Find a Driveway Installer you can trust in Winchcombe.

As a homeowner, your home is your haven where you can control things and add more value, however that doesn’t give you the license to go around digging up your driveway as you deem fit. Replacing your old driveway with a new one comes with its own unique set of rules which are put in place to ensure that your personal preferences doesn’t pose long term issues such as flooding or poor visibility on any adjoining road. You should however note that it’s not every time you would need a planing permission for your driveway.

Below are the circumstances whereby you’ll need to submit an application before commencing your driveway paving project.

• In the event whereby you are to pave a driveway of over 5 square metres and/or a permeable surface is not available for its drainage. If the later is not available, there’ll be an increase in the flood risk. As a result, there’s the need to take into account permeable paving for your project.

• In the event whereby you’re changing the visibility on your road. These situations include removal of trees, gates or walls and the like. So far your changes negatively affects drivers’ visibility, you’ll need a planning permission.

• In the situations whereby you need to include a drop kerb. You may plan to add in a drop kerb if you’re thinking about expanding your driveway. Therefore, since residents can’t change the roads or pavements at their first fanciful impulse you’ll need to consult your local council before submitting your application.

• In the situation whereby its a listed building. Planning decisions are also greatly affected by the need to protect historic building. So if your building is a listed one, you’d have to submit an application before making changes.

There’s no doubt that weeds coming through your block paving can be unsightly and annoying. But, it’s relatively easy to get rid of weeds that are growing in the joints between your block paving. To start, pull out the larger weeds, and then you can use a pressure washer or firm bristled brush to remove the smaller weeds and debris from the joints in your block paving. It’s best to then refill the joints with additional sand to ensure your block paving remains level. Regularly brushing your block paving and treating with weed killer will help to prevent the weeds from reoccurring.

Do you want to install a new patio? If yes, then on top of the agenda will definitely be the cost of paving slabs. However providing a single and accurate estimate to the cost of your new patio is almost impossible as there are many factors that can influence what the price would be. These factors include the size of the area, the choice of stone, installations and lots more.

To get a more accurate estimate of your cost there’s is the need to look at some factors before calculation. These includes envisioning your patio as well as putting the drainage in mind. Firstly, you’ll need to decide where you want your patio to be - this should include considering whether you’ll get enough privacy sitting on your patio and more. If you’re able to identify where to put your patio, you’ll be able to have a clearer idea of the potential shape and size of the patio. Secondly, there’s a need to consider the drainage because failure to provide adequate drainage will only result in storing of water which leads to a development of algae or vegetation across your patio.

The material you opt for is also a huge determinant of your patio’s cost. When it comes to paving slabs you’ll only get what you pay for. Deciding to go for cheaper paving slabs will most likely lead to frequent staining, slippery surface, tough maintenance as well as constant cracking. Consequently, the act of cutting back on the cost of paving slabs will only you cost you more money in the long run. What’s more? If you have an existing patio you’d like to replace, then you’d probably need to include the cost of removing the existing one.

One thing you should know about block paving a drive is that it can be very expensive depending on a number of factors such as the materials to be incorporated, block paving pattern, labour cost as well as the size of the drive in question. However, before you get started it’s always a good idea to obtain multiple quotes to compare the prices and select the most reasonable quote. Here, we’ve provided a breakdown of the block paving cost to ensure that you’ll not get ripped off.

There are three main types of block paving which includes clay blocks, concrete blocks as well as natural stone. If you were to go for complex block paving patterns and extras such as drainage solutions and edging, you may have to pay a significantly higher price. The size of your drive is also a major determinant of your block paving cost. What’s more? The materials you need as well as the contractors you select will all play a key role in the final cost of block paving your drive.

The material cost for the three types of block paving includes: Clay block £70 to £100 per m2, concrete blocks £20 to £60 per m2 and natural stone £50 to £105 per m2. To calculate your total material cost, you’ll need to determine the size of your drive.

The cost of labour for installing block paving is usually within the range of £50 to £100 per square metre. In certain cases, you may also have some waste removal needs. If you’re going to hire a specialist that’ll take a day or two of labour to get the job done, it’ll cost about £150 to £200 per day.

Other additional block paving costs include: hardcore £300, blocks and edgings £1,700, sharp sand £250. kiln-dried sand £250 and skip hire £500.

Are you worried there’s a slope on the area where your block paving is to be installed? Good news is, it’s very possible to lay block paving on a slope. However, this can be a very difficult task which should be done by a reliable professional ( especially if you lack proper training and experience) who can guarantee the best results, the first time and also help save you money from possible costly mistakes. This guide will provide you with everything you need about the slope block paving installation process. Let’s have a look!

• Demarcate The Walkway

To get started, you have to determine how and where you want your walkway to be while also determining the thickness of the paver. Ensure to choose the less sloppy area and utilize landscape paint to mark the area visibly.

• Prepare The Ground

Clear out all forms of dirts, roots, rocks and other debris on the soil. Once done, proceed to cutting the sods to the required length and put them somewhere close.

• Make Boundaries

There’s a need for landscape borders. Here, it’ll be easier to use plastics as boundaries for your lawn’s edges. Install them on the sides that have already been cut

• Apply A Level Of Gravel

Obtain the correct size of gravel and spread them evenly over the area to ensure a firm foundation for the pavers is formed. Makes sure that the rocks is at a minimum of 2 inches deep into the soil.

• Install The Block Pavers

Start from the centremost position of the pathway and work towards the sides until you’re able to cover every inch of the area.

• Apply A Layer Of Cement

Apply cement over the pavers and utilize a broom to sweep it and fill up all the gaps and spaces between the pavers. Then, press the pathway to be levelled using a compactor.

Gravel driveways, when properly installed, can be a very cost effective way of surfacing all driveways including both the big and the small ones. As a result, it has grown to become a common choice amongst homeowners in the UK. It does a great job at giving a property a more natural look than other driveway surfacing options which includes concrete, block paving or tarmac.

Are you planning to install a gravel on your driveway? If yes, then you’ll most likely be interested to know exactly how much it’s going to cost. Well, to get started you’ll have to decide whether you’ll be doing this yourself or perhaps you’d be hiring a specialist. The project could be much more effective if you decide to tackle it on your own as you’re only going to be worried about the paying for the materials without any labour costs. However, installing a driveway is in no way an easy task even for the competent and more experienced DIYers. So if you choose to carry out the project on your own, you should also get ready for a longer completion time than it would have been if you hired a tradesman which is usually around 48 hours. If you have all the tools and materials in place before commencement, then it’s possible to complete the project over the weekend. However, there are many risks involved such as the possibility of misjudging the amount of base layer and gravel required etc.

Here, we’ll look at the various material costs of gravel driveways, as labour costs largely varies from one tradesman to the other.

The material cost of a gravel driveway of about 20 square metre should range between £1100 to £1200, 40 square metre should cost between £1600 to £2000 and 80 square metre gravel driveway should cost between £2800 to £3200.

Have you decided to install block paving and wondering what the best sand to be applied to the joints is in order to achieve a perfect job? Well, you’re at the right place! This is one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to block paving and we seek to give you a reliable solution once and for all.

The best sand for block paving is a kiln-dried sand. It’s an extremely fine sand which has been dried in a kiln to get rid of all the water before it’s incorporated to achieve the best results. Therefore, the sand contains no moisture and is commonly used to fill the joints of block paving to keep the paving’s structure rigid and strong. It also goes a long way to prevent the ingress of water while stopping the paving from moving and becoming loose. The major reason why the paving sand must be dried is to allow it flow easily into the joints as well as the block paving’s gaps. As result of this smooth flowing to the bottom of the joints, there will be no sand sticking to the sides of the pavers.

Another major reason why kiln-dried sand is commonly applied to the block paving’s joints is to prevent water from penetrating the paved area. It also tightens the individual pavers together to prevent from moving and becoming loose. In the event whereby you happen to leave the joints of your block paving without kiln dried sand, it’s highly likely that they’ll sink as a result of water penetration and the blocks will become very loose. After washing block paving, it’s very important to also replace any sand washed off in the process once the paving is dried to prevent water ingress into the joints.

Driveway work is usually done in the warmer half of the year. This is partly to avoid bad weather. If you want to get ahead and avoid waiting for a contractor to be free, you should try getting in touch with a professional in the early spring so a date can be booked for install as soon as practically possible.