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So, you've made a decision to to go ahead, but what type of driveway is going to be perfect for you? You will doubtless be aware already that there are lots of different types of driveway available and not all of these will appeal to you. If you're working to a strict budget your choices may be to some degree limited. Your decision may also be impacted by the size and configuration of your property.

You might say "a driveway is just a driveway", however that simply isn't true, as there are lots of different designs and styles of driveway, and if you take a wander around, you'll 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 various forms, yet this should give you a concept 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?

Although you may think that you're allowed to stick a driveway wherever you like on your land, this is not necessarily true. The legislation that cover driveways aren't just laid down by the local authority, but are actually enforced by government law. At the present time these only affect FRONT gardens. The law that we're referring to here is the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), which was brought in by the UK government in 2008.

If you're planning a driveway having an area of more than 5m² and it is in your front garden, you will likely be affected by these SuDS legislation. This requires that your drive is made from gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, so that excess water can readily soak away safely. You are able to have a look at the SuDS legislation here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

Property owners who are not fazed by a bit of hard work and are reasonably good at DIY, may be tempted to install a driveway on their own. However, do not be deceived, there is a lot of hard work associated with laying a driveway, especially the preparation work, which includes carrying heavy materials, excavation and waste removal. In most instances it is more sensible to contact an experienced driveway contractor, who will come armed with all the equipment, knowledge and manpower to accomplish the task correctly.

With this sort of project, you've got to be careful about who you employ, as you obviously need somebody who knows what they're doing. Rogue traders and cowboys are regularly lurking in the area, their standard of workmanship will be second-rate and some can even take your cash and do a runner without completing any work at all. It is well worth spending a bit more cash to get a proper job done, instead of taking a risk with a second-rate worker merely to save yourself a couple of pounds. The smart choice will generally be a patio and driveway installer who's been been offering their services in and around your area for several years, and who has an outstanding track record locally.

When you are sifting through potential installers 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).

There's no need to go overboard with this questioning, but just ask enough to get a reasonable impression of the type of person you're dealing with, so that you are able to make a well informed choice of tradesman. It is safe to assume they're honest and genuine if they are perfectly glad to answer all of these questions and talk about your worries. If questions of this sort invoke a hostile or hesitant response, then you should be skeptical of their integrity, and perhaps look at some alternative providers.

Picking a decent tradesperson is crucial, because should you manage to find yourself a capable driveway contractor, they won't only do an excellent job, but will also give you advice and guidance about the best style, location and materials for your new driveway. They'll also help you with all the preparation, planning and design, so everything is taken care of prior to any actual work commencing on your driveway.

Gravel Driveways

The most economical and easiest of all the driveway methods is the gravel driveway. Gravel driveways are especially effective in a rural location, and despite their simplicity they can be particularly attractive. Gravel can be acquired in a variety of shades and sizes, so you should have no trouble locating one that looks amazing in your garden. A good solid base of hardcore is essential for a gravel drive to be efficient, coupled with a well-bedded edging. If you would like a really good quality gravel driveway, you should make sure that three or four separate layers are applied, with each and every one individually tamped and rolled and left to settle for a day or so before the next one is laid. You will not need planning permission with a gravel driveway, given that it will be SuDS compliant regardless of how big it is, or whether it is in your front or back garden. (Tags: Gravel Driveways, Shingle Driveways, Aggregate Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

An asphalt driveway, with its smooth, uninterrupted appearance offers immediate "curb appeal" to any property in. A professional driveway company in will supply you with an asphalt driveway which will give you years of good service, with minimal maintenance required. In flood risk areas it might be necessary to have a porous drive, and there is a type of asphalt sub-base for rainwater drainage, which prevents surplus water from filling highway drainage systems.

Asphalt driveways offer excellent value for money and asphalt is a durable, strong material that's designed to endure the freezing and thawing effects of a typical British winter. Due to how asphalt is manufactured, it is also easy and cheap to repair, maintain and if required, remove. It could be seen to be the most environmentally friendly of solid driveway surfaces since it's even possible to recycle an asphalt driveway for use in another project. (Tags: Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveways, Asphalt Driveway Recycling).

Block Paved Driveways

Dozens of driveways have sprung up in in recent years, created using the block-paving process, which can be extremely successful when carried out properly. These are created using hundreds of purpose-made block-paving bricks which are butted together to form eye-catching and sometimes intricate designs. As soon as the blocks are put down and firmly tamped down, the gaps are filled up with kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the exposed joints. It is advisable to have your block paving driveway sealed after five or six months with Everbuild sealant or something similar. This is important to stop weed growth. There are a number of patterns in which block paving is laid, including fan, herringbone, stretcher bond and basketweave.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: It's even possible to install a Compliant with SuDS block paved driveway in, if that's what you need. By leaving wider spaces between the bricks and packing them with a fine aggregate instead of the traditional kiln-dried sand, you are able to accomplish a porous paved surface that does not require planning permission. (Tags: Block Paving Driveways, Block Paving, Block Paved Driveways).

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone, as a driveway material, never loses its splendid appearance even as it grows older. The natural stone option will give you a robust, stable driveway, for any motor vehicle, and will look good for the foreseeable future. Owing to the distinctive colours and depth of tones in the stone, you will wind up with a driveway that is completely bespoke to your house. The natural stone gives a warm, soft look to any driveway, and is part of that valuable WOW factor.

Unlike some driveway alternatives, driveways made from natural stone are less at risk of being damaged and are much easier to maintain. They are a lot easier to clean, and with smaller gaps in between the stones there's less possibility of weeds and seeds germinating on your new driveway. You should think of a professionally prepared and laid stone driveway as an investment on your home's overall value.

Driveway Cleaning

If you have already got a driveway, but it is beginning to look a bit scruffy, you might manage to boost it's appearance by cleaning it. For a lot of property owners, keeping their driveway clean is not usually viewed as a priority. However, for both maintenance and aesthetic purposes, cleaning a driveway on a fairly regular basis is highly recommended. If weeds, roots and other unwanted plant growth are allowed to establish themselves, as time passes they can severely weaken your driveway's composition and structure. An enlargement of existing driveway crevices or cracks can happen, and structural problems can appear if such growth is not eliminated.

When you notice that your drive has stains, weed growth or dirt, it is recommended that you get rid of them before things get worse. Yet, most people hold out for the spring or summer months to jet wash their driveways, merely because moss and weeds are more noticeable during these times. Brake fluid, oil and diesel spills from your car can compromise the appeal of your driveway. You should remove these promptly, so that any a permanent staining of your driveway's surface is avoided.

You will need some tools and equipment such as a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent, in addition to a power washing device, so as to get your driveway totally clean. If you haven't got the proper equipment, or are not certain about doing it yourself, you could bring in a specialist driveway cleaning service, or ask your driveway installers if they do it.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a much favoured surface for driveways due to its durability and strength. When it is installed by a reliable driveway company, tarmac looks good, offers exceptional weatherproof properties and requires hardly any maintenance. Tarmac's durability and strength means it can handle larger and heavier vehicles, such as camper vans and vans, without damaging the surface.

If you want to colour tarmac, it is incredibly easy to do so, and it offers great value when compared with alternative driveway options. You can customise a tarmac drive to correspond to home, with a number of colours on offer. The installation of tarmac driveways is relatively easy and can often be accomplished by a skilled contractor in a day. This ease of installation, combined with its high strength and simple maintenance makes a tarmac driveway an ideal alternative for almost any home or property.

Resin-Bound Driveways

There is no doubt that in recent times resin or resin-bound driveways have become one of the most popular sorts of driveway. The added advantage that they're also SuDS compliant of course contributes to their attraction. Resin driveways come in an array of patterns and designs that can be customized to your exact requirements. For a lot less mess and hassle a new resin driveway can quickly be laid on top of a pre-existing tarmac or concrete surface. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and an effective alternative to gravel, block paving, tarmac or concrete. A resin-bound driveway will give you many years of good service, and when laid by an experienced installer, come with a long guarantee. (Tags: Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways, Resin Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

A very popular material for driveways, concrete is hard wearing, strong and needs very little maintenance. A straightforward choice for many folks, concrete can be considerably cheaper than resin or block paving, but if installed correctly is stronger and more durable. Nearly everybody would agree that concrete driveways in general are quite boring and drab. But this doesn't have to be a problem, given that it's possible to finish the surface off with a patterned or imprinted design.

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 Ways To Enhance Your Home's Curb Appeal

The curb appeal of your home is very important, especially when you're trying to increase its overall market value. This is simply how your home appears to anyone entering it or passing by. There are many reasons that people focus on curb appeal including showing off their home, trying to sell it, and, more simply, just wanting people to appreciate the house that they live in.

Typically, the first idea when mulling over a curb appeal update; is adding a fresh new look with a few coats of paint. This is often a good idea, but it may not be necessary. 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. You will be amazed at the difference it will make and it will be a lot easier on you pocketbook. You may not even realize how much dirt has accumulated since your home was last washed or painted. Power washers are available to rent at many stores and if you are unable to do it yourself, you can always hire the job out. Don't forget to hit every exterior on your property, including any decks, sheds or garage doors.

Take a good look at the exterior of your home and think about its colors. Even if you do like the existing color of the exterior of your home, it would actually be fun to conceptualize a completely different color and see how it looks in your mind. Now, once you have the new cover in mind, you might want to consider changing the color of other exterior things including your doors and shutters. You might also consider doing smaller changes such as adding decorations, plants, flowers - you might want to do this before repainting your house. Walk around the outside of your house, from front to back and consider how you could make better use of colors and what changes might make it more appealing.

Oftentimes, the consideration of replacing an existing green lawn with something that is much easier to care for will cross the minds of homeowners. Many homeowners are turning to landscaping that requires less water and maintenance than a traditional lawn. 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. Xeriscaping is a new type of landscaping that is very trendy which requires little work and is very environmentally sustainable. Even if you do not live in an area or region that is prone to droughts, you will definitely be impressed with xeriscaping on your property.

Multiple elements are possibly included in the appeal of your curb, as a result looking at your abode from every angle is a good thought. Construct a list of all things that need your attention, provided there are many, and then put them in order of greatest importance. Scheduling a time to take care of these is the next thing you want to do, even if you are going to pay someone to do the work or do it alone. The above suggestions for giving your home more curb appeal can get you started in the right direction, and perhaps help you come up with more ideas of your own.

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.

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