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If you've come to the conclusion that a driveway is just the thing for you, and you have plenty of space to install one, you'll now need to decide what kind of driveway you are going to choose. Driveways come in all sizes and styles and can be made out of numerous different materials, some might be more appealing than others. If you're on a strict budget you may be to some degree limited in your choices. Your final decision could also be affected by the dimensions and layout of your garden.

When wandering around you will likely have observed all the different types of driveway. There's a good chance that on your travels you will notice 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 garden area suits, you ought to be able to select 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 might believe that planning permission is only needed for large projects like extensions and loft conversions, but that isn't always true. Driveways are actually covered by a number of regulations and rules, and these are applicable on a national basis rather than just being locally binding. You'll only have to be concerned with these regulations if you're putting a driveway in your FRONT garden. Since 2008 driveway installations in Great Britain have to abide by the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), which was brought in by the government at the time.

The SuDS regulations apply to driveways in front gardens with an area of more than five square metres. For your driveway to be SuDS compliant it must be made from a porous (permeable) material which allows excess water to drain through it. SuDS compliant materials would include: gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock. Check here - Sustainable Drainage Systems - if you believe that the SuDS legislation may affect your planned driveway in TOWN.

To some people, building a driveway may seem to be a fairly straightforward task, and for somebody who is a good do-it-yourselfer, it's not at all implausible. With such a lot of hard work involved with driveways including doing waste removal, heavy digging and hauling materials, nobody should imagine that this is a simple undertaking. In most situations it would be much wiser to contact an established driveway contractor, who will have all the equipment, knowledge and manpower to carry out the task effectively.

Because of the nature of this sort of project, it is not always that simple to identify honest tradesman who you can be confident will do a proper job. The sad thing is, there are devious people around who'll make the most of your circumstances and pretend to be driveway "experts". They will either produce second-rate work, or just pocket your money and do a runner. Even if it means spending a bit more on the enterprise, you might as well get it done to a decent standard by a pro. If a local driveway paving company has been working in and around your area for a number of years, you can generally assume that they'll be fairly dependable, and a good choice for your assignment.

When screening tradesmen for your driveway project, you need 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 relevant information will give you a notion of the sort of tradesperson you are going to be dealing with, but it doesn't need to be the Spanish Inquisition. If they are relaxed about answering all your questions, you can safely consider that they are honest. You should give them a wide berth if they appear hesitant or confrontational when asked these types of questions, as it's likely they're less than honest or hiding something.

When you've found an experienced driveway contractor, you can have a chat about all the available driveway alternatives including the most appropriate style, location and materials. They'll also help you with all of the planning, design and preparation, so that all aspects is in hand prior to any actual physical work commencing on your driveway.

Gravel Driveways

The cheapest and simplest of all the styles is the gravel driveway. In spite of their simplicity gravel driveways can be an exceptionally attractive option, particularly in a rural setting. Gravel can be purchased in a host of colours and sizes, so you should have no trouble finding one that looks amazing in your garden. A good solid base of hardcore is essential for a gravel drive to be effective, in conjunction with a well-bedded edging. If you want to finish up with a really premium quality gravel driveway, you should make sure that three or four separate layers are applied, with each and every one individually rolled and left to settle for a day or two before the next one is laid. Regardless of what size your driveway is, or if it's in your back or front garden, if it is constructed from gravel it will not need planning permission, as it will be SuDS compliant. (Tags: Gravel Driveways, Aggregate Driveways, Shingle Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

Any property or home in will gain benefits from the "curb appeal" of the smooth, uninterrupted appearance of a newly installed asphalt driveway. When installed by a skilled company, an asphalt driveway will provide many years of trouble free use with very little maintenance. In flood risk areas it might be required to have a porous drive, and there's an asphalt type, with sub-layer for rain run-off, which prevents excess water from filling road drains.

Asphalt can easily withstand the freezing and thawing impact of TOWN winters, and is exceptional value in comparison to certain other driveway options. Because of how asphalt is made, it is also easy and cheap to maintain, repair and if required, remove. If you're worried about the ecological impact of your driveway installation in, you might be interested to know that asphalt can even be lifted and recycled for other uses.

Block Paved Driveways

Block-paved driveways are among the most favoured styles in at the moment, and dozens of these seem to have emerged in recent years. These are built using purpose-made block-paving bricks which butt together forming eye-catching and sometimes intricate designs. Once the blocks have been laid and tamped down, the gaps are filled up with kiln-dried sand which is brushed into the exposed joints. It is preferable to have your block-paved driveway sealed after 4 or 5 months with Thompsons sealant or similar. This is crucial to stop weed growth. Block paving can be made very attractive and can be laid various different designs, including herringbone, basket weave, fan and stretcher bond.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: It is also possible to build a SuDS compliant block paving driveway in, if that's what you require. By simply leaving bigger spaces between the blockwork and filling them with fine aggregate rather than the traditional kiln-dried sand, you are able to create a permeable paved surface that doesn't call for planning permission.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is a driveway surface that never loses its wonderful appearance even as it ages. The natural stone option will give you a stable, strong driveway, for any motor vehicle, and will look good for many years to come. Owing to the individual colours and depth of tones of the stone, you will wind up with a driveway that's totally bespoke to your house. The natural stone gives a warm, soft look to any driveway, and provides that valuable curb appeal.

Driveways made from natural stone don't just look stunning, but they are virtually maintenance-free and less vulnerable to damage than some alternatives. The narrower joints in between the stones means that there is less potential for unwanted weed growth, and the smooth, hard surface is a lot easier to clean. You should look at an expertly installed stone driveway as an investment on your property's overall value.

Driveway Cleaning

If your home has already got a driveway, and you're considering changing it because it's looking shabby - why not give it a deep clean instead? For the majority of property owners, maintaining the cleanliness of their driveway is not always regarded as a priority. However, cleaning a driveway is important from both an aesthetic and maintenance viewpoint, and this should really be carried out fairly regularly. Unwanted weeds and other plant growth can damage your driveway's structure over time. If there are existing holes and cracks, these can be enlarged which could ultimately trigger structural issues.

It's advisable to remove stains, weeds or dirt from your drive as soon as you discover them. Although, the spring and summertime is when you are most likely to notice the appearance of weeds and moss, you shouldn't wait till them to jet wash your drive. Oil, petrol and brake fluid spots from your vehicle can ruin the look of your driveway. It is therefore essential to clean them off promptly to prevent a permanent discolouration of your driveway's surface.

You will need a few tools such as a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent, in addition to a jet washing machine, so as to get your driveway thoroughly clean. If you're not clear about cleaning it yourself, or don't have the proper gear, you can ask your driveway installers if they are willing to do this, or bring in a specialist driveway cleaning service.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a much loved driveway surface because of its durability and strength. When laid by a proficient driveway contractor it is weatherproof, looks terrific and requires little maintenance. Tarmac driveways are able to cope with larger vehicles, like carvans and camper vans, without damage to the surface or dimpling, and will look pristine for many years to come.

If want a coloured tarmac, that's also possible, and it offers great value for money when compared with alternative types of driveway. Tarmac permits you to move away from a traditional black surface and have it coloured to complement your house. It's possible for a competent driveway company to put in a brand new tarmac driveway in a day. This simplicity of installation, coupled with its high strength and simple maintenance makes a tarmac driveway an ideal choice for just about any property.

Resin Driveways

One of the most frequently seen styles of driveway recently, resin or resin-bound driveways are porous (permeable) and SuDS compliant. Resin driveways can be installed in a whole host of colours and designs that can be custom-made to your specifications. For much less hassle and mess a new resin driveway can quickly be laid over a pre-existing concrete or asphalt surface. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a brilliant alternative to asphalt, concrete, gravel or block paving. Usually coming with a long guarantee when installed by a trustworthy professional, a resin driveway should give you excellent service for years to come. (Tags: Resin Driveways, Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

Ideal for building driveways, and a much favoured material for many years, concrete has got the advantage of being strong, hard wearing and largely maintenance-free. An automatic choice for many householders, concrete is less expensive than block paving or resin, but if laid correctly is stronger and more durable. For many homeowners, the downside of concrete is its rather boring and drab appearance, but this can be resolved by adding a patterned or imprinted 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.

How To Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is a phrase that real estate people will use when they are considering the points that could use improvement for a home that may be listed for sale. 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. Frequently these will not be major fixes, but will add tremendously to the general look of the home. We'll be covering a few simple ways to give your home better curb appeal in this article.

Painting is usually what comes to mind when you start wondering what you can do to modernize your curb appeal. Painting is a great tactic, but before you run out and buy new paint; check into other alternatives. Take a close look at the paint, and if it is not too weathered looking or chipping away, and you do not mind the color; you could always get a power washer and give it a thorough cleaning. As effortless as pressure washing us, it can certainly save you a bundle of money and your house appearance will shine. You hardly realize the collection of dirt and residue that encrusts your home overtime. You can hire someone to power wash your home or you can rent a power washer for a day. Don't forget to hit every exterior on your property, including any decks, sheds or garage doors.

You should also consider making the outside of your home seem more decorative and festive. Spending lots of money on this project really is unnecessary; the main thing you want to consider is what you actually want to do. You might want to add potted plants on the front porch, as well as the back porch, so that you can make the outside look environment friendly. You can also hang these plants from convenient hooks, or just place them on the railing for all to see. Wicker furniture, even wrought iron outdoor chairs and tables, will make the entire front of your home look very livable. Lawn decorations are another option, but you shouldn't go too far with this.

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. Landscaping alternatives that require less water and maintenance are now becoming more popular replacing the staple green lawn. Instead of watering your grass, and mowing your lawn, you could replace it with something that doesn't take up all your time. An environmentally sustainable landscaping idea that you should consider is called xeriscaping. This is especially appropriate in areas that are prone to droughts, but you can use the principles of xeriscaping anywhere that you live.

Many components can be involved in curb appeal, therefore it is wise to think about every angle of your residence. Assuming there are a ton of issues that require you to take care of them, produce a checklist followed by a prioritization of them. 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.

Driveways Around Town: Some streets served by driveway pavers: Bowden, The Laurels, Carvoran Way, Blean Road, Shelden Drive, Scott Avenue, Twyford Close, Toronto Road, Standen Close, Bay Villas, Boughton Close, Tanker Hill, Springvale, School Road, Silverdale Drive, Campion Close, Cloverfields, Christmas Street, Conrad Close, Chichester Close, Castlemaine Avenue, Chartwell Court, Stirling Close, Culpepper Road, The Old Orchard, Callams Close, Scotchy Hill, Church Street, Beaconsfield Avenue, Silton Road. These areas recently saw activity by contractors laying driveways. Local homeowners enjoyed dependable and high quality driveway services.

Resin Driveways - Gravel Driveways - Residential Driveway Installation - Cheap Driveways - Concrete Driveways - Commercial Driveway Installation - Driveway Pavers - Driveway Services - Tarmac Driveways