Find a Driveway Installer you can trust in Isle Of Gigha.

From gravel and crushed stones to asphalt and tarmac, the choice when it comes to surfacing options for driveways is truly staggering. However, what’s not too clear is the options that best suits a sloping driveway. If you also possess a sloping driveway and wondering the best material to install, you’re definitely not alone. This is a major source of concern for several home and property owners in the UK being fully aware that making the wrong choice here can prove really costly and disastrous. In order to help you make the best informed decision possible, we’ve put together this post which takes a look at the various driveway material options available to you.

• Gravel
  This driveway surfacing option provides a truly enjoyable “crunch sound when driven on, however, the satisfaction will be short lived if installed on a sloped driveway. If installed on a sloped driveway, there’s going to be a continual displacement as instinctively rolls downhill on an incline.

• Concrete
  This can prove to be a great problem if installed on an incline. This is due to the fact that concrete is subject to freeze/thaw phenomenon which makes it steep and slippery lacking the needed traction.

• Tarmac
  This is particularly far from ideal when it comes to a steep driveway surface. This is because it requires continuous maintenance to prevent spillages from spoiling the surface.

• Resin
  The best surface for a steep driveway is simply that made from resin. This is due to the fact that this surfacing option allows water to soak away naturally. They’re perfectly permeable, preventing water from pooling and reducing the risk of falls.

Gravel driveways are very popular in the UK for a reason. Not only do they provide a more natural look than other driveway surfacing options and happens to be quite affordable, but they’re also very easy to install and maintain. And more importantly, they have a great range of colour scheme to match and compliment your brickwork and plants to make for an alluring outdoor living space.

Are you also planning to install a gravel driveway? You’ve come to the right place! If you’re a competent DIYer with confidence, then this should be as easy as they come. If otherwise, then it’s advisable to hire a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we’ll shed more light on the gravel driveway installation process. Let’s get started!

✓ Prepare the floor. To get a level and flat floor, you’ll have to clear the area of all weeds, paving slabs, block paving etc. Get a good foundation material to apply to the surface if you have an uneven surface or if you have potholes to fill.

✓ Stop the weeds. You’ll have to apply an anti-weed membrane so you won’t have stubborn weeds growing through your finished driveway.

✓ Spread the gravel. In the process of purchasing your gravel, ensure to select handy bags, bulk bags if tipped loose. If you go for the bags there may be a need of wheelbarrow to help move the gravel around, however with a tipped loose you can have the gravel chippings tipped directly on to the driveway.

✓ Make use of the hose. It’s possible that when your gravel arrives, it’ll be be dusty. Make use of an hose to run over the driveway to bring out the true colours of your driveway.

The best way to clean resin bound driveways is to sweep it regularly with a stiff broom. This will remove any debris and prevent moss from growing. It's a good idea to jet wash it after sweeping, because this will get rid of any smaller parts that a broom might not collect.

When you jet wash or power wash your resin bound driveway, make sure the pressure isn’t too high. It’s recommended to keep the pressure less than 150bar, as anything too strong could damage the surface. Make sure the water is cool, but not cold – both hot and cold water can damage the resin. Make sure the jet wash nozzle is at least 20cm from the surface. Any closer and this could damage your driveway. Use a sweeping back and forth motion to clean.

If you treat the area before you have your resin bound driveway installed, you shouldn’t get any weed growth. But if you get any moss or algae appear, you can apply a moss and algae killer that should remove and prevent any regrowth. If you have ingrained algae, you can remove it with a strong bleach solution; make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. This should also help restore the driveway’s original colour. Make sure you rinse your driveway thoroughly with clean water after using bleach on it to prevent any harm to wildlife or plants.

If you get chewing gum on your resin bound driveway and you can’t get it off with a pressure washer, try using a freezing spray on it first. Then use a wall scraper to gently remove it – never dig under the chewing gum as this could damage the resin on your driveway.

How To Repair A Pothole In Gravel Driveways

When the integrity of your gravel driveway is impaired not only does it have a negative impact on the curb appeal of your property, but also makes your driveway a danger zone. If your driveway needs to be repaired, you’d simply have to grab the bull by the horn and get it done - the sooner, the better to avoid the problem getting worse and to have your beautiful gravel driveway back as soon as possible.

The major cause of potholes in driveways is usually water, when it gets trapped beneath the surface of the driveway. Therefore, you may also want to enhance the drainage in the area as part of your repair. The repair process is quite simple for confident do-it-yourselfers, but if otherwise, then calling in a reliable professional will save you some time and extra money that can result from possible errors. So how do you repair gravel driveway potholes?

✓ Prepare the area. This involves removing all forms of debris from the pothole. To achieve this, you can rake, shovel or brush the loose stones, soil and other debris from the pothole.

✓ Fill the pot hole. Make use of a coarse gravel to fill up the pothole to a depth of about 3 inches beneath the driveway’s level. Upon the filling, simply tamp down the coarse gravel using a commercial tamper or any available homemade option. Once done, the final 3 inches to the surface of the gravel driveway should then be filled up with gravel which perfectly matches the colour and texture of the remaining driveway.

✓ Compact the patch. To achieve this in an easy and fast way, simply run your car’s wheel up and down over the repaired spot gently a couple of times. This will be enough to compact the patch and seal the pothole.

Gravel is the cheapest driveway surfacing material. Asphalt costs a little more than gravel, and concrete is significantly more expensive. The cost of paving depends on the material you use. Obtain as many quotes as possible as materials and costs differ from company to company.