Find a Driveway Installer you can trust in Whitby.

A patio is an outdoor space which can be used for a variety of stuffs which includes fun time with family and friends, reading time or just relaxing as the fresh breeze blows. With all these benefits and more, it’s becomes more obvious that there’s a need to keep your patio in a tip top condition at all times. If otherwise, you may not be able to enjoy your patio to your satisfaction and probably, for as long as you would want. You simply have to provide it with a regular maintenance which involves inspecting and identifying the damages that needs to be repaired before it gets out of hand. Fortunately, the minor repairs can be done by yourself if you’re confident enough. However, for bigger damages it’s advisable to call in a professional for help. In this article, we’ll take you through the patio reparation process.

✓ Prepare the area. This involves removing the problem piece gently and carefully. If there’s a piece you think can still be useful, store it in the re-use pile or you can start a new one. Once you’re done removing the pieces, the next thing to do would be to start removing anything that’s unwanted from the damaged area like debris, unwanted soil etc, and start sand fitting with some fresh sand. This should be levelled out to ensure there’s no bumps.

✓ With the sand down, you can start by putting the pieces back in together. This should be done gently to avoid any further damage. Do this until your patio

✓

Moss growth on tarmac and asphalt is pretty common. This can make your driveway or outside area slippy and untidy, so it’s a good idea to get rid of it.

Start by using a stiff brush to dislodge as much moss as possible and clear it off your driveway. Then use a moss killer to kill any remaining moss. Make sure you follow the product instructions – some moss killers are best used on tarmac or asphalt that’s clean and damp, whilst others are better for dry surfaces.

To prevent further moss growth, it’s a good idea to reduce the amount of shade on your tarmac or asphalt as much as possible. This will help you keep it as warm and dry as possible, and reduce moss growth.

Your contractor should have access to your driveway and a power source. If they have these things, you don’t need to be there while they’re working on your driveway. However, it’s worth being around if you can so you can clarify details and answer any questions.

Resin bound driveways are known to last a long time without the need for repairs, but sometimes accidents happen. You also need to make sure you regularly maintain your driveway by sweeping and power washing it to prevent damage. But if it does get damaged, how do you repair your resin bound driveway?

If you notice a crack in your resin bound driveway, it’s important to repair it as soon as possible. If you leave it to erode, you could end up with a difficult repair that will cost much more money.

To repair a crack, you’ll need to carefully chisel it open slightly so you can apply a primer then fill in the crack with a matching-coloured resin and aggregate mix. While there are variations in colour and size with all stone mixes, usually it’s easy to find a batch that matches almost perfectly. And once the crack has been repaired for a while, it will blend in seamlessly with the rest of your driveway.

To prevent cracking in your resin bound driveway, it’s best to tackle the issue at initial installation. Speak to your installer about whether it’s possible to add fibreglass mesh to the base. You should also ask your installer to add expansion trims as these will significantly reduce the risks of cracks.

So the best way to repair resin bound driveways is to prise open the crack and fill it in. It might seem simple, but getting the right colour match is something that should be left to the professionals, so get a few quotes to ensure you get the best finish.

Can You Lay Block Paving On Top Of Concrete?

The replacement or improvement of your driveway is unarguably one of the most expensive projects you can undertake in the exterior of your home. When done by a true professional the results can be impressive and visually appealing, however you’d have to pay huge bucks to have this done. This is exactly the situation with block paving as it is not only time consuming, but also a lot more expensive when compared to other types of driveway.

A large chuck of this cost is associated with the removal of the existing driveway. So assuming your old driveway is concrete, can you simply pave over the existing concrete? If yes, will it save you money? The simple and short answer is yes. It’s in fact advisable to pave over concrete as this will not only add around 20% to your home’s value, but also make it look a lot more attractive and pleasing to the eye.

However, there are some problems associated with block paving over concrete. It may be better to remove the concrete in situations whereby the base is substandard. For instance, if the ground underneath the concrete is failing, there’ll most definitely be problems.

Also, there’ll be some issues with settling (not even the cracks). If your concrete is dropping little amounts every year, these can affect the blocks and ultimately lead to dropping of some sections of the block paving in such a way that they’ll no longer be on the same level as the other blocks. Giving a rise to the possibility of drainage issues, tripping hazard and lots more.

Other issues that may crop up can be triggered as a result of using the wrong size block height as well as totally ignoring or overlooking the undulations of the concrete.

Are you planning on investing in a new driveway for your home? If yes, then you’d probably want to know how much you’re going to incur to complete the project. In this guide, we’ll give you an idea of the cost of constructing a new driveway.

When it comes to driveway construction a larger part ( up to 80%) of the cost is made of the parts that are completely invisible to you - the sub base as well as the ground preparation, while the remaining cost of about 20 percent is required for the paving and other materials. As a result, there are multiple factors affecting the price of a driveway project. These includes the materials preferred, the level of work that’s required for the ground preparation as well as the complexity of the laying pattern or design. With this in mind, you’d have to schedule an appointment with two or more professional to obtain and compare their quotes.

Although there are many other options, but block paving happens to be a popular choice due to its cost effectiveness, visual appeal as well as being a hard wearing drive. The common choice for block paving I the Drivesett Tegula and the price usually starts from range between £30 to £35 per m2 and above. However if you’re looking for the conventional block paving with a modern twist, then the Marshalls coppice is a suitable option. The cost of the option usually starts from £25 to £30 per m2 and above. You can also opt for block paving in circle designs which gives you a better option to make an impression. Once you’re able to figure out the size of the paving area, you can roughly estimate what the cost of your driveway will be.

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.

There is a variety of methods available to ensure that your paving drains properly, for example draining into a lawn or soakaway. Correct drainage of paving is a requirement for planning permission. See our guide on planning permission for paving for more information.