Find a Driveway Installer you can trust in Haltwhistle.

1. Prepare the sub-baseThe driveway company will excavate, or dig, the existing surface down to a depth of around 200mm. They will remove any debris from the area may place it in a skip or arrange for it to be removed in another way. When they dig down to the sub-base of your previous driveway, they will assess how much hardcore they need and arrange for that to be delivered to the site. They will then spread the hardcore across the sub-base to create a level surface to pour the concrete on. Most good contractors will apply a gel to any walls and doors to protect them from concrete splashes. They will also add any gulley tops, manhole covers or shuttering that’s required.
2. Installation and imprintingNext, the tradespeople will have the concrete either poured from a large mixer vehicle or barrow it in from a mixer and pour onto the surface. They level it with rakes, then add a colour surface hardener in a colour of your choice. This will give the driveway its permanent colour. They will then wait until the concrete has hardened to the correct consistency for imprinting the pattern, then will use special tools and stencils to make the pattern that you asked for. They will then spread a colour powder called a release agent over the surface, and leave to dry for 1 to 2 days depending on the weather conditions.
3. CleaningWhen the contractors return, they will add crack control cuts into the concrete. This is important because concrete expands and contracts in the heat, so there needs to be some give to stop any larger cracks from forming. Then everything is power washed clean, and a chemical wash is also used on the concrete to ensure it’s completely dust-free. The installers will ensure all your walls and doors are clean, which will hopefully be an easy job if they used wall gel.
4. SealingThe final step is to seal the driveway. There needs to have been at least two dry days before the tradespeople can do it, so you might find it’s best to have your pattern imprinted driveway installed in the summer. The contractors will blow any debris away from the surface and dry any damp areas where necessary. They will then add an anti-slip agent to the sealant and brush it on. It’s best to not walk or drive onto your new concrete driveway for about 4 days after sealing to allow everything to set. But after that, you’re ready to use your new driveway!

Is Block Paving Permeable?

Back in 2008, there was a regulation introduced which comes with a requirement guiding the pavement of front gardens. It requires homeowners to incorporate the conventional impermeable driveways which makes for an uncontrolled run off of rainwater into sewers, roadways, local watercourses etc. However since then, new systems have been established which complies with the legislation and permit driveway laying of block paving without requiring planning permission while still providing the same visually appealing features as the conventional systems. Therefore, a short and simple answer to whether block paving is permeable is yes.

A permeable paving driveway (unlike the conventional ones which quickly diverts rainwater towards the edges to local drains) purposefully diverts rainwater into the built paving structure which oversees a controlled release of the rainwater into the environment. Permeable block paving comes with a wide range of benefits which includes the following:

• No Planning Permission Required

Unlike the traditional system, permeable block paving requires no planning permission as it oversees the driveway draining by ensuring that the surface water passes directly through the joints which makes sure the drains are not over worked and minimizing the risk of flood.

• Puddles Reduction By Natural Drainage

A permeable block paving minimizes puddles as well as standing water which helps to boost natural drainage. This is due to the laying process which features little voids that permits the passage of water.

• Natural Filtration

A natural filtration occurs when water is allowed to return to the ground by permeable block paving which helps assists in getting rid of any pollutants from the rain water.

• Flood Prevention

Permeable paving can help to prevent flooding as it absorbs water rather than directing it to the local drains or leaving it to build up on the surface’s top.

• Natural & Sustainable Materials

Natural and recyclable materials can be incorporated in producing permeable paving which is an excellent choice especially if you’re seeking a more sustainable driveway.

Generally, a paved driveway is always subjected to regular usage and yours isn’t likely to be an exception, otherwise you won’t be here. Regular usage automatically necessitates regular maintenance of the driveway in order to extend its lifespan, make your property safer and add more value to it. This maintenance will involve a frequent inspection of the paved driveway so as to identify and repair divots, cracks as well as rutting. Paved driveways usually have a lifespan ranging between 15 to 20 years, but this can only be guaranteed when backed by regular maintenance activities. Failure to provide your paved driveway with a regular maintenance will lead to a rapid deterioration within just a couple of years after installation.

The issues commonly faced by paved driveways is usually different based on several factors such as the weather, your location, your property’s sub base as well as some other elements. The ability to identify the problems and solve or repair them on time is key to success while it’s also save you some time and money. In this article we’re going to look at how to go about do-it-yourself tasks that involves minor cracks. More intense damages are advised to be handled only by professionals.

✓ Prepare the area. Clear the debris, weed the plants or vegetation (if any).

✓ Use a strong spray from a garden hose to wash clean the cracks

✓ In the event whereby the crack is deep, simply fill it until it reach about a quarter inch of the surface with sand.

✓ Tamp down the sand to make it more compact.

✓ Apply a patching compound to the surface of the cracked paved driveway.

✓ Leave it for some time to cure.

✓ Once cured, you can then apply your sealant.

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.

How To Repair Sunken Concrete Driveway

If you have concrete driveway that’s cracked, uneven and mostly especially sunken, you’d know how distasteful it can be just viewing it on your property. A sunken concrete driveway is most likely caused by rainwater erosion removing the soil under it or a big root under it which as rotted over time. Another possible cause of the sunken concrete is an improperly prepared base which implies that the soil beneath wasn’t fully compact when the concrete was poured on it. Later on the soil beneath will eventually settle and shift below the concrete driveway which weakens the integrity of the entire driveway, making it more vulnerable to cracks, unevenness and sunken.

Two ways in which you can fix this problem includes either demolishing the whole driveway, re-compact the soil underneath and fill with new concrete or repair the entire driveway using an easy process called slabjacking. In this article, we’re going to look at the slabjacking repair process as it’s significantly less expensive than the demolishing approach and will also cause minimal disruption to your lifestyle.

Also referred to as mudjacking or concrete lifting, slabjacking is simply a process used to float your existing concrete back to its original position. If you are not a competent DIYer or lack confidence to pull this off, we’d recommend reach out to a professional for help. If otherwise, then you can practice the slabjacking process given below.

✓ Drill holes through the slab.

✓ Pump grout mixture through the holes. This mixture will spread out beneath he driveway and raise it up.

✓ Lastly, fill the holes and level the concrete driveway surface.in such a way to hide the signs of the repair made.

This is a process that works to efficiently get your driveway back in a top condition relatively quickly.