Driveway materials, laying, maintenance and cost

An attractive, durable driveway can make all the difference to your home – find out which materials work best, how much they cost and how to lay and maintain your driveway here.

Driveway materials

Gravel driveways – loose materials like gravel, pebbles or shingles are a cheap driveway material. Various sizes, shapes and coloured gravel are available and are very easy to lay requiring little maintenance except topping up every so often and weeding. If your driveway is on a steep gradient loose materials like gravel will escape easily and are not a good option.

Concrete block paving stones – “Standard concrete blocks are the most common material used for driveways because they are hardwearing and cost-effective,” says Luke Wilkins, from the Driveway Company in Milton Keynes. Concrete blocks are also available in a wide variety of colours, textures and finishes but colour will fade over time and use.

Clay block paving – clay block paving has been used for decades in driveway materials and is a natural, durable option. Clay also comes in range of colours and shades depending partly on the way it is fired. The main advantage of clay is that the colour runs throughout so does not fade when the paving wears away.

Stone block paving – natural stone is the most expensive, durable and long lasting driveway material. Traditionally British stone from York was used but cheaper options are now available, as Rob from Plantazia Patios and Walls in Kent points out: “Sandstone imported from India has now become popular because it’s the cheapest kind of natural stone and comes in many colours.” As with clay, the colour of stone does not fade over time.

Tarmac – this is a cheap driveway option but it doesn’t look very attractive, can be worn away by petrol spills and is time consuming to lay. If homes in your street have tarmac driveways though, it could be a good idea to match yours.

Poured concrete – this has the same benefits of concrete block paving but is quicker to lay and doesn’t give as nice a finish.

Driveway laying

Your driveway can be completely ruined if not laid properly: “You should always hire a professional to install any kind of hard landscaping, if you lay the paving incorrectly it will start to lift really quickly,” explains Rob. To lay the driveway properly a sub-base layer of something like granular aggregate concrete or hardcore (made of broken brick, stone or concrete mix) needs to be applied. This must be levelled out and compacted in some cases before the bedding layer is applied. Sometimes a flexible bedding of sand is used provided the driveway isn’t steep or likely to flood. Most often though a layer of concrete sand, also known as sharp sand is used. Paving blocks are then applied evenly in the desired pattern with small gaps of a few millimetres between them. Once laid, the sharpsand is used to fill the joints. “To get the most solid driveway we use a sub-layer of hardcore and a sharp sand bedding before laying the slabs,” says Luke.

 

Planning permission for driveways

Most homes do not require planning permission for driveway laying, the exception is if you live in a listed building. There are some rules you need to adhere to though, such as not making access to the property more difficult (with stairs rather than a ramp for example). You must also make sure that you either use permeable materials like gravel, concrete blocks or natural stone which absorb rainwater, or slope the driveway to provide run off to a grassy area. It is important not to build the driveway higher than the height of your damp proof course to prevent rising damp problems.

Driveway maintenance

You will need to weed and sweep your driveway occasionally and if made of paving blocks, it will require regular weeding. Apart from that, “The driveway should only need jet washing maybe once a year,” says paving specialist Rob.

Driveway cost

The cost of your driveway will vary depending on the material and size. Generally, loose materials like gravel are cheapest, stone is most expensive. Luke says that “Concrete blocks can cost as little as £12 per square meter, natural sandstone around £25.” Always consult at least three driveway laying contractors for quotes.

AB