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Clearing snow from a gravel driveway can be tricky – you need to remove the snow without taking the gravel with it.

If the snow’s quite light and dry, try using a leaf blower. You might find that this is enough to get the snow out the way. If it isn’t, start by using a shovel. Use this to clear the top layer of snow off your driveway, leaving about an inch behind. Then, use a rake to remove most of the remaining snow. This won’t take away 100% of the snow or leave all of your gravel in place, but it’s still pretty effective. You can then lay salt to melt away the rest of the snow and stop it turning into ice.

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.

Paving comes in a wide range of colours and patterns. Consider using a contrasting colour for the edges of your patio or driveway for a tidy effect. A paving specialist can advise you on different combinations possible, alternatively, have a look online at what products, shapes and colours are produced.

There’s no doubt that weeds coming through your block paving can be unsightly and annoying. But, it’s relatively easy to get rid of weeds that are growing in the joints between your block paving. To start, pull out the larger weeds, and then you can use a pressure washer or firm bristled brush to remove the smaller weeds and debris from the joints in your block paving. It’s best to then refill the joints with additional sand to ensure your block paving remains level. Regularly brushing your block paving and treating with weed killer will help to prevent the weeds from reoccurring.

Is there a hole in your asphalt driveway you feel you can repair yourself? If it’s something you know you can confidently do then this step by step guide is just for you. If otherwise, then we’d recommend you hire the services of a reliable professional who can guarantee the best results while also saving you some time and extra money that could result from possible errors. In this article, we’d go over the reparation process of an asphalt driveway with a hole in it.

✓ Get the necessary tools. You’re going to need a broom ( to clean the area), caulking gun ( to fill the hole), a hand tamp a plate compactor or a hammer ( to level the filled in hole) and a weeding glove (just in case there are weeds growing in the hole).

✓ Prepare the area. Do this by weeding the plants or weeds that might have grown inside the hole and identify your asphalt filler.

✓ Wet your soil, if necessary. It’s important to note that this is only necessary if your soil is dry to help the filler stick properly.

✓ Fill in deep holes. If the hole goes down about 3 to 4 inches or more, simply fill it with any material like rocks, clay etc.

✓ Apply the asphalt filler. Fill the hole with the asphalt filler to about half an inch higher than the surface of the driveway.

✓ Level the filler. For a large hole, make use of a plate compactor or a hand stamp, but a hammer will be sufficient for smaller holes.

✓ Cover the hole, if necessary. If your home isn’t level, covering your hole with a piece of plywood is advisable.

✓ Clean off the seal. After the asphalt looks done and in place, simply brush away the debris from the seal to finish off the project.

It’s always a good idea to be sure of how you’re going to keep the annoying gravel spillage off your driveway way before its installation, however, if you’ve already done so, it’s better late than never. We all know how great a gravel driveway can look when the gravels manage to stay in place. When gravel is used on a driveway it provides a great transition from the normal hardness of a driveway to the organic softness of the lawn which doesn’t retain water or gush runoff during irrigation or rainfall. Unfortunately, the sad thing here is gravel don’t just like to stay put. Before long, if ignored, you’d realize your hard surfaces will almost be covered with gravel coming in from the side. So what’s the solution to this rather annoying situation?

Here, we’ll show you just how you can keep your gravel in place in your driveway. Let’s take a look!

The solution here is simple - simply make use of Pour On. With Pour On, you won’t have to think about of clearing out your gravel features to put an end to the issue of loose rocks spilling on your hard surfaces. With Pour On, you’ll be able to hold your gravel in place for several years to come. And even more importantly, it’s able to achieve this objective while also protecting the integrity the existing permeability of your driveway. What’s more? It also goes a long way to retain the natural look provided by your gravel driveway which makes it the perfect solution to the annoying gravel spillage issues.

Do you know why paving slaps is a popular choice for both driveways and patios? Well, it’s the versatility! With its durability, diverse colour range, different styles as well as a timeless appeal, paving slabs happen to be a common choice amongst home owners. However, you should know that redeeming these benefits is not as simple as shovelling mortar and pressing down the paving slabs, and neither is it a case whereby you can just copy the laying process of a porcelain paving or block paving. Laying of paving slabs is on a whole other level! As a result, we’d recommend employing a trustworthy professional who can guarantee the best results the first time, especially if you lack proper training or experience to complete the task. In this step by step guide, you’ll discover more about the paving slabs laying process.

• Prepare your paving foundation. This includes checking that your foundation is level, marking out the area to be paved with wooden pegs, removing all vegetation and top soil to a depth of about 200mm to 250mm and raking the area level to ensure and even depth.

• Mix a layer of mortar for each paver and apply the mixed mortar onto the sub base by using the trowel.

• Lay the slabs on top of the laying course at the lowest point of the area to be paved.

• Take note that you may need to cut some slabs depending on the paving area size, your chosen slabs and the pattern selected.

• Once done, brush the area clean and start jointing. The best way to do this is by applying kiln dried sand to the paved area and carefully brush into the joints with a brush.

• Push the sands into the joints using a plate compactor

• Check the paved area for any gaps and fill where necessary.

Being a strong and durable product requiring little maintenance and expected to last over 2 decades, it’s little wonder resin is now a popular material amongst homeowners in the UK to build their driveways. However, there’s always the issue of the driveway fading, cracking or even becoming worn and tired. So is it possible to repair resin driveways? The answer is yes, a resin driveway can be repaired, however the best approach to use largely depends on the issue being faced. As a confident DIYer it’ll be very easy to do, but if you lack the confidence then calling in a professional for help would be a better option. So let’s take a look at how you can repair your resin driveways.

For cracks, the best reparation approach would be to chisel it out. Once done, then you can proceed to breaking the stones to form a rough edge. It’s important to make sure that the matrix of the stone remains unaffected. Make a new mixture of resin bound stone and pack it in tightly to the gap. While doing this, we’ll recommend making use of a plastic trowel to avoid burnishing. This fresh mixture will then create a smooth and perfect surface by interlocking with the edges. You can follow similar procedure for patches but these are larger holes or damages than cracks and as the name suggests are mostly likely to remain noticeable but will prevent further crumbling of your resin driveway.

For homeowners, who aren’t so keen about the patch repairs, you can opt for an overlay especially in the event whereby the majority of the surface has failed. Although many usually shy away from this approach because of the perceived high expenses, but the fact is that the approach is actually cost effective as you won’t have the need to spend more money in the long run.