How To Keep Your Driveway Looking Amazing

Why Is Spring The Best Time For Garden Maintenance?

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:12:53 GMT

When the clocks change and the skies become bluer and less grey, it might be a good time to think about sorting your garden out.

Spring is an ideal time for some garden maintenance, when the weather is milder, and the growing conditions are perfect.

Why is spring a good time for planting?

The rains of March and April will have softened and warmed the soil and provided much-needed moisture. The lengthening days mean more sunlight for growth, perfect for sprouting greenery.

If there are plans for summer bulbs, spring is the time to plant them, ready to bloom in a few months.

Splitting and planting of perennials is also best done now to ensure their offspring can establish themselves by summer.

Don’t just stick with floral landscapes; it’s also a good opportunity to think about planting your summer crop vegetables.

It’s also a great time to clear out vegetation that was damaged by winter frosts and winds. Fallen branches and uprooted bushes can be removed to free up space for new foliage.

Troublesome weeds will have started returning in the spring months, and attacking them sooner will give them less time to establish deep roots.

Gardens need care year-round, but especially in spring when extra help or expert advice might be needed.

What are the main reasons for employing a landscape gardener?

Employing a professional gardener or landscaper, either regularly or as a one-off, can have many benefits, particularly at this time of year.

For the less green-thumbed, a gardener can provide expertise on what to plant, where to plant it and how to look after it
For the time-poor, a gardener can provide an essential service for keeping your garden in beautiful condition
Professional landscape gardeners will have all the right tools for the job, saving you time and money. They can also use them safely and efficiently, saving you from potential accidents
Maintenance of patios, driveways and water features can also be undertaken via professional gardening services
Landscape gardeners can be employed on longer projects to refurbish your entire outdoor space

Well-maintained gardens are not only lovely to look at, but they are also more welcoming and add value to your home.

Talk to us about how our landscaping and gardening services in Shrewsbury and Telford can help you create a beautiful outdoor space in time for summer.

What Are the Best Reasons For Replacing A Lawn With A Patio?

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:10:37 GMT

Our long experience of laying patios in Shrewsbury has identified common factors underpinning homeowners' decisions to install one, most of which involve laying one in place of a lawn.

Although many gardeners love having a lawn, and it may be great for those with kids to have a space to play, it does not suit everyone.

Moreover, maintaining a lawn can be problematic and there are times when it makes a lot of sense to replace it with a patio . These include:

· It offers a versatile outdoor leisure space for entertaining, barbecues and relaxation

· It can be very aesthetically appealing

· It may add to your property’s value

· It is lower maintenance than a lawn

The last of these may be a particularly important consideration. At various times, a lawn will need mowing, re-seeding, the addition of new drainage (which could be laid under a patio) and, in some cases, re-turfing due to weeds and moss taking over from the grass.

If your lawn does have drainage problems, for example, because you are on a hill and it gets a lot of water run-off, it may be bad for entertaining even in summer, as it may be too wet to lay a picnic blanket on, and deckchairs may sink into it.

A patio, however, should drain nicely and won’t turn muddy underfoot, so you can get outside and enjoy yourself much sooner when the rain stops and the sun comes out.

When Is The Best Time Of Year To Lay A Patio?

The best time of year to lay a patio is between March and November , as such work is always easier to undertake in warmer and drier weather, when the daylight hours are long enough to enable it to be done in less time.

Concrete and mortar set best when the temperature is between 10 and 21. This means a hot summer day is less than ideal for this work, unlike spring.

Besides, if you want to replace your lawn with a new patio, doing it now means everything is in place to enable you to enjoy it when the sunny summer days arrive.

Can You Replace An Unwanted Patio With A Lawn?

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 10:16:04 GMT

Whilst the trend in recent years has been to install larger and larger patios at the expense of existing garden space, this appears to have started to reverse, and there is a greater desire for more greenery, planters and trees to make a garden feel more vibrant.

Regardless of your preference, we can help through providing high-quality, beautiful patio installations or bespoke gardening and landscaping treatments to help you make the most of your green spaces.

Part of this is the increased popularity of rewilding , where some or all of a garden is deliberately allowed to grow out to create natural green habitats that attract birds, small mammals and beautiful insects, creating a small ecosystem that largely manages itself.

A complication for some gardens is that large chunks of it might have been paved over to allow for easier maintenance, but if you want to get rid of it and lay soil and turf in its place to allow a verdant lawn to grow, it is usually possible to replace it.

First of all, remove the pavers or concrete material and see what material has been used to lay a foundation for the paving. Often it will be a mix of sand, hardcore or aggregate, and perhaps a barrier to stop weeds from growing, all of which are laid above a layer of compacted soil.

Remove the weed barrier, sand and rubble as much as possible to ensure that the topsoil can directly contact the existing earth.

Next, till and turn the existing dirt to create holes and remove some of the compaction to allow it to drain effectively before laying topsoil on top of it.

Once this is done, you are in a good position in the spring to lay grass seeds and water them, so you will start to grow a flourishing lawn in the months to come.

How Early In The Year Can You Get A New Patio Laid?

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:22:07 GMT

Now the New Year has begun, you may have some big plans for the outside of your home, whether it is changes to the garden, a new driveway or laying a patio . But when is the right time to do the last of these things?

Few would suggest that January in Shropshire is an ideal time, especially after the snowy start to the year. But could February be soon enough for the work? Or is March or April the best time?

What Conditions Are Necessary For Laying A Patio?

Experts like ourselves, with extensive knowledge of laying patios and the ideal conditions for this work, know that winter is far from ideal. The optimal conditions for laying a patio will include the following:

The soil water content needs to be just right, not too wet and not too dry
This means you need less rainfall and more evaporation
You need an air temperature between 10 and 21 degrees C, as this is when concrete and mortar set best

These conditions very rarely arise in winter and it is especially hard to book a time without knowing what the temperature will be next week. Instead, the ideal time is in the spring or early summer, when the weather is more likely to be dry and temperatures will almost certainly be higher. Therefore, March is the earliest reasonable time to do it.

Having the patio installed in the spring can be ideal for another reason. Not only is it late enough after the start of the year for the temperature to be warm enough and the soil sufficiently dry, but it can also be early enough for the garden to grow up and flourish around it , ensuring that you have the look you want by the middle of summer.

You might be keen to get moving swiftly with your plans for the year, but when it comes to a patio, a little patience will help ensure that your patio installation is literally built on firm foundations and sets firmly, giving you a high-quality surface that will look great for many years.

How Do You Protect Your Gravel And Hoggin Surface In Winter?

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:18:35 GMT

During most of the year, a graded hoggin surface is a perfect addition to a historic or traditional-looking home and garden.

Much like gravel, its biggest practical benefit is its versatility, as it can be very easily taken care of, keeping its shape and aesthetic appeal without requiring specialist maintenance.

However, one consideration that a homeowner needs to make in winter is that both gravel and hoggin are particularly vulnerable to the effects of rain, snow and the freeze-thaw cycle, and this can cause erosion, pools of standing water and displacement of the surface.

Thankfully, it can also be protected through preventative maintenance, and with that in mind, here are some top tips to keep your surface protected this winter.

Clear Away Debris

Gravel and hoggin can sometimes accumulate more garden waste and debris than concrete or tarmac, in part because it is a loose surface that small leaves and twigs can worm their way into.

These are common points for snow and ice to accumulate, which can cause issues with black ice and uneven surfaces.

Thankfully, if you maintain a regular raking schedule, this is less of an issue, and your surface will be far less troublesome when the weather makes it impossible to clear.

Fill Potholes

If you notice any divots or uneven areas even after raking the surface, this might mean that a pothole has developed that needs to be repaired or potentially that the surface needs to be regraded.

Depending on how deep these holes are, this could be as simple as adding extra gravel or hoggin material, or it could require more substantial repair work from an expert in the field.

Use Sand Rather Than Salt

As salt can damage gravel and cause issues for your garden if applied wrongly, it is better to lay sand on an iced-over or snowed-under gravel or hoggin path.

This helps to improve traction whilst the ice naturally melts.

What Are The Best Attributes Of A Gravel Driveway?

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:39:12 GMT

Anyone walking down the street in most towns cannot help but notice that quite a lot of homes have gravel driveways. If you don’t, but are thinking over your options for renewing your driveway, you might wonder what the advantages could be in choosing this surface.

The upsides of a gravel driveway are as follows:

· It is easy to lay: It just has to be put down and spread evenly

· Maintenance of the surface is easy, as it can be evened out again if necessary and a bit of extra gravel can be added if required

· It drains very easily, which could make it an ideal solution if this has been a problem for you.

A further positive is the issue of security. Gravel driveways, as well as gravel patches in general, are recommended as a means of protecting your home against burglaries . The robbers love to sneak around unseen and silently in the dark, but they can’t do this when there’s an audible crunch sound as they walk across the gravel surface.

A few potential negatives may also be considered:

· Gravel can be disturbed and end up spilling over onto the garden on either side, or the pavement beyond

· It can sprout weeds, although a weed membrane can help

However, weeds can be an issue in different types of driveways, which simply shows that good, simple maintenance matters. The disturbance of stones can also be dealt with effectively.

Are Flatter Surfaces Better For Gravel Driveways?

Gravel may be best suited to a flatter surface, rather than one on a steep slope. This will stop the stone from being pushed downhill by your car and it may also lend itself to the installation of some form of edging on either side of it to act as a barrier against the stones being displaced onto your lawn or flower beds.

However, you do need a little bit of a gradient to allow water to drain away easily.

Gravel driveways may not be the ideal or preferred solution for everyone, but for many homes, they offer a great practical, easy-to-maintain and cost-effective solution, as well as offering extra home security by deterring burglars.

How Do You Prevent Gravel Flying Off The Driveway?

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 15:12:41 GMT

A gravel driveway is one of the most popular and most effective driveway solutions because it looks natural, has sustainable drainage properties and moulds itself to the needs of the homeowner.

There are as many types of gravel as there are collections of stone, each of which has a unique set of qualities, but a common frustration often found with older gravel driveways or ones that have been undertaken as do-it-yourself jobs is the proliferation of scattered stones.

Whether it is rocks shifting underfoot as you walk down the drive or a car kicking them up as they reverse away, flying stones are a seeming inevitability, but one that can be minimised through a professional, considered installation that takes your particular surface and gradient into account.

Typically, the main reasons why gravel starts to get displaced are issues with depth and a lack of boundaries between a driveway and the rest of the garden area.

A gravel drive needs to be consistent and the appropriate depth for the uses you have planned for it. Typically, this means around four to six inches of gravel following the compacting process if you want to park cars on the drive.

If the gravel is too shallow, it will lack any weight or ballast, so it will move very easily and noticeably, whilst a gravel drive that is too deep will sink and become somewhat unstable.

Applying proper edging barriers helps to stop gravel from shifting out of the driveway area and avoids issues where you lose a lot of stones over time.

An alternative option is to install a grid underneath your gravel; these typically honeycomb-shaped platforms will fill with gravel and keep it in place, even if you are on a slope that would otherwise have problems with maintaining a stable and level surface.

Finally, applying binding agents can help to keep the look and drainage of a gravel surface, but without it moving too significantly.

How To Use A Patio To Embrace The Outdoor-Indoor Trend

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:10:37 GMT

Even though summer is drawing to a close, the desire for having outdoor-indoor spaces is still popular in the UK, with one article noting that it highlights how more and more of us have a strong desire to feel more connected to nature and bring elements of the outdoors into our homes.

Of course, not all of us have the luxury of large outdoor spaces, but that doesn’t mean you can’t embrace this trend and have your own outdoor-indoor area.

In fact, one of the best ways to create this kind of space in your home is to add a patio to your home – or explore how to make the most of a patio you already have. If this is on your wishlist, one top tip is to create a covered area over your patio.

This could come in the form of a retractable awning that allows you to enjoy the sunshine when the weather is good, while providing shade or shelter when it is either too hot or a little damp outdoors.

If you’re planning to lay a new patio in Shrewsbury or wherever your home is, consider how you can match it more closely to your interior decor. Could porcelain stone-effect tiles work better than more traditional paving slabs, for instance?

Take the time to consider how you can align your patio design with your home’s interior to help make the transition from one space to another feel more seamless.

Don’t forget, using the right accessories, such as cushions, plant pots and even outdoor rugs, can all help to make your outdoor space feel more like part of your home. What’s more, you can change these with the seasons or as you update your decor inside. This might mean you pick more neutral paving for your patio to allow you to accessorise it accordingly.

What Is Indian Stone & Why Is It Ideal For Bright Patios?

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 15:07:55 GMT

There are a lot of different natural paving options available for patios and driveways , but a very popular alternative in recent years has been Indian stone.

Indian stone, specifically sandstone , has been used for decades for both construction and decorative purposes, aided partly by the fact that it can be easily quarried and shaped, and partly by the sheer variety of colours and textures on offer.

From the highly popular likes of Raj Green and Kandra Grey to the vibrant panoply of colours found in Raveena stone, Indian stone provides considerable scope to create a lively finish that can help to make your house and garden feel like yours.

One big advantage of Indian stone is that it is particularly durable and relatively water-resistant compared to other popular materials such as limestone.

Whilst sealing is still highly recommended for incredible long-term results, one of the best aspects of Indian stone is how its colours become much deeper, more pronounced and more beautiful when the stone is wet.

Part of the reason why it gained popularity as a patio material is precisely this wet-look effect, which also highlights the particular veins and rivulets that give natural stone its unique appeal.

As well as this, the vibrancy of Indian stone is available at a more affordable price than Yorkstone, a similarly prestigious stone that has gotten prohibitively expensive due to the depletion of traditional quarries.

Raj Green, in particular, had a very similar appearance to Yorkstone but for a fraction of the price and with significantly more versatility. The only reason to choose Yorkstone over Indian stone is tradition.

The low-maintenance nature of Indian stone is of particular note, especially given the porous nature of sandstone. Once it is laid and sealed, very little needs to be done to keep it looking special.

Why Is Hoggin Graded And Why Does That Matter For Paving?

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:35:10 GMT

In recent years, there has been a distinct shift towards low-maintenance, natural-looking, sustainable materials for paving and driveway surfaces, and a very popular choice in recent years is professionally laid graded hoggin .

Whilst it has that same natural order to it that a material like gravel does, hoggin is more compacted and thus needs far less maintenance. Occasional weeding is typically enough to make it last.

Its natural ability to let water drain through it makes it an effective sustainable drainage system depending on the base it is laid upon.

However, one question that we commonly get asked about is what graded hoggin actually means and why it matters.

The answer is that grading is a vital earthworking process which creates a level, solid surface, either to form the foundation of another paving surface or, as is the case with hoggin and gravel, to form a complete, compacted long-lasting surface of its own.

It is a process, rather than a classification, but there are typically two main kinds of grading when it comes to paving and surfacing.

Rough grading is a fundamental process in construction and involves shaping the earth and material base in order to effectively lay another material on top of it.

Grading can involve creating engineered slopes, but in most cases involving hoggin, it usually involves creating a level, even surface that will allow for the materials to compact and mix together to create a long-lasting footpath.

Without surface grading, hoggin can end up lumpy and uneven, which is not just a problem for aesthetic reasons, but it can create weak points that damage the lifespan of the surface and may require further repairs or resurfacing work sooner rather than later.

When professionals provide graded hoggin surfaces, they will provide a comprehensive surveying work to ensure you get the perfect, even finish that perfectly suits your home.

How Can You Prepare Your Driveway For Summer?

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 15:45:50 GMT

Summer is a surprisingly intense time for your driveway, as it is not only one of the best times to install new paving due to a lower chance of rain, but the combination of heat, journeys and ultraviolet exposure means that any weaknesses in the drive can be exposed.

The effects of UV rays can cause damage and fading on a number of driveway surfaces, the heat can cause fatigue points to evolve into outright cracks and the pressure of a car driving on and off of it can exacerbate any existing problems.

Thankfully, it is not too difficult to take care of your driveway over the summer, and it can be easily integrated into other gardening and landscaping jobs around the house. It is also an ideal time to take stock and look into whether any professional repairs or upgrades are needed.

Check Your Drive

Before you start any maintenance, take a look up and down your drive and look for anywhere where the surface looks uneven, any cracks and any potholes, even if they are fairly small.

The temperature disparity between roasting summer days, cooler nights and sudden storms can lead to any existing cracks expanding.

Depending on your drive surfacing, this is a job you might be able to do yourself, or it could require expert assistance.

Clean The Surface

Dust, debris and stains can collect and become quite stubborn to remove if they are allowed to linger on the surface of your drive. Assuming there is no hosepipe ban, use a pressure washer or high-pressure hose to clean the surface.

Cooling the surface can be essential for maintaining your drive, so even if you cannot use a hose, try and pour the water you have been using for other purposes such as washing up onto the drive, as it will absorb at least some of the heat.

Seal Or Reseal Your Drive

Sealing your drive with a UV-resistant sealant suitable for the surface material is vital to maintain its longevity, as it will stop moisture or potential staining materials from ruining the finish of your paving.

You will typically need to reseal your drive every couple of years, so if it has been a while, consider resealing.

Why Now Is The Time To Lay Your Block Paving Driveway

Wed, 28 May 2025 13:43:04 GMT

Why Now Is The Time To Lay Your Block Paving Driveway

The sunny spring weather has been very enjoyable and will hopefully not be followed by a soggy summer. If so, this could be a perfect time for laying block paving driveways .

Most kinds of driveways are easier to lay in the warmer months of the year, as the weather conditions do not interfere with the process either because it is very cold (you can’t lay a driveway when it’s frozen), because it’s difficult when autumn leaves are continually falling on it, or because it is raining, leaving the surface sodden.

Dry, warm weather, by contrast, is ideal for laying all sorts of driveway surfaces, including block paving.

In some respects, spring is the best time for block paving to be laid , as the ground is no longer liable to be frozen or frosty. The only downside is that spring is often rainy, with this season being a glorious exception.

Hot, dry summer weather is particularly ideal for asphalt and concrete, as these can set more easily in such conditions. But it is also a good time to lay block paving too, as dry weather still makes the whole task a lot easier.

Another benefit is that the summer has long daylight hours, which means there are longer working days in which to fit the work in. This means workers who lay driveways can get more jobs completed, so while there is lots of demand, there is also more time in which to fulfil it.

Of course, the fact that now is a good time to fit a block paving driveway shouldn’t detract from one of its key attributes: its capacity to handle all kinds of weather. It won’t always be warm and sunny, but when there is pouring rain, snow, or sub-zero temperatures, robust block paved driveways will handle any kind of weather conditions .

Top Tips For Making Your Driveway Greener

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 10:43:34 GMT

In recent years, homeowners have been looking for ways to harmonise their gardens, driveways and paving with their gardens and natural surroundings, leading to a growing trend in wild driveways.

Part of this is a matter of practicality; with a greater focus on SuDS-compliant surfaces , greener driveways are far less prone to flooding than older, larger drives made from impermeable materials such as concrete.

There are a lot of ways to add greenery to your driveway, but here are some top tips.

Create Space For Plants

A great option for a greener drive is to have a strip of gravel or even grass in the middle that can allow plants to grow.

If you regularly commute or use a garage, this area will be uncovered for far more of the day than you might expect, and can be a perfect place to start growing wildflowers.

Alternatively, creating little strips of grassland can have a similar result if you want to keep your larger pavers. There are even lattice designs and many other creative options to have greenery and paving.

Let It Grow

The temptation for driveways and lawns is to make them as ordered, neat and short as possible, but this is unnecessary and often counterproductive.

Instead, let wild plants grow and see what results. Most wildflowers are not weeds and even the ones that are can be easily removed using a garden fork or boiling water. Both of these options are much better for the environment than the liberal use of pesticides and weedkillers.

Give it time as well; whilst it may not initially look that different, once the plants bloom into beautiful flora that attracts beautiful fauna, the process will be very much worth it.

Plant The Seeds

Either sow seeds or plant little sprouts into the gaps between your driveway pavers. This helps to establish your driveway as a place for plants to grow. Once you have some plants bedded and growing, it only gets easier to plant more.

Is Spring The Best Time Of The Year To Clean Your Drive?

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 16:21:57 GMT

Come rain or shine and through all weathers, paving and driveway surfaces are built to last, survive and thrive for many years.

When winter finally subsides and the weather starts to brighten , many people start to think of ways to clean, refresh and renovate their homes, but it is also the best time of the year to start thinking of cleaning your drive, patio and other paved surfaces as well.

Here are some of the biggest reasons why cleaning in spring is the best idea.

The Temperature Is Just Right

Working in winter is not only rough on you but rough on your cleaning equipment, especially if you use a pressure washer to clear away the dirt and grime. Summer can sometimes be too warm, and if there is a hosepipe ban in your area due to particularly hot conditions, that can thwart cleaning completely.

Fixes Problems Before They Expand

It also helps you fix issues with mould, mildew and staining right away rather than allowing the damage and unsightly appearance to spread further and lead to more extensive damage to your paving surface once it begins.

It is also an opportune moment to apply a sealant to your paving surface which will make it more resistant to further intrusion and will make your clearing the rest of the year even easier.

No Snow, Mud Or Standing Water

Spring weather tends to be somewhat more clement than the winter, which means that much of the snow has melted and the mud has been washed away by February and March rain showers.

This means that a lot of the debris has already been cleared for you, making it easier to get started, your cleaning can be more thorough and the results more astonishing, leading to a beautiful drive surface that can look as good as new.

Top Tips To Protect Your Paving From The Winter Weather

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 10:22:21 GMT

Winter has arrived and with it comes some of the biggest tests for paving materials that you will see all year, with consequences that can be costly in the New Year if they are not adequately protected.

The biggest danger to paving slabs and stones is cracking, which typically occurs when water gets into the stones through small holes, and stretches those holes out through the freeze-thaw cycle causing the water to expand.

As well as this, moss, dirt, mud, snow and frost can also cause damage to the surface and make the stones more treacherous to traverse, something that can lead to a much harder spring clean and can make the condition of the stones worse.

The best way to take care of paving stones is to stay on top of garden maintenance over the winter. Use plastic shovels to scoop snow away and sprinkle sand rather than salt onto the patio to give yourself a better grip. Salt can cause damage to certain types of stone.

Sweeping the patio can help shake away mould, moss and fungi, which in turn can make your life easier in the spring when it is time to bring the patio and garden back to life.

As well as this, make sure that your paving stones are suitably sealed. Typically they need to be resealed every three years, but if you have a particularly busy garden or the weather has been especially awful, it might need to be done sooner than you initially thought.

Finally, many people opt to use a pressure washer or jet washer to clean their patio, and whilst that is a way to make the job easier, make sure to keep the nozzle at least a foot away to ensure that it is not inadvertently causing erosion damage to the stone flags or concrete.

Why Gravel Is A Good Driveway Choice For Winter

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:50:18 GMT

Homeowners who are planning on getting a new drive installed before winter sets in should consider a gravel driveway , as this is one of the best materials against snow and ice.

Among the many reasons for having a gravel driveway is that when snow melts and freezes again, it can make other types of drives, such as paving, very slippery to drive on.

However, there is a lower risk of this happening to gravel during freeze-thaw cycles, which means drivers do not have to worry about their path being too icy when the temperature drops below freezing.

Its coarse texture also provides traction, making it easier to drive on when it is wet outside, so it is a safer choice during rainy days, which can often feel like everyday in the colder months.

As the UK is so wet and rainy, it is also worth noting that gravel can help with water drainage so homeowners are not left with puddles on their drive, which will turn to ice when the temperature dips below 0C.

Gravel driveways are also growing in popularity for other reasons, including their durability. The UK is known for its varying weather conditions, dipping to a historic low temperature of -27.2C and a record high of 40.3C.

Therefore, it is important to choose a material that is safe to drive on during cold periods and does not swell or wear away when there are heatwaves.

Gravel is very durable, with driveways being able to last up to 100 years if they are properly maintained. This simply involves topping it up with a new layer if the original supply starts to wear away.

Another reason why gravel is a firm choice is it is less expensive than other types of driveway, while at the same time being highly durable and resistant to damage.

Why Patio Sealing Can Defend Against Wet Weather

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 14:45:36 GMT

Patios can be made from very sturdy-looking stone, but the truth is that there is only so much of a battering they can take from bad weather before decline sets in.

That may not necessarily be a structural problem, such as stones cracking or the surface becoming uneven, although the late September floods across Shropshire will have done a lot of damage, not just through water alone but by the waters covering patios in mud and debris, with harder items causing physical damage.

A key problem for paving stones that arises from water is staining, although they can be eroded over time if impacted by repeated flowing water (as happens with stones in a stream of river).

In many cases, patio sealing is the solution to staining, protecting against the loss of the attractive colour you chose to have in your yard.

According to Paving Expert , the kinds of paving stone best suited to being sealed include limestone, sandstone, granite, slate, concrete and brick.

As well as protecting against staining, patio sealing can also reduce the discolouring effects of hot sun, which (hard though it may be to believe just now) we will see again one day in Shropshire, though not this year.

It also prevents porous stones from absorbing a lot of moisture, which may not count for much when there are floods and loads of rain, but does mean you don’t have annoying areas of persistent wetness when the rest of it is drying out.

This is also important because water expands as it freezes, which breaks up stone. In nature, this process, known as ‘freeze-thaw’, is good news because it releases nutrients into the soil, but it’s bad for your patio as it can expand any cracks and crevices that exist.

None of this will prevent your garden from suffering some harm if the weather is as truly awful as it has been of late and there is flooding, but it does help your patio handle whatever is thrown at it from above.

What Is Hoggin And Why Is It A Beloved Paving Surface?

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 15:11:35 GMT

Over the past few years, there have been a lot of new paving surfaces that have taken the spotlight and have made the driveway a great expression of what matters to a homeowner.

From beautiful block paving with Indian stone to gravel, resin-bound surfaces and ribbon drives, each different paving job says something about the person who commissions it, as well as the expert contractors who bring it to life.

With that in mind, what does the use of hoggin say about the people who use it for driveways and footpaths?

A mix of clay, gravel and sand, hoggin is an interesting composite surface as whilst it retains the naturally organised chaos that gravel does, the fact it binds so compactly means that outside of weeding work, it needs astonishingly little maintenance.

Unlike gravel, the surface that it is most compared to, it does not need regular raking to maintain the look or the integrity of the surface, and the surface is versatile enough to fit around modern properties and older buildings alike.

Hoggin is commonly used to manage footpaths to properties owned and cared for by the National Trust, particularly those with parks or botanical gardens where a lot of people want to walk around these natural areas but a more conventional footpath style such as tarmac or concrete would be inappropriate.

It has gained popularity in recent years because it is considered to be a sustainable drainage surface. With a suitable sub-base, it is very capable of absorbing water, reducing the risk of standing water, puddles and surface runoff, all of which can be damaging to the paving around a property in the long run.

The only issue with its use for driveways is that heavier cars and light trucks can cause damage to the surface over a long time, so it tends to be used for paths and patios instead.

What Is The Right Colour Block Paving For Your Drive?

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 08:48:58 GMT

Block paving driveways have many great benefits . They create a very durable surface that can withstand a lot of usage, making them ideal for multi-car households. They are easily maintained and have strong aesthetic qualities.

It is true there can be downsides, such as water seepage and puddling caused by gaps between the blocks, or uneven surfaces developing, but these are dependent on the standard of installation. If they are fitted properly on a firm base, you should avoid these problems.

If a well-installed block driveway can be a great asset, the question is how you can make the most of its aesthetic potential. There are many choices of design for a driveway, featuring a broad range of colours. You may well ask: which one would suit a typical house with a driveway in a town like Telford?

As a new town with some old parts, Telford can offer a few possibilities if you want the surface to blend in with the local architecture. Alongside historic structures like Iron Bridge and the 18th century Madeley Church, there are a lot of modern buildings dating from the 1960s onwards.

Ultimately, however, this is a town where, like so many in the midlands, red brick dominates. That might make it a clear choice if you want to match the local décor and building materials, much as a blonde sandstone colour might match the local dominant building material somewhere like Bath or anywhere in the central belt of Scotland.

However, you might also consider other elements of the vicinity. For example, if you have a stone wall, you could match this colour with a grey shade. And if you have painted part of your home a particular colour this could also match, for instance, buff coloured blocks to match yellow.

Our own range offers all these shades and more, providing you with plenty of choice. Indeed, you may decide that blending in is the last thing you want the driveway to do and pick a shade that stands out. Whatever you want, we have the colour option for you.

Why Should Electric Car Owners Get A Drive If They Lack One?

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 14:27:31 GMT

The ability to take your car off of the road and keep it safely on your property is often more than enough justification to invest in a high-quality driveway alongside the rest of the paving around your house, but for electric vehicle owners, it could also save you a not-insignificant amount of money.

The cause of this is down to the rather unusual disparity in tax for electricity dispensed at charging stations compared to one’s own home.

Whilst electricity for domestic use is taxed at five per cent, using a pavement charging station is considered to be a business use and is thus charged at the full 20 per cent.

This means that if you have an EV safely placed on a driveway, either plugged into a dedicated charging station or via an adaptor to the mains power supply, it is, by definition, far cheaper than using a public charging station notwithstanding the cost of electricity, profit margins or any other factor.

This often means that in practice drivers without a driveway pay four times as much for the electricity they use to get around.

This is, of course, not new, and for years the situation has been brought up as a potential reason why car owners are hesitant to buy a new EV, often describing the issue as a “pavement tax”.

However, for people with EVs and a home with the ability to fit or upgrade a driveway, it means that now is one of the best times to install and new drive and enjoy the long-term benefits of a beautiful, secure place for your car to stay when you are at home, as well as savings as the car charges whilst you are parked up.

Unless something drastically changes, it makes a drive a sound investment for an EV owner.

Why Summer Is The Best Time To Lay A Driveway

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 10:20:50 GMT

The summer so far may not have been very warm or dry, but if you are planning to get a block paving driveway installed, this is still the best time of year to do it.

Of course, it isn’t a job for a day when it pours with rain, but it is still less one for when any rain that does fall won’t evaporate quickly because there isn’t any hot sun on it.

Hopefully, soon the weather will get drier and that provides a chance to enjoy optimal conditions for laying a block driveway - or indeed any other kind of surface. This enables the cement work to dry.

The first thing needed is for your driveway to be level and firm with good drainage, so while we may do the work in good weather, we will check it drains well first, or else some extra work may be needed like French drains along the side of the surface.

A new driveway built from scratch will be most likely to need this when a new home is being but for example, but this may also benefit from being checked when a driveway is relaid, especially if the previous driveway installation job was a poor one or if there have been issues with the surface in the meantime.

Similar principles will apply to asphalt driveways . Once again, the key is to allow the material laid down to dry, so you don’t want this happening in a rain storm.

However, the most important reason for this is that asphalt only sets in optimal condition when the temperature is above 50 degrees F (10 degrees C). That means it should at least be done in the spring, though summer is better.

For these reasons, now is the time to plan for your new driveway to be laid, with optimal laying conditions helping ensure it looks great and remains in great condition for many years to come.

What Should You Never Clean Your Patio With?

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 10:20:41 GMT

If you pick the right materials for your patios and have them properly installed by experts, your patios will not generally need too much in the way of intensive maintenance.

Generally, if you take a pressure washer to it every six months, you can typically wash away the weeds, the grime and the dirt that inevitably settle on your pavers as they remain exposed to the elements.

Alternatively, using an eco-friendly cleaning agent mixed with warm water and a hard-bristled brush can be just as effective at getting rid of dirt without causing too much damage to your stones over time.

However, whilst both of these methods will work to help you clean your patios, there are some commonly used treatments that are terrible not only for your paving stones but also for your garden as a whole.

White Vinegar

Whilst it has become popular as a multipurpose indoor cleaning solution, white vinegar and cleaning solutions derived from it are very bad for your paving stones, although just how damaging they can be depends on how your garden or drive is set up and with which materials.

Never use vinegar on limestone, because the vinegar will burn and dissolve the calcium carbonate and cause irreparable damage to your driveway or patio.

As well as this, if you have paving stones in grassy areas, the acidic solution can not only kill your plants but potentially contaminate the earth so it is difficult to grow anything in it in the future.

Bleach

Similarly, whilst bleach is a common cleaning agent for breaking down really tough stains, it is also terrible for your garden and bad for your pavers as well.

Bleach is a highly corrosive alkali substance and one that will kill plants very quickly and cause contaminated soil runoff that can have long-term ecological effects.

Beyond this, it can also discolour your stones and potentially cause permanent damage.

Who Popularised The Modern Driveway?

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 14:52:46 GMT

Who Popularised The Modern Driveway?

The home and its surroundings have evolved based not only on changing trends and the availability of materials but also on the needs of the people who live in them.

The driveway is no exception, and whilst it is difficult to think of a home with a front garden that does not have space for a river of gravel leading up to the garage and the front door, this was not always the case.

Whilst finding the origin of the invention of drives and patios can be a difficult exercise, there is one man who arguably did more than any other to make drives the standard for houses of all shapes and sizes.

Lancelot Brown, known by many as “Capability” Brown due to his common refrain that claimed a garden or landscape had the capability for improvement, was one of the most prolific gardeners and landscape architects during a period of tremendous change for their design.

He believed in a simple and relatively subtle approach that embraced the natural beauty of the parks and country houses that he worked in, to the point that his obituary opined that he copied nature so closely that his landscaping was often mistaken as such.

One of the keys to this was a staged, stepped approach to his design and a mix of naturalistic construction and authoritarian controlled nature.

The best example of the former was his common use of the sweeping drive in an age that predated the motor car, turning what was traditionally seen as a mere necessity for guests to reach the estate itself into a self-directed tour of the estate itself.

By extension, as these landscapes were intended to reflect the particular interests of the owner of the estate, they created a fascinating journey in themselves, one captured in a particularly vivid passage of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice .

As design trends tend to spread from the top down, these ideas would later lead to the wider adoption of the drive as a standard part of the British home.

How To Remove Weeds From The Patio

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 15:09:01 GMT

Homeowners might have a beautifully laid patio , but if they suffer from unsightly weeds poking up between the slabs, it lets their whole driveway or back garden down.

So, here are some tips on how to remove these weeds and keep the problem at bay.

Use a weeding tool

If you cannot pull out the weeds by hand, the best way to maintain a clear patio is to use a weeding tool, such as a brush, knife or hoe.

These can be run between the slabs, pulling up stubborn weeds, as well as irritating moss that often appears in the cracks.

This may be laborious but it is effective at giving you the desirable clean-looking patio.

Use boiling water

It sounds too easy, but boiling water is great at killing moss and algae. Make sure the entire weed is saturated in the boiling water, as well as the soil surrounding it.

Once they have died, remove them from the ground. If the plant has particularly long roots, another dose of boiling water might be needed.

Natural remedies

There are all sorts of weed killers on the market, but lots of people do not want to use the harsh chemicals in their garden. Instead, you could try a natural alternative, such as sprinkling bicarbonate of soda, a vinegar solution, or saltwater over the weeds.

Reseal patio

Once the plants have been removed, the best way to keep the floor weed-free is opt for patio sealing to fill the gaps between the paving slabs.

This will prevent any weeds from being able to grow, meaning you do not have to go through the arduous process of weeding your patio every couple of weeks.

How Cold Winter Weather Can Damage Your Driveway

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 11:25:12 GMT

No time of year brings more tests for your driveway than winter. The season is more prone to storms than any other (with this year being especially bad) and while a warming climate may mean fewer icy nights and deluges of snow, there will still be some times when the mercury dips below zero.

Both of these can cause problems for your driveway. In the first instance, lots of rain can lead to your driveway being swamped unless it has very good drainage. The second can bring damage in the form of freeze-thaw, especially for surfaces like concrete and asphalt .

This all comes down to the basic properties of water, which expands when cold. As it freezes, water seeps into small cracks and then widens them. In nature, this helps crack open rocks and release important minerals. That may be good news for plants, but spells potholes for an asphalt driveway.

A range of possible solutions presents itself. If you have snow on the driveway, it is important to shovel it off. However, be careful of using a big heavy shovel that can damage the surface. In the longer run, resin sealing can protect against water ingress.

Gravel driveways can offer some advantages in winter. They do not form such an opaque surface as to make drainage harder, so it can be easier for water to drain away when it has rained heavily.

However, this does not mean you can just allow the ground beneath to become sodden, as it will become unstable and tyres can end up gouging big trenches. This can also happen when gravel freezes into clumps of stones. Whatever kind of surface you have, potholes should be seen to as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration.

Any driveway that does not drain naturally by being on a slope can be aided by having good drainage adjacent to it, such as ground that will soak up water or small trenches to drain it away. This soggy winter in particular will show whether you need this.

How To Keep Driveways Clear Of Snow This Winter

Sun, 10 Dec 2023 11:58:31 GMT

The winter chill has finally arrived and many areas of the UK have already had their first scattering of snow.

Although there is arguably nothing more beautiful than a snowy landscape, it can prove very challenging for everyday activities, such as setting off in the car from the driveway.

Thick crunchy snow or frozen ice can make it difficult to remain in control of the car, which could lead to skidding and potentially hitting an obstacle. It is also dangerous even if you’re not driving, as it is easy to slip on icy ground, causing injury to yourself.

That is why it is essential to clear the driveway of snow and ice as much as possible.

For best results, start removing the snow as soon as it has settled, as it is easier to clear snow that has just fallen rather than after it has been packed down.

Use a big shovel to remove snow more quickly and concentrate on steps and steep pathways first.

The Met Office recommends using salt or sand on the ground after clearing the area. A tablespoon should be sufficient for a square metre, though it is important to remember not to put it on grass or plants as it could damage them.

Sand or ash are good alternatives, as even though they will not prevent icing, they will create grip on the floor to help maintain balance.

Do not pour hot water on the snow or ice, as it could then refreeze and turn into black ice.

“Black ice increases the risk of injuries as it is invisible and very slippery,” the organisation states.

Homeowners with gravel driveways should remove the ice that is packed underneath loose snow with a rake, being careful not to pick up lots of pebbles when doing so.

Alternatively, you could get your hands on a snowblower, which can blast the snow away from your drive, making it easier and safer to drive or walk on.

The Invention Of The Drive Predates The Car

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 11:24:14 GMT

Almost every home in the country has some form of paved drive , and the reason for that is simple; almost every homeowner has a car or some form of vehicle.

Whilst some people park their vehicles on the street whether out of necessity or by choice, the preferred option is typically to have a drive that allows someone to park their car and be right by the door of a house.

However, whilst the concepts are fairly closely connected now, this was not always the case, and it can be quite surprising to learn that the drive or driveway actually predates the cars that rest on them today.

A driveway was a term coined around 1871 as an alternative to the typical dirt paths that allowed pedestrians to reach the house without going through rather meandering routes.

The driveway was originally designed for horse carriages, to allow them direct access to the house in order to deliver goods and supplies directly, rather than wasting time unloading at the gates and carrying goods in manually.

Whilst there were technically prototype cars as early as 1867, it would not be until 1888 when the Benz Patent Motorwagen was released, becoming the first car that was available for the public to buy.

Whilst many early drives were dirt, other materials such as cobblestone, shell, brick and clay tile did start to appear by the latter half of the 19th century, and there were a lot of quite varied designs even in the early years.

Whilst there were very simple parallel ribbons that a horse cart would be driven along, there were also semicircular drives, sweeping footpaths and early curbing made from trimmed cobblestone.

By the early 20th century and the much more widespread adoption of the car, materials became

more practical and the purpose of the drive became established as the place to park a car, given that everyone who had one needed somewhere to keep it safe.

Keep Your Patio Well Maintained In Autumn

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:03:38 GMT

When the weather gets colder and wetter, most people tend to keep themselves in their warm house and neglect their outdoor space.

However, while there is less chance of getting soggy indoors, not looking after the patio could lead to much bigger problems in the springtime when you want to utilise the area more.

Firstly, make sure to keep the patio clear of falling leaves, pine cones, conkers and acorns as these can cause stains on the stones.

Additionally, you should try to remove as much algae, moss, lichen and weeds as you can. This will mean you have a smaller job on your hands when it comes to spring and you want your outdoor space looking pristine.

Use a stiff bristled broom regularly to scrape them away and keep any growth at bay.

You could also use weed killer or blast the area with a power washer, as these can help reduce the chance of the weeds returning.

There are likely to be a few gaps in your patio, which is why you are experiencing problems with weeds, moss, algae and lichen. Therefore, it is a good idea to fill them in or, for bigger jobs, you might need to reseal the whole patio.

As well as preventing weeds from growing, patio sealing will protect the stones against excess water and freezing temperatures, which are bound to occur during the winter months.

Once your patio is clean, clear and resealed, you can enjoy making it look welcoming - even during autumn and winter.

Homes and Gardens recommends investing in a fire pit, so you can warm up on cold evenings; having autumnal flowers in planters dotted around; getting plenty of outdoor lights to make darker afternoons cosy; and buying an outdoor rug to add “texture and colour to your patio’s aesthetic”.

Why You Should Reconsider Pressure Washing Your Drive

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 10:43:46 GMT

With Autumn having arrived, some people are taking advantage of the last flushes of summer weather to get one last cleaning project out of the way before the wind, rain and frost make it substantially more difficult to achieve over the next six months.

Because of this push to get stuff done, using a pressure washer to jet away the dirt, grime and debris f rom their paving can seem like the best possible answer, particularly as the nights start to get darker and longer.

However, whilst it is far easier, there are quite a few reasons to think twice before pressure washing your paving.

Potential Surface Damage

Pressure washers are incredibly powerful, which is what gives them their cleaning power. However, the water jet is far more forceful and powerful than you may think, and drive materials have different tolerances for the constant water spray.

It can lead to erosion of gravel, pitting in asphalt and potential crashes in concrete depending on how intensely focused the jet of water is.

Damages Surrounding Areas

The blast of water can cause some significant damage to nearby surfaces due to the violent splashback, causing peeling paint, damaged stickers and more substantial issues to lighter surfaces such as fencing.

Increased Water Bills

Whilst the end of summer sees the end of hosepipe bans, it goes without saying that an intensely powerful jet washer uses a lot of water, which can get particularly expensive if you use it with regularity.

Damages Greenery

Hedges, lawns, plants and other greenery near your drive could end up at risk of damage due to the power of the jet washer.

It can damage flowers, strip away leaves and even pull out plants entirely, as well as having the potential to cause soil runoff, damaging your lawn’s quality in the process.

There are plenty of ways to care for your drive over the autumn, but try to avoid the temptation to quickly jet wash it before the end of the year. Instead, opt for a professional clean from a trusted service.

How To Unpave And Restore A Garden

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 14:10:08 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

When it comes to home design and decor, gardens tend to inflame the most passionate debates, in no small part because they are the most immediately visible parts of a home to passers-by.

There are people who insist on carefully curated lawns and planters, whilst others swear by the convenience of paving slabs and a multi-purpose space.

Ultimately, there is no universally right answer, with these individual needs factoring into any landscaping and gardening decision .

However, sometimes this can be frustrating if, for example, you buy a new home that is perfect in every way other than having too much of the garden space paved over.

Thankfully, there are ways to unpave your patio, garden or drive, and ready the underlying ground for a beautiful lawn or set of plants.

Here are some top tips to achieve this.

Take Your Time

It is typically best to get a professional service to remove the stones for you and prepare the new ground ready for planting, but if you plan to do it yourself, it is best to take your time, not only to avoid injury but to protect the soil underneath.

Using a shovel to dig around the edges of the patio will help to loosen them and make it easier to gently remove them, protecting the ground underneath from further damage.

If it is more solid concrete, then it will require heavier machinery, but it is much better to take your time in the planning phase than rush in.

Prepare Your Soil Carefully

The soil underneath your paving stones will invariably be heavily compacted and mixed with builder’s sand. It will need tilling, amending and mixing with good topsoil before it is ready for grass seed to be sown across the top of it.

As well as this, check for rubble and concrete, as the latter contains lime which can be quite damaging to grass. If in doubt, use a soil testing kit to make sure.

Brighten Up Your Driveway With Summer Planters

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 15:20:00 GMT

While driveways certainly serve an important function in providing off-street parking, they don’t often add much aesthetic value to a house.

However, this can be resolved by adding a few planters on the side of the drive filled with brightly coloured flowers.

Simply go out and buy some pretty florals for your giant pots, and you’ll be able to improve the front of your home and could even make yourself feel better.

Gwenn Fried, a horticulture therapy manager, told Good Housekeeping : “Nature has a huge impact on health and wellness.”

Plant some dahlias with their huge 12-inch blooms if you want to create an eye-catching impact.

Common zinnias are also a popular option, as they can grow tall (up to four feet) and are available in the majority of colours.

According to Country Living , hydrangeas are the “ it flower of summer”, so it is worth having big pots of these along your drive if you want to brighten it up.

The exciting thing about hydrangeas is they change colour depending on what soil they are in, turning blue in acidic compost and pink in alkaline conditions.

You can’t go wrong planting some geraniums, whether you put them in hanging baskets, along borders, or in containers.

The bright pink, peach and red shades of the different types of geraniums allows homeowners to “enjoy the fireworks of flowers all season long”.

For help improving the look of your gravel driveway in Shrewsbury, don’t hesitate to call us today .

Is Summer The Best Time For A New Driveway?

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 15:41:34 GMT

Summer has arrived in a big way with lots of hot sunshine and long days, with Glastonbury, the Ashes and Wimbledon imminent. Before long, some will be gathering a Stonehenge for the solstice to mark the longest day.

All that may give people lots of things to look forward to from music to sport and lazy days on the beach. But it will also be a time when householders want to have work done outside the home. That may include gardening, painting and decorating, but it could also involve a new driveway.

However, it is important to check whether the kind of driveway you want is the sort that is best laid down in summer.

As Flexflooring notes , this can vary between materials. Asphalt is best laid down in summer because it can crack if it cools down too fast, so warm weather helps prevent this. Resin is less reliant on heat, but does need dry weather, making summer the most likely date. This is also why driveway sealing in Telford is most likely to be done in summer, as it is drier.

The situation is very different for other surfaces, such as concrete. Unlike asphalt, this requires cooler conditions to set smoothly, although it still needs to be done on a dry day. That means one of the best times of year to do it, late spring, has just passed. But September will bring favourable conditions again, so if this is your plan, start preparing over the summer.

Gravel driveways are also best laid in spring, with Ferkey Builders noting that this is the time when the dust that comes with the stones will bind best with it in the combination of sun and rain that spring provides.

Spring is also the best time to renew gravel driveways after the winter, when some of the stones can be embedded in snow and lost to the surface when the white stuff is cleared away.

Clear Your Driveway For Spring

Tue, 16 May 2023 15:09:28 GMT

Now spring is finally upon us, homeowners will want to spend more time in their garden and enjoy their outdoor space. One of the first things they are sure to notice when starting to sort out winter debris is the state of their driveway.

Here are some tips on how to clear your driveway for the springtime.

Remove weeds and leaves
Firstly, it is important to get rid of all the leaves and twigs that have fallen on to the drive over the winter months. If you have weeds that are starting to grow between the paving slabs, it is a good idea to remove these before they cause unsettling underneath the patio or tiles.

Pressure wash
Once you have cleared the floor of debris, you can then start to bring it back to life. Over the winter, your driveway will have endured plenty of dirt and grime without being cleaned. Therefore, now is a great time to get out the pressure washer and blast away all the stains, dust, mould and mildew that has accumulated on the floor over the last few months.

You will be amazed at what you can remove and how bright and fresh your newly cleaned driveway will appear.

Sort out damage
After clearing and cleaning your driveway, you might find there are still problems with it. For instance, you could have patio slabs that are wobbly, damaged or cracked.

If it looks beyond repair, it might be time to consider fitting new paving in Telford to give your house the curb appeal you are after.

What Causes Driveways To Sink?

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 14:40:04 GMT

Assuming you work with an accredited contractor who undertakes the requisite checks and completes the job with care and attention, getting driveway paving in Telford will last for years and look great in the process.

However, there are some exceptionally rare cases where a driveway starts to sink, develop dips or shifts away from its original location. This can be distressing for several reasons, not least because it can be very difficult to understand why they might emerge.

One possible cause can be sinkholes , saucer-shaped holes that are caused by a collapse of a layer of rocks that support the material at the surface, that whilst often appearing without warning tend to relate to nearby erosions and environmental factors.

In terms of other reasons why driveways sink, one of the most common causes is weak foundations that cannot support the forces that are placed on the paving material every day as a car that weighs several tonnes drives onto and off of it.

Strong foundations with effective drainage and a strong base will ensure that your paving surface of choice will safely take the strain off your vehicle.

A lack of edging, such as a line of bricks or a small wall can lead to a lack of structure, which in turn can cause the driveway surface to potentially shift or move around. This can cause sinking

and potential cracks if the underlying surface shifts in different directions.

Water is a key cause of damage and sealing the paving of a driveway is an essential part of any sensible driveway construction. However, water can affect driveways in other ways, particularly if a water leak under your drive has caused the soil underneath to shift over time.

Finally, if the land a new build has not been allowed to settle for long enough, subsidence can form as the soil shifts and alters to take the newly added weight.

Will You Need Planning Permission For A Driveway?

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 11:26:19 GMT

Anyone visiting the town can see plenty of gravel driveways in Telford , and in most cases the householders will not have had to apply for planning permission to install these. The same will be true for block paving and any other surface. But there are instances where this will be needed.

In many homes, a driveway comes as standard, a signature feature of a semi or a detached home in suburbia. But many people live in home without driveways and have to make do with street parking instead. For some, fitting a driveway, if there is room, is important, especially if they are not always sure of a parking space or need a drive to park an electric car on while charging it at home.

Those who want to fit a driveway where one was not already in place can usually do so perfectly legally under what are called permitted development rights . However, there can be places where they don’t apply, so it’s wise to check first.

Examples of this include flats and maisonettes, as well as properties that were initially subject to permitted development rights, but were originally purposed as something else (such as shops) before being converted for residential use.

You are more likely to need planning permission for converting a garden to a driveway and dropped kerbs to enable a smooth drive onto it will almost always require planning permission.

The other consideration is where statutory restrictions exist that may restrict what you can do on or around a property. A good example is listed building consent , which may be required of your home is a listed building. Another is where a home is in a conservation area , which means developments may be restricted if they might impinge on the character of the vicinity.

In either case, you should always contact your council planning officer to establish if you need permission for your plans. It may be that a driveway is perfectly permissible, although there may be some limitations concerning the materials used.

Overall, however, there should be very few instances where you cannot legally install a driveway.

How To Keep Your Driveway Looking Amazing

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 17:25:17 GMT

Having a driveway that looks amazing ensures that anyone who visits your home has a great first impression.

Your driveway is often the first area of your property that people will see, either visiting or just passing by, so keeping it clean and tidy ensures you always look the best on the block.

Depending on the type of driveway you have, it will need to be cleaned in different ways. Paced or concrete drives are quite easy to clean and maintain and often require very little upkeep.

To clean a paved or concrete driveway, you can simply sweep any debris or dirt from the surface. This will often be enough to keep to clear from mess and keep it looking clean and tidy. Sometimes you may need to give your drive a little more love though.

Using a pressure washer is a great way to lift any ingrained dirt from the stone or concrete and bring your driveway up sparkly and new.

This can be a great way to give your property a little facelift and often reveals a much brighter surface than previously thought, especially if the driveway is old and hasn’t been properly cleaned in a long while.

If you don’t have access to a pressure washer, you can also try scrubbing the driveway with a brush and some soapy water. This can help to lift stains that may have occurred over the years, such as oil leaks from vehicles and patches of dirt that have been left to sir for a while.

If you have a stone or gravel driveway , it may be harder to clean. This is because the debris can mix with the stones and therefore may be harder to remove.

Raking through the gravel can help remove larger bits and you can rinse off after to remove any dirt. This will usually be enough to breathe some new life into your drive.

In need of a gravel driveway in Shrewsbury? Get in touch with Drive Time Paving today!

New Year Home Improvement Resolutions

Mon, 09 Jan 2023 15:15:31 GMT

The new year is the ideal time to make a list of all the home improvement jobs you want to tick off before the clock strikes midnight on December 31st again. While you may want to ease into 2023 slowly, before you know it, the warm weather will be here and garden chores will take precedence.

So, if you want to make big changes to your property this year, here are some resolutions to start on straight away.

Repairing your drive

Before you have guests over for your spring / summer barbecues and garden parties or playdates, it is essential you make repairs to your drive. Now is the best time to do this, with lots of people hibernating for the winter and leaving the socialising till it is warmer.

So, whether you need patio sealing in Telford , a gravel drive or entirely new paving, start on this project immediately.

Bathroom or kitchen updates

The biggest home improvement jobs have to be installing new bathrooms or kitchens, so if this is one of your goals in 2023, start doing your research as soon as possible. You’ll need to think about what changes you want to make, find the right appliances and furniture, and source quotes for the building work.

Tradesmen are often booked months in advance, so if you want it done before 2024, don’t waste any time.

Extensions

Similarly, building an extension is a major job, so if you’re keen to extend into the loft or add a home office, gym, or playroom to your downstairs, begin making plans now.

According to Rated People’s 2022 Trends Report , adding an extension was one of the most popular home improvement jobs last year, and it is likely to remain so in 2023.

When A Couple Sneakily Built A House On Their Drive

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 15:18:16 GMT

At the top of a driveway, there is almost always some form of garage designed to help store and protect the car during frosty and rainy weather, as well as sometimes having a small amount of space for storage or to set up a small workshop.

However, one couple in Birmingham decided after getting approval to build a garage to see if they could extend that permission a little further and build an entire two-floor mini house on his land, sparking a years-long dispute that has continued to this day.

The issues started in 2019, and according to an unnamed neighbour, was initially built for an elderly relative alongside a complete repaving of the drive, before allegedly being converted into a gym in 2020.

In 2022, a planning inspector investigated the property and found, unsurprisingly given the lack of a garage door, that the plans had changed substantially since the approval was given in 2019.

It was larger, had several windows, a second floor complete with roof box extension and absolutely no functionality as a garage at all. This led Birmingham City Council to serve an enforcement notice demanding the building be destroyed and the rubble removed from the property.

The family have since stood their ground when asked about the driveway mini-house, saying that they have no intention of demolishing it unless the council directly get in touch with them.

They claimed that it was initially a garage and the changes were the result of a conversion project in 2020 when people were travelling less and there was little need for a garage.

They argued that the neighbours have not complained, which has been corroborated by neighbours saying that they assumed they had permission for the mini house although expressing shock that they thought they could get away with it.

For more information and advice about paving in Shrewsbury, get in touch today .

Why Sealing Can Protect Your Patio This Winter

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 14:11:58 GMT

With autumn now very much with us, it is getting late in the year to carry out a complete reconstruction of a driveway or a patio. But it is a time when there can be huge benefits in carrying out important maintenance - as well as major problems if you don’t.

The possibility of storms, higher rainfall levels and the effects of freeze-thaw in winter all mean that any flaws in your ratio now may grow and expand over the coming months, making minor damage major and leaving it in a poor state by spring, requiring major work or even a complete relaying.

For this reason, we may be quite busy carrying out patio sealing in Telford over autumn as householders recognise the need to maintain their patios over winter. The sealant will help prevent water seeping in, freezing and widening cracks as it expands, and also prevent the ground below becoming wet and unstable.

The process of sealing a patio involves several important steps. It will need to be dried (and dry weather will be necessary), cleaned and any loose mortar between joints will need to be replaced. Then the sealant will be added on top, keeping the water out and also denying an environment for weeds, moss and lichen to grow.

In some cases, depending on the stone in the patio and the type of sealant, one coating may be enough. In others, two will be necessary, sometimes as a means of preserving and enhancing the natural colour of the stone .

All this might seem like a bit of an effort, but the results and investment will be worth it. An unsealed patio may be left cracked, discoloured, full of weeds and generally dirty through a lack of maintenance. By contrast, a patio sealed this autumn will come through the winter in far better shape, ensuring it looks great for when spring comes around.

Why Autumn Is Ideal Time For New Patio

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 10:40:07 GMT

Lots of homeowners find themselves in a rush to make their garden immaculate before the summer arrives, so they can enjoy social gatherings easily and have their children make the most of their outdoor space during the hot months. However, sometimes households do not realise there are problems with their patio, decking or lawn until summer is here, which is why autumn is also a good time to consider having work done.

Although your decking or patio might have looked alright in springtime, it is often only after you use it every day that you notice faults with it. For instance, you might not have realised your decking is rotting away quickly when you have not used it all winter.

Similarly, you may have been unaware of patio slabs that have slipped or are broken until you trip over it on a daily basis.

Alternatively, you might have tried to make repairs to the flooring yourself before the summer months, and have just realised your DIY job wasn’t up to scratch.

Real Homes reports that botched home improvement projects in the garden are extremely common. Calum Maddock from HomeHow told the publication: “If you’re no good at DIY, don’t try and botch a job of repairing or laying brick patio.”

Instead, he suggested: “Hire a professional. It will look better, last longer and save you money in the long run.”

You might have also gotten into the habit of letting your dog pee on your decking, which can lead to the wood rotting, so much so that you now need to replace it.

Interested in a new patio in Telford this autumn? Call us today .

Is Gravel The Best Option or Your Drive?

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 10:56:06 GMT

If you are considering relaying your driveway, now is a good time to do it. The remaining weeks of summer offer a chance for the work to be done in warmer and - comparatively - dry weather, before the surface gets covered in falling leaves, drenched by autumn and winter storms or prone to freeze-thaw when the coldest weather arrives.

However, if you are resurfacing the driveway, a key question to be asked is what material to use.

Gravel is one that comes with a number of pros and cons , so it is worth considering them all before choosing this or an alternative.

The first, simplest pro of gravel is that it comes at a lower cost to other materials, so you may want to factor this in at a time when household budgets have been squeezed by inflation.

However, that would be no use without some practical attributes. The good news is that gravel has many. It is quick and easy to install, low maintenance and aesthetically pleasing, not least in country settings where it may match the local stone. Indeed, there are various different shades and material types to choose from.

In addition to all that, that familiar audible crunching sound on contact will be useful for household security, as intruders will find it harder to sneak around undetected, while it will allow water to seep throug h easily, preventing puddle formation and replenishing groundwater, something plants on either side will benefit from.

However, there are some possible cons to consider . Although it will not crack like a solid surface, it can develop potholes. It is also more prone to weeds growing on it and the material can be washed away in a storm, especially if the driveway is on a slope, although it is easy enough to replenish.

As ever, it is worth looking at all the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of driveway surface before making a decision, ensuring you are left with an attractive and practical place to drive home to.

For more information on gravel driveways in Telford, contact us today .

Boost Soaring House Prices With Kerbside Appeal

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 11:50:02 GMT

House prices are increasing at an unprecedented rate, but thanks to a shortage of properties being put on the market, you could increase your home’s value even more by improving its kerbside appeal.

Average property values reached £289,099 in May, rising by 10.5 per cent over the preceding 12 months. Although this is still a significant increase of more than £28,000 from May 2021, it is actually the slowest annual rate of growth since the start of the year.

In fact, Halifax revealed that property values have risen by as much as 74 per cent since 2012, meaning houses now worth £289,099 were valued at £166,148 just ten years ago, giving homeowners an average profit of £122,851 over the decade.

Even though this annual £12,295 increase is likely to be higher than homeowners anticipated when they bought their property, there are always ways to boost the value even higher.

Indeed, in doing so, they will be able to afford more from their next house purchase, which would have also risen in price considerably over the years.

One of the best ways to increase the asking price is to improve how it looks from the outside. While lots of homeowners focus on updating the interior of the home, the outside is the first thing people see when they view a property.

Therefore, having a shabby garden, a broken roof, an old door, and an overgrown drive will instantly put them off the purchase.

On the other hand, a well-kept lawn, blossoming plants, a gravel driveway, clean windows, and a roof with no missing tiles will make your home more appealing to potential buyers.

Find out more about a new gravel driveway in Telford today.

Rare Ring Found When Digging Up Driveway

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Tue, 31 May 2022 11:46:30 GMT

There might be more than one reason to consider digging up your driveway and replacing it with a new one, after one lucky homeowner found a rare ring when they did just that.

Matthew Williams from Coventry had hired contractors to dig the foundations for his driveway in Mount Nod Way, but they stopped when they were about half a metre deep into the ground.

The 44-year-old told Coventry Telegraph they had discovered a rare ring, which he thinks could date as far back as the iron age.

Together with his son Dawson, Mr Williams scoured the soil for other bits of jewellery and discovered a setting that fits the ring perfectly.

“We have used a magnet on it, so we know it’s not steel or lead. It could be bronze, but we really don’t know. We were all very excited and spent most of the night looking at old jewellery online,” he told the publication.

The grey ring has a square seat in the middle where the setting would have gone and is bordered by engravings.

Mr Williams has lived at the property for more than 22 years with his wife Lindsey, daughter Lara and Dawson, but did not know they had some historical artefacts underneath their home.

Together with the ring, they also unearthed a horseshoe underneath the driveway of the 1960s’ property.

A similar ring from the iron age with a garnet stone is valued at £600 on Antiquities.co.uk , which means Mr Williams’ finding could be worth several hundreds of pounds.

If this has tempted you to get digging, call our block paving driveways specialists in Telford today.

Why Spring And Summer Are Driveway Repair Time

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 11:48:55 GMT

The days are longer than the nights, the clocks have gone forward, seasonal flowers are everywhere and the cricket season has begun. It is unmistakably spring.

While this time of the year is a favourite one for many, not least as they can get outdoors more, it is also a time to check the damage that winter has wrought and carry out repairs where needed.

Indeed, now and early summer are definitely the time to carry out any work your driveway will need , to fix the wear and tear of recent years and especially winters, making sure any problems that exist now are not there next year.

Any cracks in the surface can be worsened by winter conditions due to the action of freeze-thaw , as water expands when it gets near freezing point and the ice will widen the fissures, breaking up the surface. That’s good news for releasing nutrients to feed plants in the wild, bad news for a driveway.

You may have seen this effect out on the roads in the form of potholes, but these can also occur on your own driveway. The kind of repair you need will depend on the level of damage done. In some cases, that could mean resurfacing altogether, either by filling in the damage or even taking the radical option of opting for a whole new driveway, perhaps using a different material like gravel.

Alternatively, if the damage is still minor, sealing work can fix small cracks and make it look good as new, or simply help prevent this happening next winter.

By taking the action you need to now, you can have your driveway looking great by the middle of summer, when the hottest weather arrives. New concrete and asphalt sets more easily when it is not too hot , which is another reason to do it in this season.

Moreover, by fixing the driveway now you can be sure it will be in tip-top condition when the frost, snow and ice return at the back end of the year, ready to handle whatever the weather throws at it.

If you need driveway sealing in Telford, call us today .

How To Safely Clear Driveways Of Snow

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 12:46:14 GMT

Weather experts are predicting temperatures are set to plumet over the next few weeks, which could result in icy driveways. While it is tempting to de-ice the ground using salt or vinegar, this can cause damage to the surface. Here are some tips on how to prevent slippery surfaces without needing to repair your driveway in the long-run.

1) Shovelling

Many Brits are set to experience heavy snowfall, with the Met Office expecting snow blizzards, gale force winds and widespread ice to hit much of the country.

Meteorologist Richard Miles was quoted by The Sun as saying: “We are going into a period when temperatures will be dropping quite a bit.”

Therefore, many homeowners will have to grab their shovel and remove the snow themselves. However, it is wise to avoid creating big piles of snow at the end of your driveway as this can reduce visibility for drivers, causing danger to both road users and pedestrians.

2) Snow blowers

If you live in areas of the country that are prone to heavy snowfall during the winter months, it could be worth investing in a snow blower. These machines can redistribute huge quantities of snow in a short amount of time, meaning you can avoid long delays to your journey.

Good House Keeping recommends battery-operated snow blowers, as these are better for the environment and are quieter than traditional gas ones. They are still powerful, though, throwing snow up to 50 feet and clearing a width of 24 inches in some cases.

3) Using other products

Those who only have a small dusting of snow or a layer of ice on their driveway could simply use urea-based products that would not cause damage to the stone or concrete.

While salt and vinegar are corrosive and weaken the surfaces over time, solutions containing urea do not. Alternatively, you could swap salt for sand, which also has more grip – helpful for cars pulling out of their drives.

Need driveway sealing in Shrewsbury? Give us a call today .

Are Gates The Only Way To Prevent Driveway Trespassers?

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 12:41:07 GMT

The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.

The Drive Smashed By A Meteor To Be Displayed In Museum

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 12:09:27 GMT

The paved driveway that became the landing zone of a meteorite in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire has been recovered and is set to be displayed in a major metropolitan museum.

The Natural History Museum in London announced the newest part of their display would include what they describe as possibly “the most famous driveway in the UK.”

The paving slab was the landing spot of the first meteorite to be recovered in the UK, complete with the black mark symbolising its exact landing point. It was protected after the incident with a covering board, and later a car.

The hole will be replaced with a plaque commissioned to immortalise the moment, claim the family whose driveway made history.

It will join a piece of the meteorite itself that was recovered by a team from the University of Glasgow led by Mira Ihasz and used to study the chemical composition of the universe.

How A Driveway Made History

In February 2021, a firey meteor streaked across the sky, and for the first time in 30 years, it appeared that its flight path would be over the UK, spilling chunks of meteorite in its wake.

The UK Fireball Alliance had six networks of cameras set up solely for events such as these and because of their technology, they could predict its landing to within 400 metres of its ultimate landing site, as well as working backwards to determine where the rock initially came from.

Because of the collective effort, many different pieces of the meteorite were recovered, including the piece recovered from the Winchcombe driveway, now a part of human history.

For more information about driveway paving in Telford, get in touch today .

How A Pressure Washer Can Transform Your Patio

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Thu, 10 Feb 2022 13:24:04 GMT

With both the arrival of spring and the easing of some of the lockdown restrictions, Brits are again turning to their outdoor spaces to get the most of the sunshine as well as being able to entertain friends and family in the garden again.

However, before you can welcome guests again, you might need to spend some time getting your garden and outdoor space ready. As well as a general tidy up, you may need to treat your patio for mould and algae that’s accumulated over the winter months. Here are some other tips for getting your garden ready.

1. Tidy and trim

To start, make sure that any outdoor furniture that’s been left out over the winter is thoroughly cleaned. Next move onto the lawn, either with a mower or a strimmer, depending on its condition. Use a rake to gather up all the cut grass, and a stiff brush to get rid of the cuttings from your patio or decking.

2. Pressure wash your paving

Paving slabs can get caked in dirt, moss, and algae over the winter months, and a wash with a pressure washer can bring them back to life, getting right into the texture of the stone slabs. The best technique is to hold the high-pressure jet vertically to the surface and use a sweeping motion.

3. Shape your bushes

Once your garden and patio area is looking clean and tidy again, then get stuck into shearing and trimming your shrubs and bushes. This will allow them to grow healthily and give them a new lease of life. A visit to a garden centre can help you find a range of colourful plants and flowers to add to the garden to inject some life and colour.

If you’re looking for patios in Shrewsbury, get in touch today .

Driveway Maintenance Tips For Winter

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 16:46:32 GMT

To help prolong the lifespan of your driveway, it is important to keep it clear and well-maintained through the coldest season of the year. It will not only improve its durability but ensure your driveway looks great all year round, regardless of the weather. We have some tips to get you started!

Clear snow and ice as it arrives

The Met Office has issued warnings of further snow and ice this winter , blowing in on the tail of Storm Arwen. While most parts of the UK do not get serious snowfall, whether you get a light sprinkling or a heavy fall, remove the snow from your driveway as soon as possible to prevent it from building up and causing more problems down the line.

Ensure your driveway is sealed

Sealing your driveway can protect it from both snow and ice, as neither will be allowed to settle and then melt or refreeze in small cracks or holes that may be present in your driveway. When snow or ice melts and then refreezes, it expands – something which could make a crack worse if snow or ice were to melt and then refreeze inside one.

Avoid using salt or chemicals to remove ice patches

It may be tempting to scatter rock salt onto your driveway, but this should be avoided. When salt melts the snow, it turns into a saltwater slushy, which then seeps into the cracks and gaps in your driveway, which as mentioned above will freeze and cause damage.

Use a garden broom to brush away light snowfall

Typical snowfall in the UK can amount to around one or two inches, which may need nothing more than a staff garden broom to sweep it away. This also mitigates the use of a shovel, if left to accumulate, which can potentially damage your driveway if the shovel is not in great condition.

If you’re looking for driveway sealing in Telford , get in touch today.

6 Ways To Make Space For Nature

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 13:58:08 GMT

Climate change and loss of biodiversity are the greatest global threats we face, but there are ways we can help nature to thrive, even if you only have a small garden or no garden at all!

Whether it’s to join in the Big Butterly Count or letting part of your garden grow wild, there are many small changes we can make that will help increase biodiversity in our own back yards. Looking after nature is good for us, the planet, and wildlife.

1. Go natural

If you have patio paving, an artificial lawn, or gravel in your garden, then consider adding flowing pot or window boxes to help encourage pollinators and other creatures to take refuge.

2. Love weeds

Weeds are generally unwanted in the garden, but many, including dandelions, provide food for all types of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies, and beetles. They can be amazingly resilient wildflowers if you allow them to grow as so.

3. Start small

Many plants do well in containers such as window boxes, pots and hanging baskets. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary, sage and thyme are popular with pollinators, and brighten life up!

4. Share cuttings

Instead of forking over for plants and seeds, see if your friends and neighbours have any existing pollinator-friendly flowers and plants that they’d be willing to share cuttings from.

5. Be a lazy gardener

Allow vegetation to die back naturally – leave twigs, leaves and natural debris as a shelter for insects and other wildlife. Leave seedheads – a food source for birds and homes for insects.

6. Help local birds

Add a bird box or feeders to your outdoor space. Feeders that attach to windows are a great way to be able to observe local birds, especially if you don’t have a garden.

If you need help with gardening in Shrewsbury, get in touch today .

How To Permanently Remove Weeds From Paths

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 13:51:09 GMT

If your garden of Eden is more of a garden of weeding, it can make it look tired, weathered, and unkept, particularly if the weeds are coming up through the cracks in your paving and paths.

All gardeners want to find ways to easily remove and kill weeds from their gardens , but paths can sometimes be overlooked, and they can take root, where they then seed and spread around the entire garden.

The most effective way to reduce the problem is to remove the weeds from the path and the adjacent borders before they get a chance to seed and to sweep up any moss and soil that had accumulated on the paving.

By starting with this, you will see that annual weeds such as chickweed and bittercress can be more easily controlled with hand-weeding or with a hoe.

However, pesky perennials like dandelions and plantains are tougher to eradicate, and once they have established themselves, the best way to treat them is to apply a systemic action weed killer to the leaves, which will reach down to the roots and kill the plant.

Examples of a systemic action weed killer include Weedol Gun! Rootkill Plus and Job Done General Purpose Weedkiller.

Perennial weeds, such as brambles, dandelions, stinging nettles, docks and ragwort, can live in a garden for years, storing food in their roots over the winter months. The rots spread out underground, making them difficult to manually dig out. If you leave a bit in the soil, it may end up resurfacing.

Every gardener will have their own method for removing weeds, from white vinegar or bicarbonate of soda to lemon juice or boiling water. Chemical weed killers may spread to other areas of the garden, harming your other non-weed plants.

If you need help with gardening in Shrewsbury, get in touch today .

Update Your Driveway For Real Kerb Appeal

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 13:48:47 GMT

The driveway to your home is one of the first things that visitors see as they approach, and a high-quality driveway can instantly add kerb appeal, security, and elegance to your home.

Whether you’re a homeowner looking to improve the aesthetics of your home or increase its value, or a l andlord seeking to maximise its rental potential , we have a quick guide to your driveway options.

The material you choose to create your driveway is a very important consideration, as it will affect your drive, utility, and security. There are many options available, each depending on your priorities and preferences, but the two of the most popular are gravel and brick or pavers.

Gravel

Gravel drives can help boost your home security, as the noise of the drive, even when walking, would be a deterrent to would-be thieves, especially if you extend the drive to a pathway around your home.

There is a range of gravel materials available, including limestone clippings and slate, all depending on your budget and preferences.

However, gravel driveways require more maintenance, as furrows and ruts can be formed by driving on them, which can then form puddles. A gravel driveway would need to be regularly raked into place to ensure it has an even covering.

Brick or Pavers

Brick or paved driveways are typically more expensive than gravel but has a more luxurious feel. It feels better underfoot, especially barefoot, but lacks the same level of security as gravel.

However, despite the additional cost, brick and paved driveways require less maintenance, and would not need to be topped up. They simply need cleaning every so often.

If you’re looking for gravel driveways in Telford, visit our website today for more information .

How To Stop Tree Roots From Ruining Your Patio

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 13:31:58 GMT

Trees are majestic plants that during their decades of life can grow large, strong and intricate networks of roots to absorb moisture and nutrients from the ground.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society , tree roots can grow up to three times the height of a tree, and this can cause a problem if a tree’s mighty roots grow under your drive or patio.

Whilst in most cases trees will not cause damage to your property, there are rare cases where overgrown roots can be a major nuisance, but there are ways to minimise the damage and stop unruly roots from getting too close to your patio.

Keep Watering

Roots spread to where they can find sources of water, and so if a tree is regularly watered the roots will grow deeper rather than wider and shallower. If the roots are low enough they are unlikely to cause any damage to your patio.

Trees grow to reach nutrients, water and sunlight, so ensuring they have enough of all of these will stop your tree roots and branches from growing in an unruly way.

Pare Back The Roots

Try to avoid planting a tree too close to a driveway, or building a drive too close to a tree, but if you have roots growing close or already lifting parts of your drive or patio, the best way to fix the issue is to cut away the roots.

Dig a trench near where the lifting is taking place and cut the root doing any damage.

Create A Barrier

You can create a barrier of sorts to slow down the rate at which the roots grow under the cement.

Creating a barrier made of hardibacker or cement board will force the root to go deeper underground, avoiding the risk of subsidence.

For more information on beautiful patios in Shrewsbury, get in touch today .

Would You Rent Your Driveway For EV Charging?

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 14:52:35 GMT

Depending on where you live, having off-road parking in the form of a driveway might be something of a luxury. But if you’re lucky enough to have a driveway, have you considered that you could make money by renting the space when you’re not using it?

If you live near a train station or popular commuter travel hub this could be ideal - they can use your space while you’re at work, and you get some extra cash for giving up your spot.

However, a recent article for Transport Xtra suggested that homeowners renting out their driveways to allow people with electric vehicles (EV) to charge up could be a good way of boosting the EV charging network in the future.

The news provider revealed that some people are already doing this, and it could be worth considering if you don’t use your driveway all day.

This Is Money recently noted that the Department and Office for Low Emission Vehicles has called for all new rapid EV charging points that are installed by 2020 to allow debit and credit card payments.

What’s more, Chris Grayling, transport secretary, has also confirmed that there will be a public consultation about changing building regulations in England to require all new-build properties to have an electric charging point installed.

If you’re thinking of having new gravel driveways in Shrewsbury you may want to look at whether it’s worth also installing an EV charger at the same time. It will make it easier for you to get an EV if you want one, and it could give you an opportunity to make some extra cash from your driveway by renting it to those who need to charge their cars.

Do You Know These Unusual UK Parking Laws?

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 15:06:11 GMT

You might be aware of the most common parking misdemeanors, like stopping on double yellow lines or blocking driveways, but did you know that there are some other parking offences that could land you with a hefty fine and even points on your licence?

The Liverpool Echo recently picked out some of the most unusual parking laws in the UK, noting that many drivers may be unaware that they’re breaking rules.

For example, if you use wheelie bins or any other objects to save a parking space on your street you could be fined for causing a dangerous obstruction in the road.

Parking on the pavement is a common sight in many small roads, but be careful about this. In London, it’s been illegal to do so since 1970. In the rest of the country, you could get a ticket if parking on the pavement causes an obstruction.

We all know that parallel parking can be a challenge, but it pays to make sure you get it right and tuck your car in close to the kerb. If your vehicle is more than 50cm from the kerb, you could receive an on-the-spot fine.

You also need to make sure that you park your vehicle at least 10m from any junction. This is for road safety and parking closer could see you receive a ticket.

It’s also important to remember that cycle lanes that are marked on the carriageway count as lanes of traffic. That means blocking them is illegal. With so many parking rules to bear in mind, it’s probably best to get your new gravel driveways in Shrewsbury sorted so you always have off-street parking available and avoid all these potential issues.

But it’s not only on the roads where drivers are making parking errors. Research from Confused.com recently revealed that 26 per cent of parent and child parking spaces in the UK are being misused.

Could You Make Money Renting Your Driveway?

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 11:45:26 GMT

It might seem like an odd concept, but there’s good money to be made renting your driveway or private parking space in some parts of the UK.

New research by YourParkingSpace.co.uk found that people could be making over £1,000 by renting out their driveways in 25 towns and cities around the country.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, London is where the biggest bucks can be made, with a parking space in the capital renting for an average of £2,254 per year. Meanwhile, residents in Brighton, Oxford, Bristol and Leeds can all earn over £1,600 a year by renting their driveway.

If this isn’t something you’ve considered, it could be worth looking into if you need a bit of extra cash and can manage without the off-street parking. You could do particularly well if your home is near a train station, airport, sport stadium or music venue.

Harrison Woods, managing director of the company, said that many people were able to make a bit of extra money by renting their parking spaces.

“It’s very encouraging to see that the top earning towns and cities are spread across the country, offering money-making opportunities to countless Brits who own a driveway or empty parking space,” he added.

Earlier this year, the idea of residents renting their driveways in Yarm was suggested as a potential solution to the parking issues in the north-east town. New parking regulations introduced last year to encourage turnover in sought-after parking spaces along the high street mean that many staff now have to find alternative places to park.

Teeside Live reported on the suggestion, which was made at a meeting of the Stockton Western Locality Forum. The idea is that residents who are at work all day could rent their driveway in the hours that they’re not at home to a particular business to provide staff parking.

Thinking of investing in gravel driveways in Shrewsbury? Contact us today .

Can Gardening Therapy Boost Mental Health?

stephenturnbullgardening@gmail.com (Stephen Turnbull) — Mon, 13 May 2019 12:07:42 GMT

People struggling with their mental health might try to seek counselling, start Mindfulness, exercise more, or join social groups. However, something else that may help boost their mood and alleviate stress is gardening.

An article in Real Homes looked at how gardening can be a great form of therapy for those suffering from anxiety or depression.

A study in the journal Health and Social Care in the Community found participants felt ‘empowered’ by both the flexible nature of gardening and its social aspect.

Director-general for the Royal Horticultural Society Sue Biggs was quoted as saying: “Gardeners have known about mindfulness for generations and, with increased pressures through things like social media, now more than ever we need to get outside, moving and loving nature to calm us, get exercise and be kind to ourselves.”

Some GPs in London have even joined the Lambeth GP Food Co-operative to prescribe gardening time to patients suffering from depression or anxiety.

This is supported by a Harvard University study that found women with access to green spaces tend to lead healthier lives, and as a result they have lower rates of physical and mental illnesses.

Even those with small gardens or yards can make their outdoor space green, with an article in the Guardian giving homeowners tips on how they can get the most out of their urban gardens.

It suggested picking plants that match their growing conditions, as this will ensure flowers blossom quickly and successfully. It also advised sticking to a budget, buying outdoor lighting to make the space more inviting, and getting to know neighbours so the outdoor space becomes a sociable and friendly environment.

Before you can really enjoy your garden, it is essential to get the flooring sorted. Get in touch with block paving driveway experts in Shrewsbury today to fix your ground surface, so you can begin planting in no time.