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Your next step, if you do elect to forge ahead with installing a driveway will be make a choice about what type of driveway is going to be most suitable for your circumstances. There are many different types of driveway available, as I'm sure you will be aware, but these may not all be right for you. If you're on a tight spending budget you could be to some degree limited in your choices. The configuration and dimensions of your property's garden may also affect your final decision.

You might say "a driveway is just a driveway", however that simply isn't true, given that there are many different designs and types of driveway, and if you were to take a walk around your town, you will see what I mean. You should see shingle driveways, grass driveways, block paved driveways, tarmac driveways, resin bound driveways, asphalt driveways, concrete driveways, cobbled driveways, patterned concrete driveways and natural stone driveways, in various forms, however this will give you a perception of all the potential 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 may think that you can just stick a driveway anywhere you like on your land, this is not automatically true. The legislation that pertain to driveways aren't just laid down by the local authority, but are in reality enforced by government law. However, at this moment in time, these laws only affect driveways being laid in front gardens. This legislation, which is known as the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) has been in force since October 2008, when it was first brought in.

If you are aiming to build a driveway having an area of more than 5m² and it's in your front garden, you are going to be affected by these SuDS legislation. You won't have to stress about this if you build your driveway from a porous (permeable) substance like shingle, permeable concrete block, porous asphalt, monoblock (grass) or resin, which will allow the water to pass through and naturally drain away. If you believe that the SuDS legislation will affect your planned driveway in the UK, you can see detailed information here - Sustainable Drainage Systems

Naturally it is quite feasible for you to build your own driveway in the UK, if you are fairly good at do-it-yourself and are not fazed by a touch of hard work. However no-one should think of this as an easy process, as there is a great deal of preparation work involved apart from actually laying the driveway, including doing waste removal, lugging materials and excavating. If you've got any concerns about whether you would be able to tackle a project such as this, it might be a good idea to hire an experienced driveway specialist.

With this kind of project, you've got to be wary about exactly who you pick, seeing as you clearly need somebody who knows precisely what they are up to. There are plenty of cowboys and rogue traders out there who will soon pocket your cash and do a lousy job. It's worth shelling out a bit more money to get a proper job done, instead of taking a risk with a substandard worker just to save yourself a couple of quid. Driveway and patio contractors who have been offering their services in and around the UK for a number of years would be the smartest choice.

When assessing these paving contractors, you should at the very least ask for some references from satisfied clientele, ask what warranties they offer on their workmanship, ascertain how long they've been in business, check that they have got insurance protection, ask if they are a member of a trade association such as ANTSCA (the surfacing trade association) and ask to look at a portfolio of past projects.

This doesn't have to be an inquisition, but asking these germane questions should give you an inkling of the sort of individual that you are going to be dealing with. If they are relaxed about answering all of these questions, you can assume that they are fairly genuine. You can deem that they're hiding something or being less than honest if they're confrontational or hesitant when asked such questions. If that occurs you would be wise to avoid them like the plague and try another tradesman.

If you are wary and pick a really good driveway paver, they will help you make all the most important decisions with regards to your project, including the recommended driveway technique, the favoured location and the best materials. And that is not the end of it, because they'll also take care of all the design, preparation and planning that's required for your new driveway installation to go like clockwork.

Gravel Driveways

When looking at the various types of driveway you might choose to opt for the ubiquitous least expensive and simplest, which is gravel. In a rural location, gravel driveways are particularly favoured and can be extremely appealing in spite of their inherent simplicity. Gravel can be purchased in a wide selection of colours and sizes, so you should not have any trouble locating one that looks good in your garden. A efficient gravel driveway will need a clearly-defined and sturdy edging, and a good solid base layer of hardcore. The very best gravel driveways are the result of applying 3 or 4 layers of aggregate, with each and every layer rolled and left to settle before laying the subsequent layer. Gravel driveways are naturally SuDS compliant, so you will not need to apply for planning permission regardless of how big your driveway is. (Tags: Shingle Driveways, Gravel Driveways, Aggregate Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

When you are looking for that extra bit of 'curb appeal' for your property or home in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth uninterrupted surface, is the ideal choice. When put in by a skilled company, an asphalt driveway will provide years of trouble free service with virtually no maintenance. In flood risk locations it may be required to have a permeable driveway, and there is a type of asphalt sub-grade reservoir for rain run-off, which stops surplus water from overwhelming highway drains.

Asphalt driveways offer exceptional value and asphalt is a durable, strong material which is perfect for tolerating freezing and thawing effects of a typical winter. It's also the simplest driveway substance to remove or repair due to its manufacturing process. It could be seen to be the most environmentally friendly of solid driveway surfaces because it's even possible to recycle an asphalt driveway for use in a different project.

Block Paved Driveways

Scores of driveways have popped up in in recent years, constructed using the block-paved process, which can be very effective when done correctly. These are built using purpose-made block-paving bricks which are butted together to form attractive and sometimes elaborate designs. The gaps between the blocks are filled with kiln-dried sand which is rigorously brushed into the exposed joints, producing a neat and tidy finish. It is recommended to have your block paving driveway sealed after 4 or 5 months with Thompson's sealant or similar. This is important to stop weed growth. There are various designs in which block paving is laid, including stretcher bond, basketweave, herringbone and fan.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: It is also possible to install a Compliant with SuDS block paved driveway in, if that is what you need. By leaving bigger spaces between the blocks and packing them with a very fine aggregate instead of the standard kiln-dried sand, you can achieve a porous paved surface that doesn't need planning permission.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is fantastic as a driveway material because it always improves with age. The natural stone option will provide you with a sturdy and robust driveway, for any vehicle, and will look great for years to come. It provides your house with a driveway that, thanks to the unique colours and tones of each individual stone, is completely bespoke to you. The natural stone gives a warm, soft look to any driveway, and provides that all important curb appeal.

In contrast to some alternatives, natural stone driveways are less vulnerable to damage and are easier to look after and maintain. The smaller joints between the stones means that there's less chance of unwanted weed growth, and the smooth, hard surface is easy to clean. A stone driveway from an experienced TOWN driveway company should be thought of as a smart investment that will improve the value of your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If your home has already got a drive, and you are thinking of changing it because it is starting to look tatty - why not give it a deep clean instead? The process of keeping a driveway clean, is something that the majority of folks delay, or overlook altogether. Yet, cleaning your driveway is essential from both an aesthetic and maintenance perspective, and this process should really be carried out fairly regularly. If roots, weeds and other destructive plant growth are allowed to establish themselves, as time passes they can severely weaken the composition of your driveway. If your drive has existing cracks or fractures, these can easily be widened which could ultimately trigger structural problems.

If weeds, dirt or stains appear on your drive, getting rid of them as quickly as possible is recommended. Even so, most property owners hold out for the spring and summertime to jet wash their drives, merely because weed and moss growth is more noticeable at that time of year. The appeal of your driveway can be really blighted by petrol, brake fluid and oil stains from your vehicle. Thus it's vital to immediately clean them off to avoid your driveway's surface being stained too seriously.

If you're cleaning the driveway yourself, you'll need the use of a power washing machine, and to accomplish it effectively you'll also need some additional equipment and tools, for example a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. You should get in touch with a professional driveway cleaning service, if you aren't clear about cleaning it yourself, or you don't have the correct equipment.

Tarmac Driveways

Due to its strength and durability, tarmac is an excellent choice for the surface of a driveway. When laid by a reliable driveway contractor it is weatherproof, requires little maintenance and looks great. Tarmac's durability and strength means that it can handle larger and heavier vehicles, such as trucks and motor-homes, without causing damage to the surface.

If you want to colour tarmac, it is incredibly easy to do so, and it offers fantastic value for money when compared with other types of driveway. You are able to custom-build a tarmac driveway to complement your property, with countless colours on offer. It is possible for a professional driveway contractor to put in a brand new tarmac drive in one day. Lots of householders pick tarmac over other materials for their driveway due to its surface finish, quick installation, low maintenance qualities and durability.

Resin Driveways

One of the most frequently seen styles of driveway in recent times, resin driveways are porous (permeable) and compliant with SuDS. Available in a host of patterns and designs, resin driveways can be tailor-made to your precise specifications, and installed to match any concept or theme. If you've a current concrete or tarmac driveway, a brand new resin-bound surface can be laid over your existing surface. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and an excellent alternative to concrete, block paving, gravel or tarmac. When laid by a trusted installer, a resin driveway should come with an extended warranty and give you years of good service. (Tags: Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

A much favoured material for driveways, concrete is strong, hard wearing and requires very little maintenance. An easy choice for many homeowners, concrete is less expensive than resin or block paving, but if installed correctly is more durable and stronger. Many would agree that concrete driveways, generally speaking, are rather boring and dreary. Yet this doesn't have to be the case, as it is possible to finish off the surface with a patterned or stamped design. (Tags: Concrete Driveways, Stamped Concrete Driveway, Concreted Driveways).

Driveway Tasks

If you pick your driveway company carefully they will have the skills necessary to help with painted driveways, tar driveways, the maintenance of gravel driveways, coloured tarmac driveways, monoblock driveway installations in the UK, the design of asphalt driveways, permeable driveway installations, the repair of aggregate driveways, bonded gravel driveways, resin driveway installations, driveways with pavers, paving a driveway, cheap driveway ideas, commercial driveway installation, driveway resurfacing, asphalt driveway recycling, driveway cleaning, driveway installation estimates, driveway drainage, driveway replacement, grass driveway installation, driveway culverts, the construction of flagstone driveways, the repair of concrete driveways, driveway markers, gated driveways, granite block driveways, pebble driveways, domestic driveway installations, stone resin driveways and any one of innumerable additional driveway related services in the UK. Listed are just a handful of the duties that are conducted by people specialising in driveways. Driveway providers will be happy to inform you of their whole range of services

More Advice and Guidance

By taking a look at YouTube videos you are able to discover how to put in a resin bound driveway. Social media is clearly the place where the majority of homeowners in the UK head these days when they are searching for ideas and images for products and services. If that is what you love to do and you're presently searching for information on driveway installation check this out. You should pay a visit to Rated People or the government backed Trustmark website, if you want to conduct a search for licensed local driveway contractors in the UK. The dedicated Wikipedia "driveways" page is the place to head over to for details of the purposes of driveways, the different sorts of driveways, the local legislation regarding driveways and the materials used for driveways. To read a useful article about how to choose a driveway check this out.

Driveway Questions

Over the last few weeks I have been looking through the questions homeowners in the UK ask regarding driveways. A number of our visitors have submitted justifiable questions that are relevant to this article. The ones I picked out were, "Where can I buy driveway gravel?" "When should you seal your driveway?" "Should a concrete driveway have rebar?" "How do driveway drains work?" "What happens if driveway sealer freezes?" "How much does the average driveway cost?" I hope nearly all of those questions have been dealt with on this page, and if some remain unanswered a driveway "Q&A" feature will be introduced in the near future. My gratitude goes out to the following homeowners in the UK for making the effort to pose their excellent questions; Kaiden Clarkson, Sarah Crawford, Tony Mcdonald and Jane Mcgrady. It was also fantastic to get offerings from Noah Weston in Newlands, Aaliyah Cowell in Hadleigh and Isaac Friend in Fobbing.

Skip Hire for Driveways

When you're carrying out a driveway installation project in the UK, or any other kind of home or garden revamp, it's likely that a certain volume of rubbish and waste will be generated that can't be disposed of in your regular household wheelie bins. Actually, in most regions, construction or garden materials must be disposed of in a controlled and eco-friendly way, in accordance with local authority legislation. Consequently if you are to stay safely within the law, you'll have to transport your waste materials to a recognised disposal and recycling site, generally a council tip. If you do not want to be carting waste materials back and forth to your nearby Domestic Recycling Centre, it may be better to look for skip hire in your area.

By using an established skip hire contractor, you'll be given assurances that all of your waste will be driven to an authorised site, and will be disposed of correctly and safely. Even so, it's crucial to establish the form of waste materials that will be generated by the driveway project, and you can go through this with your chosen contractor and the skip hire provider concerned. If there's a chance that asbestos containing materials might be involved, the skip hire company will need to divide the dangerous waste into a totally separate disposal system for health and safety reasons. Hazardous waste is best left to the professionals, and strict regulations cover it's safe disposal. To make sure all guidelines and regulations are addressed appropriately, both your driveway installer and the skip hire firm will work together.

The perfect solution is if you happen to have a space when a skip can be sited on your garden or drive. On the reverse side of the coin, if you do not have a suitable area, and you park your vehicle on the main road, you might need to seek the help of your neighbours, and see whether they can leave a space for your skip someplace close to the work area. A skip which is placed on a driveway or private land doesn't need a permit, but if it has to go on a public highway in the UK it will definitely need a temporary local authority skip permit, get hold of them to see whether you need one. This will guarantee there are no problems with regards to siting your skip.

Skip hire providers offer skips of all shapes and sizes, and you can rent anything from skip bags and mini-skips right up to builders skips and gigantic roll-on roll-off monstrosities. To hire a skip for your project in the UK, CLICK HERE for a quote.

Make An Outstanding Impression - Wonderful Home Curb Appeal Ideas Revealed

If you don't know what curb appeal is, it is a simple way to make the value of your home increase dramatically by improving the way your house looks. Curb appeal is nothing more than how your house impacts somebody walking by. Many of the actions you can take in this area are simple and inexpensive, yet they are still very important because they are among the first things anyone notices when they see your home.

Contributing to the appeal of your homes curb, are how your windows appear. By all means, cleanliness of the windows is the first thing to make sure of. Very little can lessen the way a home appears to people than windows that are unclean. The above mentioned is crucial for the exterior and interior home alike. Glass that is destroyed in the windows should be taken care of as soon as possible, no matter where they are located, even in the basement. Surely the appearance of a home is effected mightily by windows but the insulation is as well. With the condition that your windows don't conserve energy well, it might be a good time to change them. Assuming your home does not have shutters, contemplate getting them, because this is one attribute that is truly distinctive to a home's presentation, painting them the best color in particular.

The most important component of your home is your roof; it has high priority for both curb appeal and for the obvious structural reasons. Your roof should take precedence over all of your other home development plans. Architectural roofing shingles will add style to any roof. This roofing product will enhance the look of your roof and is quite strong and eye catching; the latest type is made from synthetic slate. Even if your roof doesn't need repair, architectural shingles, which can be used to mimic many traditional styles of architecture, can make your home much more attractive and distinctive.

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. A paved path, perhaps with flowers or other plants on either side can make the approach to your home more interesting. People that drive-by will definitely be impressed if you put in a new driveway over the old one. A sense of security is something that you should impart upon your driveway. You should also make it visually appealing. 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. Whether people walk or drive to your home, make it a positive experience for them.

Your home could look more interesting by taking on any number of home face lifts. 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.

Doing a Search Online

It is considerably simpler to look for a tradesman or service right now than it was in the past, given that we've got the advantage of technology and can just do a search on the web. Immediate and pertinent results are the reward of searching with Bing, Google or Yahoo, which were created for this exact role. One drawback can be that the first page results displayed by the major search engines might not be exactly the ones you were after. Typing in "UK driveways", "driveways in the UK", "driveway installers near me" or "driveways" will normally be the process to use when looking for a driveway specialist in the UK. You need to know that the 4 top results are often PPC advertisements (which may or may not be on-topic), and lots of the remaining page one listings will likely be from large trade portals like Checkatrade, My Hammer, Rated People, My Builder, TrustaTrader or Bark or web directories such as Gumtree, Yelp, Scoot or Yell. Odd job men usually don't have substantial budgets to push their websites to the uppermost rankings, so you're liable to find these out-of-the-way lower down the listings perhaps on the second or third pages. Approved tradesmen websites like Rated People or Checkatrade are still handy though, and you will be able to make full use of their informative services to examine customers appraisals, obtain free quotes and read through reviews, since there are local driveway pavers on there who do not even have a website.

Driveway Installer Services

Find Driveway Pavers in the UK Here

• Block Paving Driveways
• Gravel Driveways
• Tarmac Driveways
• Driveway Pavers
• Driveway Estimates
• Driveway Services
• Stone Driveways
• Commercial Driveway Installation
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• Brick Driveways
• Resin Driveways
• Asphalt Driveways
• Concrete 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