Block Paving Cambridge Cambridgeshire (CB1): A stylish way to add a patio, path or driveway to your garden in Cambridge, is by using block paving. Creating a durable and long-lasting parking area for vehicles is the principal use of block paving in both commercial and domestic settings.
Off-road parking is a highly appealing feature for any property in Cambridge, and a professionally installed block paving driveway will increase the value of your home. If you opt to invest some money in a really decent area of block paving now, you will not only gain the advantage of having a valuable facility to use going forward, you will also get a large part of your investment back when you eventually come around to selling.
When designing your new block pave drive in Cambridge it is important to think carefully when you are considering just how big it should be. It is advisable to plan your new drive to be able to safely park and manoeuvre your car, but certainly you may be constrained by the dimensions of the land area you have to build it on. It is also a great idea, when possible, to think of installing a drive that has the capacity for at least one more car than your own. This will provide the additional space needed when anyone visits your property, and for extra vehicles that may be owned by your household in the future.
Always try to get at least three detailed estimates from different firms, when your are seeking out a reliable contractor to install your block paving driveway or patio in Cambridge. You can ask for recommendations and advice from friends and neighbours, if any of them have had a block paving driveway installed recently.
Any Cambridge block paving firm worth their salt will be willing to provide you with a completely free and comprehensive quote for the entire project. Any contractors who just rock up at your door declaring they "just happen to be working locally on another job", should be avoided. There are hundreds of scary stories of property owners having shoddy work, or being embarrassed and out of pocket when a driveway isn't completed, by these types of rogues.
Things that you should expect to see itemised on any satisfactory quote might be:
- Preparation (excavation) of the area
- Sub-base installation
- Water run-off and drainage allowances
- Style, colour and quantity of block pavers
- Disposal of waste materials
- Other issues to consider
PREPARING THE GROUNDWORK
If you already have a driveway, the associated construction materials and waste will have to be lifted, removed and disposed of in an ethical and responsible way. It could be required to perform further excavations to make certain building regulations in relation to the DPC (damp proof course) of your property are upheld. The regulations require that new driveways are laid 2 brick courses below the existing damp proof course of your home.
Around 9" (230mm) of soil will have to be excavated and disposed of if your block paved driveway in Cambridge is being laid on top of grass or bare earth. This ensures that before any block pavers are laid, a proper sub-base and sharp sand stratum can be established.
INSTALLING THE SUB-BASE
A good layer of Type 1 crushed gravel and stones, covered with sharp sand, is utilised to create the sub-base. The installation of a firm and sound sub-base is crucial to ensure the drive won't end up with dips where pools can form and cause problems. Firmly packed down to form a solid, strong and durable surface for your driveway, footpath or terrace in Cambridge, Type 1 is a crushed aggregate mixture, normally composed of granite or limestone.
Any drainage issues will be sorted out during this stage of the installation. If not already inherent in the natural lay of the land, an incline or fall will be developed, to let excess water to drain off. This water can either be directed as far from your house as possible, or into drainage grates, inserted in between your home and the driveway.
The surface upon which the blocks are laid is formed by the addition of sharp sand to the firmly compacted sub-base type 1 aggregate.
DRAINAGE AND WATER RUN-OFF
Excess water must be run off to a permeable area on every driveway over 5 sq metres in Cambridge. If your drive cannot abide by this caveat, planning permission will be needed from your local authority. Any surface water run-off from your drive isn't allowed to be redirected into the main drainage system in order to avoid local flooding.
To keep your new drive within the legislation, an experienced Cambridge block paving installation company will figure out your drainage needs as an integral part of the drive installation process and take any necessary action. So as to accomplish this they might need to install a permeable driveway, excavate a soak-away area or add built-in drainage channels/grates .
Properties that are in the legally defined limits of a conservation area will need added consideration regarding drainage and design aspects. With their experience and knowledge, an established installation contractor will be able to skillfully guide you through this tricky process, and bring it to an acceptable conclusion.
DESIGN, COLOUR AND AMOUNT OF PAVERS
There are many different colours, sizes and shapes of block pavers, and regardless of what design of driveway you need, you should have no problem finding something that suits. From the commonplace and widely available, straight edged, square or oblong pavers, to the more fancy, circular, curved, s-shape and diamond designs, there'll be a style which satisfies your needs. You could match your driveway colours with the brickwork of your property, or create a striking feature with a completely different colour.
Older homes in Cambridge might be better suited to the traditional style block paving, often called tumbled pavers, which produce a more seamless and sympathetic result. These block pavers have been pre-faded to give the appearance of being old and time-worn. For a more modern feel, you can also purchase contemporary pavers, which can give you a high-gloss surface finish when properly sealed.
Subject to the structure of your garden, your new driveway in Cambridge could be laid out as a basic oblong or square shape, or it could weave around other hard landscaping features for a more appealing effect. Three of the most widespread paver designs are Stretcher Bond, Basketweave and Herringbone, although block paving can be carried out in many patterns to achieve different effects. An experienced block paving contractor in Cambridge will provide a quality driveway that looks awesome, whatever design you choose.
A block paving edging is also something to consider. Your local installer will be happy to chat about the advantages and drawbacks of raised kerb stones, contrasting colours and shapes, or if your new driveway even needs to be edged at all.
DISPOSAL OF WASTE AND SOIL
When you get a quotation for block paving installation, the charges for the removal of waste materials and its expedient manner of disposal should all be included. The size of your new driveway will dictate the quantity of waste materials and soil that will need to be carted away. Any excavated soil will need to be moved by by truck if it can't be used in other parts of your garden. The majority of of the soil and other materials can be reused, therefore they have to be transported to an official disposal site.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Almost all block paving installers in Cambridge will urge you to put a sealing coat your new driveway after installation, although this is not at all essential. Sealing can help to lengthen the life of your block paving driveway, it also protects it from staining, lowers the risk of weed growth, prevents fading and brings out the true colour. A good sealant is an excellent way to safeguard the considerable investment you have made in your block paving drive.
As the jointing and sand needs to properly settle for a while, sealants should never be applied to a newly installed drive. The recommended waiting time for coating a new block paving driveway with sealant is six months, and it is always best to use a specialist for this type of project because it's difficult to put right any mistakes that are made in this process.
TO CONCLUDE
A block paving patio or drive can truly transform the look of your home in Cambridge. It can create a wonderful area to relax and enjoy a sturdy barbeque and seating area in your garden, or provide a stable and hard wearing area for parking your vehicles.
Block paving work can be undertaken in Cambridge and also in: Cottenham, Grantchester Meadows, Newtown, Fen Ditton, Teversham, Cherry Hinton, Milton, Chesterton, Newmarket, Grantchester, Petersfield, Horningsea, Girton, St Neots, Trumpington, together with these postcodes CB1 0WY, CB1 0AP, CB1 0GA, CB1 0RX, CB1 0NZ, CB1 0QS, CB1 0SB, CB1 0RP, CB1 0QT, CB1 0PP. Locally based Cambridge block pavers will most likely have the telephone code 01223 and the postcode CB1. Verifying this will confirm that you access local providers of block paving. Cambridge home and business owners are able to benefit from these and numerous other paving related services.
Cambridge Paving Related Tasks
There are a number of different paving tasks that can be conducted by your local Cambridge block paving specialists including residential block paving, quotes for block paving Cambridge, tumbled pavers in Cambridge, block paving edging, sealing block paving in Cambridge, block paving walkways, block paving services in Cambridge, cheap block paving Cambridge, block paving cleaning Cambridge, brick driveways, block paving removal, permeable block paving, block paving patios Cambridge, repairs to block paving Cambridge, block paving driveway repairs Cambridge, block paving installations, block pavement driveways, block paving design, granite chip paving Cambridge, imprinted concrete driveways, sub-bases for block paving Cambridge, york stone paving Cambridge, brick weave paving Cambridge, the installation of block paving, industrial block paving, autumn block paving Cambridge, hard landscaping in Cambridge, resin bound driveways, driveway block paving Cambridge, tar chipped driveways, and more. If there happen to be other Cambridge paving services that you need but don't see here, you should list them on the QUOTE FORM provided. These are just a small portion of the activities that are handled by people specialising in block paving. Cambridge providers will be happy to tell you about their full range of services.
Block Pavers Near Cambridge
Also find: Cherry Hinton block paving, Horningsea block paving, Grantchester block paving, Cottenham block paving, Teversham block paving, Grantchester Meadows block paving, Newtown block paving, Petersfield block paving, Trumpington block paving, Fen Ditton block paving, Milton block paving, Girton block paving, St Neots block paving, Chesterton block paving, Newmarket block paving services and more. All these areas are catered for by companies who do block paving. Cambridge residents can get block paving price quotes by going here.
Block Paver Services Cambridge
- Cambridge Block Paving Paths
- Cambridge Block Paving Edging
- Cambridge Block Paving Bricks
- Cambridge Block Paving Repairs
- Cambridge Block Paving Replacement
- Cambridge Cheap Block Paving
- Cambridge Block Paving Services
- Cambridge Block Paving Borders
- Cambridge Domestic Block Paving
- Cambridge Block Paving Re-Sanding
- Cambridge Block Paved Driveways
- Cambridge Commercial Block Paving
- Cambridge Block Paving Cleaning
- Cambridge Block Paved Patios
More Cambridge Tradespeople
Of course, when you're doing home repairs and improvements in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, you'll likely need all kinds of different tradespeople and together with a block paving specialist in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, you could also need a building contractor in Cambridge, hedge shaping in Cambridge, garden decking in Cambridge, fencers in Cambridge, skip hire in Cambridge, soil drainage services in Cambridge, grass cutting services in Cambridge, waste removal in Cambridge, landscaping in Cambridge, garden shed installation in Cambridge, an electrician in Cambridge, weeding in Cambridge, a carpenter in Cambridge, artifical grass in Cambridge, a bricklayer in Cambridge, garden clearance in Cambridge, tree surgery in Cambridge, patio cleaning in Cambridge, garden pond builders in Cambridge, garden designers in Cambridge, driveway specialists in Cambridge, a handyman in Cambridge, and other different Cambridge tradesmen.
Block Paving Around Cambridge
Households in Spalding Way, Sterne Close, Thornhill Place, Brentwood Close, Ashmead Drive, Dodds Mead, Sargents Lane, Sherbourne Close, Beche Way, Arcadia Gardens, Colwyn Close, Camside, Bancroft Close, Chapel Road, St Thomass Square, Dennis Road, Christs Pieces, Chalk Grove, Brinkley Road, Beche Road, Desmond Avenue, Boot Lane, Ashley Way, Tunbridge Close, Back Hill, School Walk, Ditchfield, Dean Drive, Temple End, have needed block paving recently. Block paving driveways were also done in these Cambridge area postcodes: CB1 0WY, CB1 0AP, CB1 0GA, CB1 0RX, CB1 0NZ, CB1 0QS, CB1 0SB, CB1 0RP, CB1 0QT, CB1 0PP. These places recently saw activity by experts in block paving. Cambridge home and property owners benefited from reliable and top notch block paving services in all cases.
More Cambridgeshire block pavers: Peterborough, Ely, Wisbech, Chatteris, Huntingdon, St Ives, St Neots, March, Whittlesey and Cambridge.
If you would like to get local information relating to Cambridge, Cambridgeshire take a look here
Block Paving & Landscaping Jobs Cambridge: Browse block paving and landscaping jobs near Cambridge by clicking here: Block Paving Jobs Cambridge
Block paving specialists in CB1 area, and dialling code 01223.
TOP - Block Paving Cambridge - Synthetic Grass - Driveways
Residential Block Paving Cambridge - Block Paving Near Cambridge - Block Paved Pathways Cambridge - Block Paving Estimates Cambridge - Industrial Block Paving Cambridge - Block Pavers Cambridge - Block Paving Cambridge - Block Paved Driveways Cambridge - Block Paving Services Cambridge