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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 kinds of driveway you might decide to go with the simplest and least expensive, which is gravel. Gravel driveways are particularly favoured in a rural setting, and regardless of their simplicity they can be highly attractive. You should have no trouble finding a type of gravel that looks great in your garden, given that there are a host of shades and sizes to choose from. A good substantial base of hardcore is needed for a gravel drive to be efficient, coupled with a firmly-bedded edging. The very best gravel driveways are the result of putting down 3 or 4 layers of stones, with every layer rolled and tamped and then left to settle before laying the following layer. You won't need to apply for planning permission for a gravel driveway, seeing that it will be SuDS compliant no matter how big it is, or whether it is in your back or front garden.

Asphalt Driveways

An asphalt driveway, with its smooth, uninterrupted appearance offers instantaneous curb appeal to any house in. A competent driveway company in will supply you with an asphalt driveway which will give you years of satisfaction, with a bare minimum of maintenance required. If the local authority has regulations that prevent non-permeable materials being used, so as to stop local flooding, a unique porous asphalt substrate permits rain to soak into a sub-base.

Asphalt can successfully tolerate the freeze-thaw effects of TOWN winters, and is extremely good value in comparison with some other driveway alternatives. Asphalt is also the simplest driveway material to repair or remove due to the process by which it is manufactured. If you're worried about the environmental impact of your driveway installation, you might be interested to know that asphalt can even be taken out and recycled for re-use elsewhere. (Tags: Asphalt Driveway Recycling, Asphalt Driveway, Asphalt Driveways).

Block Paved Driveways

Block-paved driveways are among the most frequently seen designs in right now, and dozens of these seem to have appeared in recent times. These are fashioned using hundreds of specially designed block-paving bricks which butt together forming attractive and sometimes intricate designs. Once the blocks have been laid and firmly tamped down, the gaps are filled using kiln-dried sand which is then rigorously brushed into the exposed joints. It is recommended to have your block-paved driveway sealed after several months with Thompsons sealant or something similar. This is crucial to stop weed growth. Block paving can be laid in a variety of patterns, including stretcher bond, fan, basket weave and herringbone.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: To comply with SuDS block paving driveways are quite feasible by slightly adjusting the normal methodology. Wider gaps than normal are allowed in between the bricks and instead of the standard kiln-dried sand, these are then packed with a fine aggregate material. (Tags: Block Paving Driveway, Block Paving, Block Paved Driveways).

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone, as a driveway surface, never loses its splendid appearance even as it grows older. Looking fantastic from day 1 to year 50, a driveway built from natural stone will give you an entire lifetime of use for any vehicle. Due to the unique colours and depth of tones of the stone, you will have a driveway that is totally bespoke to your home. The natural stone gives a soft, warm look to any driveway, and adds to that all important curb appeal.

Natural stone driveways not only look amazing, but they're virtually maintenance-free and less susceptible to damage than concrete alternatives. They are also simple to clean, and with smaller joints between the stones there is less potential for seeds and weeds sprouting up in your driveway. An expertly prepared and installed natural stone driveway is an investment that will add value and appeal to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If you're planning to replace an existing driveway because your current one is looking shabby, it will be considerably cheaper to clean it rather than change it. For the majority of homeowners, maintaining the cleanliness of their driveway is not usually considered a priority. Nevertheless, from both an aesthetic and maintenance perspective, cleaning your driveway is vital, and this process ought to be done on a regular basis, not just now and then. The structure of your driveway can be weakened as time passes, by unwanted weeds and plant growth. If your drive has existing cracks or holes, these can be enlarged which may ultimately lead to structural problems.

It is preferable to remove dirt, weed growth or stains from your driveway as soon as possible after you discover them. It is not a great idea to wait for the spring or summer months to arrive to power wash your drive, although that is the time when you are most likely to notice the appearance of weed and moss growth. The appearance of your driveway can be really compromised by brake fluid, oil and petrol stains from your vehicle. Thus it's important to quickly remove them to prevent the surface being stained too severely.

To clean your driveway properly you will need to use a pressure washer, and additionally you will need some other tools and equipment, such as 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 confident in cleaning it yourself, or you haven't got the correct gear.

Tarmac Driveways

Due to its strength and durability, tarmac is an ideal choice for the surface of a driveway. It requires very little maintenance, is weather resistant and looks fantastic, when professionally laid. The durability of a tarmac driveway means it can withstand daily wear and tear from heavier and larger vehicles, like camper vans, with no ridges or damage being inflicted on the surface.

It offers great value, and tarmac can be coloured to fit in with the surroundings or your requirements. You don't have to have a boring, traditional looking driveway; you can customise your drive to any colour of your choosing. It is quite possible for an experienced driveway company to put in a new tarmac drive in one day. Tarmac is truly a perfect material for virtually any driveway, because of its strength, straightforward installation and maintenance free properties.

Resin-Bound Driveways

One of the most frequently seen sorts of driveway in recent years, resin-bound or resin driveways are porous (permeable) and SuDS compliant. Available in a host of patterns and colours, resin driveways can be custom-made to your precise requirements, and laid to complement any theme or concept. For faster, and simpler 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 a perfect substitute for gravel, concrete, tarmac or block paving. Generally coming with a long guarantee when installed by a trustworthy company, a resin driveway should give you excellent service for many years to come.

Concrete Driveways

Strong, hard wearing and requiring very little maintenance, concrete is an ideal material for building driveways. Being more costly that asphalt or gravel, but considerably cheaper than some other options (i.e. block paving or resin), concrete is an automatic choice for many householders. If you find concrete driveways to be quite boring and drab, it is possible to add a patterned or stamped finish to make them look more eye-catching. (Tags: Concreted Driveway, Stamped Concrete Driveway, Concrete 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.

Easy Avenues to Create a More Appealing Curb

Ways abound where you can increase your residence landscape when consideration is given. Some homeowners make the mistake of thinking that this isn't very important, as it only has to do with superficial issues. But, if selling your home is the goal, or if all you want to do is make it more welcoming and attractive, in all likelihood, what appears to be insignificant can be tremendously monumental. If your dwelling has a curb that is alluring, it is suggestive that the owner is meticulous and considerate.

Painting is usually what comes to mind when you start wondering what you can do to modernize your curb appeal. This is often a good idea, but it may not be necessary. Take a close look at the paint, and if it is not too weathered looking or chipping away, and you do not mind the color; you could always get a power washer and give it a thorough cleaning. You will be amazed at the difference it will make and it will be a lot easier on you pocketbook. It is unbelievable how filthy your home can get without you even knowing it is happening. There are many places that will rent the power washers, in a wide range of prices, or you may decide to find a person to do it for you. If you leave out any of the structures, they will look even worse than before; so make sure to pressure wash everything that can be.

People that drive by should see a home that is joyful and cozy, something that you should make a priority as you improve your curb appeal. Spending lots of money on this project really is unnecessary; the main thing you want to consider is what you actually want to do. Instead of having a bare front lawn, you should add a few plants, a couple flowers, and whatever else that will add noise to the front of your home. Of course, you should pick the best locations for your flowers and plants to make your home look lively and colorful once again. As for furniture, you should put some on the lawn - you might want to add wicker furniture which is very friendly. Even the lawn decorations can spruce up the front of your house; if overdone, it can detract from everything else.

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. 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. By improving the outside, the surrounding area adjacent to the driveway, even if it is full of potholes from years of use, it will look better than it did before. It is important to always provide people with a positive experience, even if they walked up to your house off of the street.

There are tons of things you could do to your house to give it more pizzazz. Care and consideration of your outdoor space should be appreciated as much as you value your indoor home improvement projects. With the suggestions we have shared, you now have some idea of how to make your house stand out and be noticed for curb appeal; if you were to look closely around the place, you will see many little things that can also be done.

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.

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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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