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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

The easiest and cheapest of all the types is the ubiquitous gravel driveway. Regardless of their simplicity gravel driveways can be a really attractive alternative, particularly in rural locations. You shouldn't have any problem finding a type of gravel that looks good in your garden, as there are a wide range of shades and sizes to choose from. A good sturdy base layer of hardcore is essential for a gravel drive to be successful, coupled with a firmly-bedded edging. The most effective gravel driveways are the result of applying 3 or 4 layers of aggregate, with each and every layer rolled and tamped and then left to settle before laying the following layer. No matter what size your driveway is, or whether it's in your front or back garden, if it's made from gravel it won't need planning permission, since it will be SuDS compliant. (Tags: Gravel Driveways, Shingle Driveways, Aggregate Driveways).

Asphalt Driveways

Any property in will benefit from the curb appeal of the smooth, consistent appearance of a newly installed asphalt driveway. For optimum results make sure you hire a skilled asphalt contractor that will install a driveway that lasts a lifetime and needs very little maintenance. In high flood risk areas it might be required to have a porous drive, and there's a type of asphalt sub-base for rainwater drainage, which stops excess water from overwhelming road drains.

Asphalt driveways are very smartly designed to withstand anything that winters can chuck at them, and provide outstanding value. It's also the simplest driveway material to remove or repair because of its manufacturing process. It could be looked on as the most ecological of hard driveway surface types as it is even possible for an asphalt driveway to be recycled and used in a different project. (Tags: Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveway Recycling, Asphalt Driveways).

Block Paved Driveways

Block-paving driveways are among the most popular styles in at the moment, and scores of these have appeared over the last few years. These are built using hundreds of specially designed block-paving bricks which are butted together to form attractive and intricate patterns. When the blocks have been put in place and firmly tamped down, the gaps are filled using kiln-dried sand which is brushed into the exposed joints. It is advisable to have your block paving driveway sealed after 4 or 5 months with Everbuild sealant or similar. This is crucial to stop weed growth. Block paving can be laid in lots of designs, including stretcher bond, basketweave, fan and herringbone.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: To comply with SuDS block paved driveways are quite feasible by slightly adjusting the traditional technique. Bigger spaces than normal are left in between the blockwork and as opposed to the usual kiln-dried sand, these can then be packed with a fine shingle material.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone, as a driveway material, never loses its splendid appearance even as it ages. The compact and dense material looks impressive on any driveway and will give an entire lifetime of use for any vehicles you may have. Due to the distinctive depth of tone and colours of the stone, you'll finish up with a driveway that's bespoke to your house. It gives that crucial wow factor and curb appeal that every householder craves.

Driveways made from natural stone not only look fantastic, but they are easy to maintain and less susceptible to being damaged than concrete alternatives. The smooth surface of the stones means they are easy to clean, and weeds are less likely to gain a foothold in the smaller joints of a stone driveway. A natural stone driveway installed by an experienced contractor should be seen as an investment that will increase the value of your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If you are planning to replace an existing driveway because your current one is starting to look scruffy, it is going to be significantly less costly to clean it, if you think that may help. For a lot of homeowners, keeping their driveway clean is not always considered a priority. Nevertheless, cleaning a driveway is a procedure that should be performed on a fairly regular basis, and is essential from both an aesthetic and maintenance viewpoint. Weeds and other organic plant growth can damage your driveway's structure as time passes. A widening of existing cracks and crevices can ensue, and structural complications could occur if such growth isn't removed.

It's preferable to remove weed growth, dirt or stains from your driveway as soon as you notice them. It isn't a great idea to wait around for the spring and summer months to arrive to pressure wash your drive, even though these are the times when you are most likely to notice the appearance of weed and moss growth. The attractiveness of your drive can be really compromised by petrol, oil and brake fluid stains from your vehicle. Hence it's essential to promptly remove them to prevent the surface being stained too severely.

To get your driveway thoroughly clean you will need to use a pressure washer, and you will also need some other tools, for example a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent. A specialist driveway cleaning service might be required if you haven't got the correct equipment, or don't have the confidence to do it yourself. You may even discover that your driveway installers will be willing to provide this sort of service.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a much loved driveway surface on account of its durability and strength. It is weatherproof, looks terrific and requires little maintenance, when professionally laid. Tarmac's strength and durability means that it can contend with larger and heavier vehicles, like carvans and motor-homes, without causing damage to the surface.

Tarmac is also excellent value and comes in a wide range of colours to complement your home and surrounding area. Tarmac makes it simple to upstage a dull black surface and have it coloured to tie in with your property. The installation of tarmac driveways is reasonably simple and can often be achieved by an experienced contractor in a day. A lot of people pick tarmac over other materials for their driveway due to its finish, quick installation, robustness and low maintenance requirements.

Resin Driveways

Among the most flexible and attractive types of driveway that are available right now, resin driveways are becoming ever more favoured and are also SuDS compliant, if that's what you're in need of. Resin driveways can be tailor-made to your precise specifications and can be installed in a wide range of different colours and patterns. For far less hassle and mess a new resin driveway can quickly be laid over a current asphalt or concrete surface. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and the perfect substitute for concrete, block paving, gravel or asphalt. Generally coming with a long guarantee when laid by an approved installer, a resin driveway should give you reliable service for years to come.

Concrete Driveways

A much favoured material for driveways, concrete is strong, durable and needs very little maintenance. With regards to the cost, concrete is about middling for driveway construction, being more expensive than tarmac or gravel, but less costly than resin or block paving. If you find concrete driveways to be quite boring and drab, it's perfectly possible to administer a stamped or patterned finish to make them look more attractive. (Tags: Concreted Driveway, Stamped Concrete Driveway, Concrete Driveway).

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.

Positive Impacts Utilizing Your Home's Curb Appeal

Making your abodes curb appeal the limelight is what you have to do assuming you want your home to look its best. You should concentrate on this whether you are displaying your home to potential buyers or not, yet it is especially vital when you are. As you view your house with its appearance in your thoughts, you are looking at it through new eyes and you may frequently see the blunders and places that could use some improvement that you didn't previously see.

If you have a front lawn on your home, curb appeal will definitely begin there. Your front lawn will definitely be quite a chore, especially if it is large and spacious. Every lawn, regardless of the size, needs to look cared for and neat so that the curb appeal will be very high. You need to trim your lawn along the edges and also water it so that it stays green and fresh. New sod must be added to areas that are dry or barren to ensure that the consistency remains intact. If your lawn has problem areas, and you do not have time to fix them, it is essential that a lawn maintenance company or landscaper comes in to fix this. It is important to also keep your trees tidy and your shrubs looking tight and fit.

To improve your curb appeal, you might also want to make your home look appealing and inviting. 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 hang these from various places, put them on window sills or wherever you can find a convenient spot. Wicker furniture, even wrought iron outdoor chairs and tables, will make the entire front of your home look very livable. You can add some additional lawn decorations, nonetheless, it is a good idea to only had a few.

If you have a long walkway, or even a short one, it should look appealing to those passing by. Your walkway should definitely have a friendly appearance which may include adding plants, flowers, and other ornamental objects on either side. It is always something to see when you observe a new driveway in front of a home - you might want to do this! Aside from being appealing, the driveway should people a sense of security and spaciousness. If your driveway is very old, it may have potholes and it. If this is the case, do simple things like raking the lawn to make it look better all the way around. Guests should always feel important. This includes people that drive into your driveway or those that walk to your house for a social visit.

Curb appeal is one aspect of home improvement that you shouldn't overlook, especially if you want to sell your home. Aside from this, the type of improvements discussed in this article will give you and anyone who visits a better feeling about your household. The bottom line is that once you improve the curb appeal of your house, people will know you really care about it.

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

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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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