known to cause localised flood risks.

Asphalt driveways offer exceptional value for money and asphalt is a durable, strong material that is perfect for enduring the freezing and thawing effects of a British winter. Asphalt is easily and cheaply maintained and repaired, and isn't too difficult to remove if circumstances change in the future. In fact, asphalt can even be recycled for use elsewhere, and can this be called the most eco-friendly of the hard driveway products. (Tags: Asphalt Driveways, Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveway Recycling).

Block Paving Driveways

Dozens of driveways have sprung up in over the last few years, created using the block-paved technique, which can be extremely successful when done properly. Forming attractive and elaborate designs, hundreds of specially designed block paving bricks are butted together to create a hard wearing and durable driveway. When the blocks have been laid and firmly tamped down, the gaps are filled up with kiln-dried sand which is then brushed into the exposed joints. After five or six months it might be a good idea to have your block paving driveway sealed with a premium quality sealant (like Everbuild), this should help to stop weed growth. Block paving can be made very attractive and can be laid a variety of different designs, including basketweave, herringbone, fan and stretcher bond.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: It's even possible to build a To comply with SuDS block paving driveway in, if that is what you need. By leaving bigger spaces between the blockwork and filling them with a very fine aggregate rather than the traditional kiln-dried sand, you can achieve a permeable paved surface that doesn't call for planning permission. (Tags: Block Paving Driveway, Block Paved Driveways, Block Paving).

Natural Stone Driveways

The characteristics of natural stone means that it continually improves as it ages. Looking amazing from the first day until fifty years down the line, a natural stone driveway will provide you with a whole lifetime of serviceable use for any motor vehicle. The natural colouring and depth of tone gives a quintessential appearance to a stone driveway, and delivers a bespoke and individual look to any home. It offers that that vital curb appeal and WOW factor that every homeowner yearns for.

Driveways made from natural stone don't just look attractive, but they're easy to maintain and less at risk of damage than some driveway alternatives. The smooth surface of the stones means that they are simple to keep clean, and weeds find it harder to sprout up in the narrower gaps of a natural stone driveway. You should think of a properly installed natural stone driveway as an investment towards your home's overall value.

Driveway Cleaning

If you're planning to upgrade an existing driveway since your current one is starting to look tatty, it would be significantly less costly to clean it rather than rebuild it. For the majority of folks, it's not usually a priority to keep their driveway clean. Nevertheless, cleaning a driveway is important from both a maintenance and cosmetic viewpoint, and this should really be conducted fairly regularly. Your driveway's structure can be severely weakened as time passes, by unwanted weeds and other plant growth. Existing cracks and fractures can be enlarged which may ultimately trigger structural problems in your driveway.

It's recommended that you remove weed growth, stains or dirt from your driveway as soon as you notice them. Although, the spring and summer months is when you're most likely to notice the appearance of weeds and moss, you ought not wait till them to jet wash your drive. Spillages from your vehicle such as oil, brake fluid and diesel can compromise the attractiveness of your driveway. Thus it is crucial to quickly clean them off to prevent the surface being stained too seriously.

To clean your driveway thoroughly you'll need the use of a jet washing machine, and additionally you will need some other tools, for example a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. A specialist driveway cleaning service will be necessary if you don't have the right equipment, or are not certain about doing it yourself. You might even find that your driveway installers will be willing to provide this sort of service.

Tarmac Driveways

On account of its strength and durability, tarmac is a really good choice for the surface of a driveway. When laid professionally it looks amazing, offers superb weather resistant properties and requires little or no maintenance. Tarmac driveways are able to contend with larger vehicles, such as motor-homes, without dimpling or damage to the surface, and should remain looking pristine for many years to come.

If you wish to colour tarmac, it is incredibly easy to do so, and it offers great value in comparison to other types of driveway. No longer do you need a boring, conventional looking driveway; it is possible to customise your drive to a colour of your choice. The installation of a tarmac driveway is reasonably easy and can frequently be achieved by an experienced driveway contractor in a day. This simplicity of installation, in conjunction with its high strength and simple maintenance makes a tarmac driveway a good alternative for almost any property or home.

Resin Driveways

There's no doubt that in recent times resin-bound driveways have become one of the most favoured forms of driveway. The fact that they're also compliant with SuDS of course further increases their attraction. Resin-bound driveways come in a wide variety of patterns and colours that can be tailor-made to your exact specifications. For a lot less hassle and mess a new resin driveway could be easily laid on top of an existing asphalt or concrete surface. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a perfect substitute for gravel, concrete, block paving or asphalt. A resin driveway should give years of excellent service, and when laid by an experienced installer, come with a long warranty. (Tags: Resin Driveways, Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

Durable, strong and requiring little maintenance, concrete is an excellent material for building driveways. Being more costly that asphalt or gravel, but significantly cheaper than some other options (i.e. resin or block paving), concrete is a straightforward choice for many property owners. Most would agree that concrete driveways in general are rather uninspiring and drab. Yet this doesn't have to be the case, seeing that it's possible to finish off the surface 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.

Great Techniques for a Great Curb Appearance for Your Home

One has to center their attention on their homes curb appeal if they want to have their dwelling place look as nice as possible. While this is especially crucial when you're showing your home to prospective buyers, it's something you should pay attention to whether you're selling your home or not. 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.

If you have a front lawn on your home, curb appeal will definitely begin there. Lawns that are small or simple to take care of, whereas larger lawns take quite a bit of energy and focus. Every lawn, regardless of the size, needs to look cared for and neat so that the curb appeal will be very high. This includes watering it regularly and making sure that the weeds do not overrun the grass. Your lawn needs to look uniform all the way across without barren spots (if there are any, add sod quickly so it can grow!). You might have to hire a landscaper that can detail your lawn each and every week to make sure that it stays green and looks in vogue. You might have additional things to tend to including shrubbery and trees on the property.

Examine the outside of your home and think about what colors would look best. If you're thinking about giving it a paint job, try to come up with the color that will be most flattering, which may not be the same color it presently is. Aside from the house itself, you may want to use different colors for certain spots, such as your front door, shutters, the deck or any other structures on your property. You can also make use of color when it comes to any plants or flowers in your front or back yard, along with any decorations you may have. You need to go with little further and completely visualize how all of these changes will look from your perspective and the perspective of others visiting your home.

Rather than painting the exterior of your home, you may want to consider putting new siding on it. It is possible to give your house a whole new look with this, and there are a lot of options available. The insulation can be made better with this as well as the home values increasing. Another potential is stucco or stone veneer, as this can give the more customary appearance of a stucco or stone abode but not bring about the same cost as the real materials. Provided one wants to think about siding that is new, or something similar to stone veneer for the outside of their dwelling, they ought to study all of the various choices and make the decision about what appeals to them the most.

Many components can be involved in curb appeal, therefore it is wise to think about every angle of your residence. Construct a list of all things that need your attention, provided there are many, and then put them in order of greatest importance. Then create a schedule for taking care of these issues, whether you're going to do the work yourself or hire someone. The above-mentioned tips for creating an enhanced curb could point you in the correct way, and maybe aid you in coming up with your own plans.

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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