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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 going over the various different forms of driveway you might choose to settle on the easiest and cheapest, which is gravel. In spite of their simplicity gravel driveways can be quite an attractive option, especially in rural locations. Since there is such a wide range of gravel sizes and shades, you shouldn't have any problems finding one that you are happy with. A successful gravel driveway will require a substantial and well-defined edging, and a good substantial layer of hardcore. If you put down 3 or 4 separate layers of shingle, each individual one rolled and tamped and left to settle, you will get the most effective gravel driveway. You will not need planning permission for a gravel driveway, as it will be SuDS compliant regardless of how big it is, or if it is in your back or front garden.

Asphalt Driveways

When you are looking for that extra bit of 'curb appeal' for your home in, an asphalt driveway, with its smooth consistent surface, is the perfect choice. When laid by a reputable contractor, an asphalt driveway will give you years of trouble free service with a bare minimum of maintenance. If the local council imposes regulations that prevent non-porous materials being used on driveways, in order to stop local flooding, a special porous asphalt substrate enables rainwater to soak into a sub-grade reservoir.

Asphalt driveways offer excellent value and asphalt is a strong, durable material that's designed to withstand the freezing and thawing effects of a typical winter. It is also the simplest driveway material to repair or remove because of its manufacturing process. The fact is, asphalt can even be recycled and used elsewhere, making this the most environmentally friendly of the hard driveway products.

Block Paving Driveways

Over the past few years scores of driveways have appeared in using the block-paving process. Forming a robust and hard wearing driveway, hundreds of purpose-made block paving bricks are butted together in attractive and sometimes intricate patterns that can be customized to meet your own requirements. The gaps that are left between the blocks are filled up with kiln-dried sand which is brushed into the joints, resulting in a pleasing finish. A good idea is to have your block-paved driveway sealed after five or six months with Thompsons sealant or similar. This is important to stop weed growth. Block paving can be made very attractive and can be laid a number of patterns, including fan, stretcher bond, basket weave and herringbone.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Block paving driveways can even be made to comply with SuDS, by leaving wider than standard spaces between the bricks, which can then be filled with a fine aggregate as opposed to the usual kiln-dried sand.

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is a driveway surface that never loses its beautiful appearance even as it ages. Going with natural stone for your driveway will provide you with an entire lifetime of serviceable use for any vehicle and will look the business from day one to year fifty. It provides your home with a driveway that, thanks to the distinctive shades and colours of each individual stone, is entirely bespoke to you. The natural stone gives a warm, soft look to any driveway, and is part of that crucial curb appeal.

Unlike paved alternatives, driveways made from natural stone are less susceptible to being damaged and are easier to look after and maintain. They're also a lot easier to clean, and with smaller joints between the stones there is considerably less likelihood of seed and weed germination on your drive. You should think of a professionally prepared and installed stone driveway as an investment towards your home's value.

Driveway Cleaning

If you've already got a driveway, but it is starting to look rather shabby, you may manage to make it look nicer by giving it a good clean. For many householders, maintaining the cleanliness of their driveway is not necessarily considered a priority. Yet, cleaning a driveway is something that ought to be completed on a fairly regular basis, and is crucial from both an aesthetic and maintenance perspective. Weeds and other organic plant growth can damage your driveway's structure over time. An enlargement of existing driveway cracks and fractures can happen, and structural complications could occur if this harmful growth isn't eradicated.

If stains, dirt or weed growth appear on your driveway, removing them as quickly as possible is recommended. However, the springtime and summer is when you most notice the growth of weeds and moss, you shouldn't wait till them to cleanse your driveway. If brake fluid, oil and diesel leaks from your car, the appearance of your drive can be really spoilt. You should remove these immediately, so that any unattractive discolouration of your driveway surface is averted.

In addition to a jet washing machine, you'll also need a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent, and also some other tools if you want to clean your driveway thoroughly. You could contact a specialist driveway cleaning service, if you are not confident in cleaning it yourself, or you haven't got the proper gear.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a popular kind of surface for driveways because of its durability and strength. It is weatherproof, needs very little maintenance and looks great, when laid professionally. Tarmac's durability and strength means that it can cope with bulkier vehicles, like motor-homes, without causing any significant damage to the surface.

If want a coloured tarmac, that is also possible, and it offers exceptional value for money when compared with alternative driveway materials. Tarmac makes it easy to get away from a traditional black surface and have it coloured to match your home. The installation of tarmac driveways is relatively simple and can be achieved by a professional driveway contractor in a single day. Tarmac is truly a perfect material for virtually any driveway, because of its straightforward installation, resilience and maintenance free properties.

Resin Driveways

There's very little doubt that in recent times resin-bound driveways have become one of the most favoured sorts of driveway. The fact that they're SuDS compliant of course increases their attraction. Available in a wide variety of designs and colours, resin driveways can be custom-made to your precise specifications, and installed to match any theme or concept. For quicker, more convenient installation resin driveways can be laid on top of an existing tarmac or concrete base with far less hassle and mess. Resin driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and the perfect substitute for tarmac, concrete, block paving or gravel. When installed by a reputable professional, a resin-bound driveway should come with a long warranty and give years of excellent service. (Tags: Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin-Bound Driveways, Resin Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

Durable, strong and requiring minimal maintenance, concrete is an excellent material for building driveways. Being more pricey that gravel or asphalt, but substantially cheaper than some of the other options (i.e. resin or block paving), concrete is an easy choice for many property owners. For many folks, the downside of concrete is its rather drab and uninspiring visual appearance, but this can easily be remedied by asking for a patterned or imprinted surface finish. (Tags: Concreted Driveway, Concrete Driveways, Stamped 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.

Making The Best Impression With Your Home's Curb Appeal

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. Basically, anyone going by your house is going to perceive it in a certain way. The reason this is important is that, if you are actually trying to sell your home, the first things that people notice when they see your house may actually cause them to buy it.

A simple way to add curb appeal to your house is to focus on your front lawn for starters. Depending on the size of your lawn, keeping it looking as good as possible may take quite a bit of effort. Every lawn, regardless of the size, needs to look cared for and neat so that the curb appeal will be very high. If you have weeds, they need to be pulled; if the grass is dry, it needs to be watered properly. If your lawn looks anemic or has spotty areas where nothing is growing, it probably needs new sod. You may want to find a landscaper or lawn maintenance company to at least fix any problem areas so your lawn can get a fresh start if it needs one. You might have additional things to tend to including shrubbery and trees on the property.

Take a good look at your front and back yards. Do your yards look inviting and immaculate, in turn are they a mess with different toys, tools and things? The way your yard/yards look, is a huge determinant in terms of an appealing curb. Cleaning up your yards is worth the effort, assuming they are untidy. Take away everything that is in your way as you meander through the yards. If you have weeds growing anywhere or bushes that need trimming, take care of these issues. Provided your children walk away from their toys after playing with them in the yard, educate them in putting them where they belong when they are done.

Curb appeal is just as important during the evening as it is in the daytime. You can actually change the impression your house exudes with the correct lighting. It can look tacky when some of your stoop lights are not working; this area should be bright. Your can enhance your flower beds by installing showy lights that will give it a nice glow during the night. The variety of exterior lights can range anywhere from old-time lanterns to solar globes. When you install this sort of lighting, even when the weather conditions are less than pleasant; your home will give off a pleasant and welcoming tone.

There are tons of things you could do to your house to give it more pizzazz. The exterior of your home deserves as much recognition as the interior. We've looked at just a few ways to improve your home's curb appeal, but if you take a look at your property with a critical eye, you can probably find lots more.

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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