Find a Driveway Installer you can trust in Blyth.

It’s up to you what size gravel you use for your driveway, but there are some guidelines that are worth following. If you go too small, your gravel will get displaced easily. But, if you go too big, you driveway might be quite tricky to walk on. Generally, it’s a good idea to go for a gravel size somewhere between 10-20mm.

Have you decided to install block paving and wondering what the best sand to be applied to the joints is in order to achieve a perfect job? Well, you’re at the right place! This is one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to block paving and we seek to give you a reliable solution once and for all.

The best sand for block paving is a kiln-dried sand. It’s an extremely fine sand which has been dried in a kiln to get rid of all the water before it’s incorporated to achieve the best results. Therefore, the sand contains no moisture and is commonly used to fill the joints of block paving to keep the paving’s structure rigid and strong. It also goes a long way to prevent the ingress of water while stopping the paving from moving and becoming loose. The major reason why the paving sand must be dried is to allow it flow easily into the joints as well as the block paving’s gaps. As result of this smooth flowing to the bottom of the joints, there will be no sand sticking to the sides of the pavers.

Another major reason why kiln-dried sand is commonly applied to the block paving’s joints is to prevent water from penetrating the paved area. It also tightens the individual pavers together to prevent from moving and becoming loose. In the event whereby you happen to leave the joints of your block paving without kiln dried sand, it’s highly likely that they’ll sink as a result of water penetration and the blocks will become very loose. After washing block paving, it’s very important to also replace any sand washed off in the process once the paving is dried to prevent water ingress into the joints.

1. Prepare the base If you want your resin bound driveway to last a long time, you need to ensure that you prepare the base properly. Remove any block paving, grass or soil and dig down until you hit solid ground. Lay a sub-base of asphalt for good permeability. If you’re laying over the top of your current driveway, make sure that all cracks are increased into a ‘v’ shape with a saw and ensure the surface is dry and weed-free.
2. Mix the resin You must follow the instructions on the materials you have to the letter if you want the curing process to work. Usually batches come in ‘Part A’ and ‘Part B’. Keep the resin container secure and on a protective surface to avoid splashing, then mix Part A for 10-20 seconds at a slow speed with a helical bladed mixer. Add Part B and mix thoroughly at a slow speed for about 2 minutes until it’s blended together.
3. Mix the dried aggregates and sand with the resin Place a quarter of the aggregates into a mixer, then add the pre-mixed resin and start a stopwatch. You should then add the rest of the aggregates before slowly adding the sand. When you’re happy with that mix, stop the stopwatch. That time is the time that you need to spend mixing any other resin and aggregates to avoid colour variation.
4. Lay the mix on the surface Transfer the mix to the work area then plan a laying route. When the mix is laid out, use a very clean trowel to spread the mix. Clean it regularly during the process to avoid dragging aggregates out of place. Once the aggregates stop moving in a fluid movement and become solid, stop trowelling. Then you can polish the surface to give it an attractive shine.

Driveway work is usually done in the warmer half of the year. This is partly to avoid bad weather. If you want to get ahead and avoid waiting for a contractor to be free, you should try getting in touch with a professional in the early spring so a date can be booked for install as soon as practically possible.

Slab paving is a great material to use to create a sturdy shed base.

Start by measuring out the area where your shed is going to be. This needs to be the size of your shed, plus about 10-20cm extra each way. Mark it out with string and pegs, make sure it’s square, and dig it down to about 6cm deep.

Then create a sand and cement mixture and put a layer down, followed by your paving slabs. Make sure you start in one corner and use a rubber mallet and spirit level to make sure they’re as level as possible. Leave this to set and you’re ready to use your shed base.

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.

How To Repair A Pothole In Gravel Driveways

When the integrity of your gravel driveway is impaired not only does it have a negative impact on the curb appeal of your property, but also makes your driveway a danger zone. If your driveway needs to be repaired, you’d simply have to grab the bull by the horn and get it done - the sooner, the better to avoid the problem getting worse and to have your beautiful gravel driveway back as soon as possible.

The major cause of potholes in driveways is usually water, when it gets trapped beneath the surface of the driveway. Therefore, you may also want to enhance the drainage in the area as part of your repair. The repair process is quite simple for confident do-it-yourselfers, but if otherwise, then calling in a reliable professional will save you some time and extra money that can result from possible errors. So how do you repair gravel driveway potholes?

✓ Prepare the area. This involves removing all forms of debris from the pothole. To achieve this, you can rake, shovel or brush the loose stones, soil and other debris from the pothole.

✓ Fill the pot hole. Make use of a coarse gravel to fill up the pothole to a depth of about 3 inches beneath the driveway’s level. Upon the filling, simply tamp down the coarse gravel using a commercial tamper or any available homemade option. Once done, the final 3 inches to the surface of the gravel driveway should then be filled up with gravel which perfectly matches the colour and texture of the remaining driveway.

✓ Compact the patch. To achieve this in an easy and fast way, simply run your car’s wheel up and down over the repaired spot gently a couple of times. This will be enough to compact the patch and seal the pothole.