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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 cheapest and simplest of all the styles is the gravel driveway. Regardless of their inherent simplicity gravel driveways can be quite an eye-catching alternative, particularly in rural locations where they are the most popular. You should have no problem finding a kind of gravel that looks amazing in your garden, given that there are a wide range of sizes and colours to choose from. For gravel driveways to be successful they need a sturdy base layer of hardcore, and substantial edging. If you would like a really good quality gravel driveway, you must make certain that three or four separate layers are applied, with each and every one individually tamped and left to settle for a couple of days before the next is laid. Gravel driveways are naturally SuDS compliant, therefore you will not need planning permission regardless of how large your driveway is. (Tags: Gravel Driveways, Aggregate Driveways, Shingle 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. A proficient driveway company in will supply you with an asphalt drive which will give you years of good service, with minimal maintenance required. If your local council has regulations that bar non-porous materials being used, so as to stop local flooding, a unique porous asphalt substrate enables rainwater to drain away into a sub-base.

Asphalt driveways are well designed to successfully hold up to anything that winters can throw at them, and deliver exceptional value. Asphalt is cheap and easy to repair and maintain, and isn't too difficult to remove should circumstances change. It can be seen to be the most ecological of solid driveway surface types as it's even possible to recycle an asphalt driveway for use in a different project.

Block Paving Driveways

Scores of driveways have appeared in in recent years, created using the block-paved method, which can be extremely effective when carried out properly. Forming attractive and elaborate designs, hundreds of purpose-made block paving bricks are butted together to create a robust and hard wearing driveway. After the blocks have been put down and firmly tamped down, the gaps are filled up using kiln-dried sand which is brushed into the joints. To get the longest life and best service out of your block-paved driveway, you ought to have it properly sealed after a few months to stop weed growth. Block paving can be laid in a variety of patterns, including fan, basketweave, stretcher bond and herringbone.

SuDS Compliant Block Paving Driveways: Block paving driveways can also be made compliant with SuDS, by leaving bigger than normal gaps between the blocks, which are then filled with a fine shingle as opposed to the traditional kiln-dried sand. (Tags: Block Paving Driveway, Block Paving, Block Paved Driveways).

Natural Stone Driveways

Natural stone is brilliant as a driveway material since it improves with age. Looking fantastic from day one to year fifty, a natural stone driveway will give you a whole lifetime of use for any car or vehicle. The depth of tone and natural colouring gives a unique appearance to every stone driveway, and delivers a bespoke and individual look to any garden. It delivers that that crucial curb appeal and WOW factor that every householder wants.

Driveways made from natural stone not only look good, but they're low maintenance and less at risk of being damaged than some alternatives. They are also much easier to clean, and with smaller joints in between the stones there is significantly less chance of weed and seed germination in your driveway. An expertly prepared and installed natural stone driveway is a sound investment which will add value and appeal to your home.

Driveway Cleaning

If your property has already got a drive, and you are thinking about changing it because it is looking tatty - why not give it a thorough clean instead? The process of cleaning a driveway, is something that a lot of home owners put off, or neglect altogether. Nevertheless, from both an aesthetic and maintenance viewpoint, cleaning your driveway is important, and this procedure should be undertaken on a fairly regular basis, not just now and again. Your driveway's structure can be severely weakened as time passes, by unwanted weeds and plant growth. A widening of existing driveway holes or cracks could ensue, and structural problems can appear if this harmful growth is not removed.

When you notice that your drive has dirt, weeds or stains, it's recommended that you get rid of them before the situation worsens. It is not the best option to wait around for the spring or summer months to power or pressure wash your driveway, despite the fact that these are the periods when you most notice weeds and moss. Spots from your car such as oil, diesel and brake fluid can spoil the appearance of your drive. You should remove these quickly, so that any a permanent discolouration of the driveway surface is averted.

You'll need a few tools such as a bucket, a scraper, a broom, a wire brush and detergent, in addition to a jet washing machine, so as to get your driveway suitably clean. You should contact a specialist driveway cleaning service, if you are not clear about doing it yourself, or you don't have the correct gear.

Tarmac Driveways

Tarmac is a favourite surface for driveways due to its strength and durability. When professionally laid it looks fantastic, offers excellent weather resistant properties and requires little or no maintenance. The resilience of a tarmac driveway means that it can withstand daily wear and tear from heavier and larger vehicles, such as carvans and motor-homes, with no damage or ridges being inflicted on the surface.

Tarmac is also great value and comes in an assortment of colours to complement your home and surrounding areas. Tarmac makes it simple to upstage a dull black surface and have it coloured to tie in with your home or property. A tarmac drive is also one of the simplest to lay, and the majority of driveway projects are completed in a single day. Tarmac really is a perfect material for just about any driveway, due to its straightforward installation, low maintenance properties and resilience.

Resin-Bound Driveways

One of the most frequently seen sorts of driveway recently, resin-bound driveways are permeable (porous) and compliant with SuDS. Resin-bound driveways can be customized to your specifications and come in an array of different patterns and designs. For faster, and simpler installation resin-bound driveways can be laid over an existing asphalt or concrete base with a lot less mess and hassle. Resin-bound driveways are easy to clean, maintenance free, durable, permeable, and a good alternative to block paving, tarmac, concrete or gravel. A resin driveway will give you many years of reliable service, and when laid by an authorised installer, come with an extended warranty. (Tags: Resin-Bound Driveways, Resin-Bonded Driveways, Resin Driveways).

Concrete Driveways

Suitable for driveways, and a much favoured material for a long time, concrete has got the advantage of being strong, hard wearing and largely maintenance-free. An easy choice for many homeowners, concrete is cheaper than resin or block paving, but if laid properly is is more hard wearing. Nearly everyone would acknowledge that concrete driveways, generally speaking, are quite uninspiring and drab. Yet this does not have to be a problem, as it's quite possible to finish them off with a patterned or stamped design.

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.

Your Home's Curb Appeal - How To Enhance It For Less

The curb appeal of your home is how a person passing by will perceive it from the road. So if you're trying to sell your home, you might want to consider outside home improvement projects that will make it look better. Regardless of your intentions, improving the outward appearance, the "curb appeal" of your home will make a huge difference to those that see it. To help you improve your home's curb appeal, we have written this article with some suggestions.

The first thing that you should do to improve the way at your house looks is to paint it a different color or touch it up to make it look great. Some people have a deck that surrounds the house; if you do repaint the deck, you might consider changing the color. Other items that you can paint include window casings and the shutters on your home. You could also just clean your house up, making it look neat and tidy, which always makes people look twice. Always remove mold and moss from the outside of your home as this will give the impression that no one cares for the house. It is imperative that you clean up these outside issues and don't think twice about hiring a professional, especially if it is mold that must be removed in a special way.

Look long and hard at the yard in both the front and the back. Are children's toys, tools and hit-or-miss items all over the yards, or do they appear clean and alluring? A considerable influence to curb appeal is the look of your yards. Assuming backyard or front yard is cluttered, the endeavor to clean it up will be worthwhile. Eliminate each barrier that makes walking in your yard challenging. Resolve issues such as weeds being pulled or bushes that need to be trimmed. When your kids play with their toys in the yard and then depart, advise them to place them in their proper places when they have completed their play time.

You might have to get other peoples' impressions to do an absolute job of revitalizing your dwellings curb appeal. Enlist the estimation of how your home appears to your companions or family whose opinions you value. In addition, you could try the ploy of going around your abode and snapping some quality photos. Take a look at these pictures when you are done taking them and act like you are examining a home other than yours to visualize what amendments you would do. The necessity might be there for individuals to look at their residence with fresh eyes to sincerely have the ability to realize how they could better their curb appeal.

It can be very satisfying to work on upgrading the curb appeal of your home. Whether one attempts to produce a more beautiful lot, paint the porch or enhance the carport, every motion you make can enable your abode to have a prettier appearance and make it worth more. Individuals could put the spotlight on easy to do actions that don't cost a lot of money or greater home modifications, still every course you take will make your curb more appealing.

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
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• Driveway Estimates
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• Stone Driveways
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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.

Resin Driveways - Gravel Driveways - Residential Driveway Installation - Cheap Driveways - Concrete Driveways - Commercial Driveway Installation - Driveway Pavers - Driveway Services - Tarmac Driveways