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If you believe a driveway is right for you, and you've got adequate space to put one, you'll now have to determine what kind of driveway you're going to build. You'll no doubt already be aware that there are many different kinds of driveway available and not all of these will necessarily interest you. If you don't have a lot of money to spend on this project, your style and material options may be limited to what you can comfortably afford. The dimensions and layout of your property's garden may also affect your final decision.

There are various different types and designs of driveway, as you'll doubtless have observed while walking around. You will 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 different forms, however this should still give you an outline of some of the possible alternatives.

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 might presume that you can just plonk a driveway wherever you like on your property, this is not automatically the case. The legislation that cover driveways are not only administered by the local authority, but are actually enforced by government guidelines. You will only need to bother about these rules if you're putting a driveway in your FRONT garden. The regulations that are currently in force come from a government act of 2008 - the SuDS (Sustainable Drainage System).

Driveways being built in front gardens which have an area of more than 5 square metres are covered by the SuDS legislation. This demands that your driveway is built from gravel, permeable concrete, porous tarmac, resin, or grass monoblock, so that surface water is able to soak away safely. If you reckon that the SuDS regulations might affect your new driveway in TOWN, you can get detailed information by clicking here - SuDS

Property owners who don't have an issue with a bit of hard graft and are good at do-it-yourself, may be tempted to build a driveway on their own. But don't imagine that this is a simple task by any means, as apart from actually laying the driveway there is a lot of heavy digging, waste removal and carting materials required during this type of endeavour. If you are in any doubt about doing this, it might be wise to call in an experienced driveway specialist to carry out the work for you.

With driveway contractors, like with a number of other building related occupations, you've got to be careful about who you hire to let loose on your property. You'll want to be on the lookout for rogue traders and cowboys who are well known for doing this sort of work, and can can soon catch you out if you aren't careful. It's well worth shelling out a bit more cash to get a decent job, instead of taking a chance with a low quality worker purely to save yourself a few pounds. It would be wise to search for locally based driveway pavers and landscape gardeners who have been offering their services in the area for the past few years.

When searching for suitable paving contractors, it is 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).

This doesn't have to be an inquisition, however asking these relevant questions should give you an inkling of the type of person that you are potentially going to work with. You can consider that they are for the most part trustworthy, if they are glad to answer all of your questions. You can deem that they are hiding something or being less than honest if they act in a hostile or hesitant way when asked these kinds of questions. If that occurs you'd be smart to steer clear and try a different tradesman.

When you have located an experienced driveway contractor, you can have a discussion about all of the available driveway alternatives including the best style, materials and location. And that's not the end of it, because they will also take care of all the preparation, design and planning that's required for your new driveway.

Gravel Driveways

Of all the driveway styles, the gravel driveway is the simplest and most economical. Regardless of their inherent simplicity gravel driveways can be an extremely eye-catching solution, especially in a rural setting. You should not have any problem finding a kind of gravel that looks amazing in your garden, given that there are a variety of shades and sizes available. A effective gravel driveway will need a clearly-defined and sturdy edging, and a good solid layer of hardcore. If you are looking for a really good quality gravel driveway, you should make sure that three or four separate layers are applied, with each one individually tamped and rolled and left to settle for a couple of days before the next is laid. No matter what size your driveway is, or whether it is in your front or back garden, if it's made from gravel it will not require planning permission, since it will be SuDS compliant. (Tags: Aggregate Driveways, Gravel Driveways, Shingle Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

When you are looking for that extra touch of 'curb appeal' for your property in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth consistent surface, is an ideal choice. When put in by a competent company, an asphalt driveway will give you years of reliable service with minimal maintenance. In high flood risk areas it may be necessary to have a permeable drive, and there's a type of asphalt sub-layer for rainwater drainage, which stops excess water from over-filling highway drains.

Asphalt driveways offer excellent value and asphalt is a durable, strong material that is designed to withstand the freezing and thawing effects of a typical British winter. Asphalt is cheap and easy to maintain and repair, and can be removed should circumstances change in the future. If you are concerned about the environmental impact of your driveway installation in, you might be interested to know that asphalt can even be lifted and recycled for re-use elsewhere. (Tags: Asphalt Driveways, Asphalt Driveway Recycling, Asphalt Driveway).

Block Paving Driveways

Over the past few years scores of driveways in have sprung up constructed using the block-paving method. Forming attractive and sometimes elaborate patterns, hundreds of specially designed block paving bricks are butted together to create a hard-wearing, robust driveway. After the blocks have been laid, they're tamped down firmly, and special kiln-dried sand is rigorously brushed into the exposed joints. To get the longest life and best performance out of your new block-paved driveway, you need to get it professionally sealed after 5 or 6 months to stop weed growth. Block paving can be laid in a lot of designs, including herringbone, fan, stretcher bond and basket weave.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Block paved driveways can even be made SuDS compliant, by simply leaving bigger than standard spaces between the blockwork, which can then be packed with a fine shingle as opposed to the traditional kiln-dried sand. (Tags: Block Paving, Block Paved Driveways, Block Paving Driveway).

Natural Stone Driveways

The characteristics of natural stone means that it only improves as it ages. The natural stone option will provide you with a strong and stable driveway, for any motor vehicle, and will look great for years to come. Because of the distinctive depth of tone and colours in the stone, you will have a driveway that's completely bespoke to your house. When expertly installed, a natural stone driveway has that much desired wow factor that complements any property.

Driveways made from natural stone not only look fantastic, but they're low maintenance and less at risk of being damaged than concrete alternatives. They are much easier to clean, and with smaller gaps in between the stones there's significantly less chance of weed and seed germination on your drive. You must class an expertly laid natural stone driveway as an investment towards your home's overall value.

Driveway Cleaning

If you're planning to replace an existing driveway as your old one is looking shabby, it will be substantially cheaper to clean it rather than rebuild it. Keeping a driveway clean isn't a top priority for a lot of property owners. Yet, cleaning a driveway is a procedure that ought to be undertaken on a fairly regular basis, and is vital from both an aesthetic and maintenance perspective. Weeds and pernicious plant growth can damage your driveway's structure with time. Existing crevices and cracks can be enlarged which could ultimately lead to structural complications in your driveway.

It's better to remove stains, weeds or dirt from your driveway as soon as you notice them. However, the spring and summer season is when you most notice the appearance of moss and weeds, you ought not wait until them to clean your drive. Stains from your vehicle such as oil, diesel and brake fluid can spoil the look of your drive. Therefore it's important to get them cleaned quickly to prevent a permanent discolouration of your driveway's surface.

To get your driveway properly clean you'll require the use of a pressure washing machine, and you'll also need some other tools, such as a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. If you haven't got the correct gear, or aren't confident in cleaning it yourself, you could call on a specialist driveway cleaning service, or ask your driveway installers if they do it.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a much loved driveway surface because of its durability and strength. When laid by a reliable driveway company it is weather resistant, looks superb and requires little maintenance. A tarmac driveway can cope with larger vehicles, like trucks and motor-homes, without dimpling or damage to the surface, and will look pristine for many years.

It offers fantastic value, and tarmac can be coloured to match the surroundings or your requirements. Tarmac makes it simple to deviate from a traditional black surface and colour it to tie in with your home. The installation of a tarmac driveway is relatively straightforward and can often be achieved by an experienced driveway contractor in one day. Tarmac is truly a great material for almost any driveway, due to its straightforward installation, strength and low maintenance properties.

Resin Driveways

Among the most attractive and flexible sorts of driveway that are available at this time, resin driveways (or resin-bound driveways) are becoming progressively more favoured and are also SuDS compliant, if that's what you are looking for. Resin driveways can be custom-made to your requirements and can be installed in a host of different designs and patterns. For faster, more convenient installation resin driveways can be laid on top of a current asphalt or concrete base with less mess and hassle. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a brilliant substitute for concrete, gravel, tarmac or block paving. Usually coming with a long guarantee when installed by an approved professional, a resin-bound driveway should give you good service for many years to come. (Tags: Resin Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways, Resin-Bonded Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

Ideal for building driveways, and a much favoured material for many years, concrete has got the advantage of being durable, strong and largely maintenance-free. A straightforward choice for many homeowners, concrete costs less than block paving or resin, but if laid correctly is is more hard wearing. If you find concrete driveways to be quite drab and uninspiring, it's quite possible to add a stamped or patterned finish to make them look like pebbles or cobblestones. (Tags: Patterned Concrete Driveway, Concreted Driveway, Concrete Driveway).

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.

Straightforward Tips That Can Give Your Residence Added Beauty

When a person references the curb appeal of a home, they are talking about the outside of the house and how it looks. You really want to make you outside of your home look better when you're trying to sell it to enhance its overall curb appeal. Staying at home, or selling your home, it's totally up to you; however, it is a great idea to improve your curb appeal to enhance the way your house looks if you're able to. This article will show you several ways to improve your home's curb appeal in several ways.

A great place to start is to paint a portion of your house, or the entire house; doing this can really catch the eye of people driving by. If you have a deck with old paint that's chipping, consider repainting it, perhaps with a new color. If your home has window casings, and shutters, you can give these a fresh coat of paint as well. In some cases, a cleaning will be sufficient, but making such areas look their best will greatly improve the curb appeal of your home. Moss, mildew, and mold are three things you definitely do not want to have on the outside of your home as it will absolutely detract from your overall curb appeal. Sometimes you can clean all of this up yourself. However, if it is extremely bad, always hire a professional to get the job done right.

It's possible that one could boost their residence curb appeal in the manner of making a few alterations that they didn't even realize were crucial. Every now and then as you stare at a thing for years every day, you have no knowledge of how it appears to other people. Take for example, a thorough view of your garage entrance. Replacing the door is something that most people do not meditate on unless it no longer works. Though if the door is dingy and old, a big difference could be had with an upscale new one. The postal box is another item that is overlooked on a regular basis. Acquiring a contemporary mailbox won't break your budget, still if the one you own now is decrepit and broken down, you will feel inspired when you put in a new one.

If you want to give your home an appealing feature, consider adding a more attractive path or walkway from the street to your front door. Your walkway should definitely have a friendly appearance which may include adding plants, flowers, and other ornamental objects on either side. Similarly, a new driveway will impress everyone who drive up to your home. Also, the driveway should be very spacious, yet also add an air of security and safety when people drive in. Many times, all you need to do is get a rake out and remove the excess leaves that have built up on the sides. It really depends on the condition of the driveway. Guests should always feel important. This includes people that drive into your driveway or those that walk to your house for a social visit.

Extreme satisfaction can be had as you exert yourself to enhance your abodes curb appeal. Whether one attempts to produce a more beautiful lot, paint the porch or enhance the carport, every motion you make can enable your abode to have a prettier appearance and make it worth more. No matter if you put your attention on easy and cheap

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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