Driveways by Landshapes
This is the entrance to your home, where you pass through on a regular basis, and where your guests do too. So whilst driveways need to be practical to cope with the amount of traffic required, aesthetics are also important. A variation of materials and planting can give great kerbside appeal, as well as making access to the entrance of your home as easy as possible. Combining three main materials such as timber, blocks and shingle can give a great effect. Also consider using timber on edge for borders instead of traditionally laying them flat, which can look stunning.
With the introduction of recent regulations, consideration needs to be given to drainage, so planted areas, permeable blocks, shingle and ‘soak aways’ can be the solution.
Security is another key factor. The use of sensor operated lights in addition to more ambient ones is a good idea. Shingle around the entrance and windows can give a noisy warning of visitors (welcome or not!) and specific planting around downstairs windows of spikey shrubs can deter
intruders.
With regards to construction, a good driveway will be made up of several layers at the correct depths and of the appropriate materials to ensure long term stability. Depending on your existing driveway it will probably need to be dug out to create a suitable ‘formation’ level at the appropriate
depth. This needs to be clear of any organic matter or top soil and should be on compacted subsoil free of any soft spots.
The next layer is the ‘sub-level’ made up of compacted hardcore or 20mm scalpings and needs to be between 100-150mm deep. These first two levels are critical and should not be compromised; it is a false economy to attempt to save money here. If these stages are not done correctly your driveway will soon develop dips and bumps and the overall effect will quickly be spoilt. For a shingle finish this can be laid directly onto the sublevel, but if you are having pavers you would also need a laying level made up of 50mm of a coarse grit sand to enable a nice level surface for the blocks to be bedded on. Finally kiln dried or paving sand is brushed between the blocks to give the final measure of stability.
If you need to construct a driveway on a budget then instead of reducing spend on any of the base layers you could consider using cheaper blocks or even block edging with a shingle filling.
Why not contact us today to arrange your first free consultation.
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