What Are the Best Surfaces for Driveways?

Whether you are considering a new drive for your home or you’re a developer looking at options for driveways for a large scale building project, many of the considerations will be the same. You will want a surface that is hard wearing, long lasting, looks good and comes in within your budget. It’s quite an ask! Luckily, there is plenty of choice when it comes to drive surfaces and all of them have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Which you choose for your project will tend to come down to two main factors: how it looks and how much you can afford to spend. So that you can make a more informed decision, here, we look at a few of the features of each of the surfaces we commonly lay at J Davies Building Ltd.

Tarmacking

Tarmac, or asphalt as it’s also known, is probably the most affordable option on the market, which is great if you have large areas to cover or you’re on a tight budget. It’s also well known as being a pretty tough material – there’s a good reason why it’s the surface chosen for many UK roads and motorways! It offers a pretty smooth finish, but provides more skid resistance than, say, concrete alternatives, and this type of surface also helps reduce splashback. Laid by experts who conduct the proper preparation in terms of groundworks (ie excavating the ground, protecting it with a weed-resistant membrane and layering crushed and compacted concrete to provide a solid base), it will last a long time without cracks or potholes developing. It may not look the prettiest surface, but suitable kerbing can go a long way to making it look neat and tidy.

Resin Surfaces

A little more money to spend? A bound resin surface may be the way to go. This covers up any existing concrete or tarmac surface, utilising this as a firm base. The resin binds aggregate, small stones, to form an attractive yet firm surface. With a range of coloured resins and different sizes and types of aggregates available, resin bound driveways can be customised to complement the look of your home or neighbourhood. It also gives something of the appearance of a gravel driveway without the nuisance of having to endlessly sweep stones back into place! Although the surface is firm and unyielding, it is porous, meaning rainwater drains effortlessly through to the soil below. Resin surfaces are highly durable, UV resistant so they won’t fade and they’re quick and easy to lay too.

Paving

Paving can be done relatively inexpensively if you’re opting for very plain, uniform blocks. Alternatively, designs can be as elaborate as you wish and types of stones are available at most price points. Edging can also add to the cost, to keep the blocks in place and prevent unsightly gaps. And drainage solutions will be required if the blocks you have chosen aren’t permeable. But there is certainly plenty of choice if you want a driveway that’s more visually appealing than tarmac or resin bound alternatives. Again, you want a highly experienced contractor to lay a paved driveway – failure to prepare the ground properly can lead to sinking in high-use areas. But if damage does occur to one or more blocks, it’s much easier to replace these than the whole surface, ensuring a longer life for your driveway.

For expert advice on driveways in Brighton, Burgess Hill, Hassocks or across East Sussex and West Sussex, call on J Davies Building Ltd. With around thirty years’ experience in the industry, we can professionally and properly lay driveways of all types and are local authority approved to construct cross overs (or dropped kerbs) where necessary.