Find a Driveway Installer you can trust in Haslemere.

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.

Driveways usually sink because they haven’t been laid properly. They may not have been dug deep enough, or the installer might not have used the right materials. This will need to be corrected at the earliest opportunity, although in extreme cases, the driveway may need to be completly be relaid.

If you want to give your concrete paving slabs a new lease of life, it’s possible to paint them. This is a great option if your slabs are looking tired or you want a new look, but you don’t want to invest in new paving.

Before you go ahead, you need to make sure that your slab paving is clean and dry. And if it’s been sealed, you’ll need to strip this off. Make sure you get a paint that’s specifically designed for the job so you get the best results.

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.

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.

Pitting, also referred to as spalling is the event whereby “pits” or small holes start showing on the surface of your concrete driveway which makes it appear both worn and uneven. Concrete driveway pitting is a common but highly frustrating problem for most homeowners. You’ll see some concrete driveways that’ll only start to pit after a couple of years, but this is not true for all concrete driveways as others will start to show signs only after a couple of months. So how do you tackle this issue? Well, it’s relatively simple to tackle, however if you’re not confident or lack the necessary skills, we’d recommend you get in touch with a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we’ll take you through the concrete driveway pitting repair process.

✓ Prepare the pits by cleaning the area, clearing out all debris and more. The small pits can be cleaned with a stiff brush while a sturdy broom will do a good job for larger pits.

✓ Make use of a hose to spray the concrete pits and flush out all remaining bits of waste.

✓ If you’re tackling series of small pits, simply use a caulking gun filled with pre-mixed epoxy and specially formulated for concrete to fill the pits. Clear off the excess eproxy ensuring that its level with the concrete surface. Once done, simply leave for at least 24 hours before the application of a concrete sealant to prevent the wear and tear of the new concrete.

✓ Chisel out a little concrete and clean with a pressure washer. Once done, apply a concrete resurfacing compound mixture into the holes and use a trowel to level off.

✓ Ensure that the repaired concrete driveway is protected from rain and foot traffic for at least 6 hours (or 24 hours for vehicles).

Cleaning block paving is a fairly straightforward task, although you’ll want to be careful to not use any chemicals that may cause damage to the surface. Use a simple household soap, mixed with water, and brush this across the paving with a stiff brush. Then, simply rinse off with clean water. Alternatively, use a pressure washer – but be careful not to use it on a powerful setting, as this may damage the joints and can cause slabs to come loose. Using the pressure washer on a medium setting and at a 45 degree angle is recommended.