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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.

Oil stains on your concrete driveway can look obvious and unsightly. However, there are several different ways to remove them.

If you’ve only just spilled the oil, you can use a mixture of absorbent material, like sawdust, and solvent, like acetone or lacquer. Combine these, place them on the stain, cover and leave for about 24 hours. Then sweep up the mixture and rinse the area with water.

If you’ve got a small, older stain, you can use a detergent like baking soda, vinegar, washing up liquid or laundry detergent. Cover the stain with the detergent and leave for about 30 minutes. Then, add hot water and scrub the area and rinse. You might need to repeat this if necessary.

If it’s a larger, more stubborn stain, you might need to use a special degreaser. You can use this similarly to a detergent but make sure you follow the instruction on the bottle carefully.

Weeds growing on your gravel can look unsightly, so it’s worth taking steps to stop them sprouting up.

When you lay your driveway, make sure you use a weed proof membrane. This will help to stop most growth, although it won’t totally prevent weeds occurring. For any other growth, dig the weed out or use a weed killer.

To inexperienced people laying of paving slab isn’t much more than digging a little, purchasing little amount of mortar and pressing down the paving slabs. But how good would it have been if only it were that easy in real life? The truth is, in reality, laying paving slabs does not only require you to prepare your sub-base painstakingly and mix your mortar using the appropriate materials, but you’d also have to work with accurate and precise paver placements to guarantee the patio’s longevity. As a result, if you lack proper training or experience, we’d recommend you hire the services of a seasoned professional who can guarantee the best results and also save you time and extra cash that may result from possible costly errors. In this guide, you’d gain more insight into the paving slabs laying process.

To get started, you’ll need sharp sand, cement, shovel, wheelbarrow, pointing trowel, rubber mallet, spirit level, jointing compound, hard-bristled brush and tarpaulin.

• Mix a layer of mortar for each paver.

• Apply the mixed mortar onto the sub base by using the trowel.

• Slot the first flag in place and ensure not to stain the paver’s surface with the mixed mortar.

• Using a rubber mallet, carefully tap the paver to the mortar bed. Once done, ensure the surface is even with a spirit level.

• Take a measurement of the gap between the pavers

• Repeat the above steps until all pavers have been perfectly laid

• Leave the pavers to dry for about 1 to 2 days. You can protect it using a tarpaulin if concerned about rain.

• Use the jointing compound to fill up the paver gaps to bind together the pavers. Ensure to wipe off any excess compound using the hard bristled brush.

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.

Gravel, asphalt, concrete and paving can all be permeable. However, some types of asphalt and concrete are impermeable. This is why it’s important to be precise about what material you want for your driveway. If you want a permeable driveway, you should also make sure that your sub-base is also permeable.

Patios use durable and hard wearing materials which will be able to withstand extreme weather. It’s important to consider the drainage of your patio, as heavy rain will need to drain away to an area that can absorb the water. A professional will be able to design and lay a patio to do this.

How to joint pave or grout paving slabs is a common question asked by several home owners. Most times they may have some existing paving and thinking its high time to have them re-pointed or laid some new pavings and wondering how to fill the gaps.

In the UK, patios don’t get much use especially during cold winter months. However even when not in use, the combination of wet weather and cold temperatures is capable of having the hardest outdoor living spaces looking a bit neglected. This may lead to cracked grouting which leaves gaps between stones making way to a place where weeds can grow and flourish during spring. You definitely wouldn’t want your outdoor living space looking this messy. Hence, there’s a need to get your patio back on track by grouting the paving slabs. However, if you lack proper training or experience, it’s advisable to employ a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results. In this guide, you’ll learn more about the paving slabs grouting process.

• Saturate the area that needs to be repointed with the help of a hosepipe and/or watering cans. Use a yard brush to distribute the water across the paving slabs.

• Pour a generous amount of your compound product over the newly soaked patio.

• Sweep the into the joints where it’s needed with the help of a broom. Do this carefully in order to make sure each and every joint is fully filled with the compound. If done right, this can help prevent premature cracking for a long period of time.

• Once the joints are filled with the compound, brush aside the exces product and strike it in. Ensure that the product is pressed firmly into each gap leaving behind no spaces.

• Sweep out the excesses which can be kept for future use.