An important aspect to consider when constructing a driveway and laying driveway paving is drainage. A common approach is to simply slope the paving away from the house so rainwater washes away onto the public pavement. This is not a satisfactory solution though and it is preferable to manage the runoff within the confines of the garden. Alternatives to consider would include permeable paving or incorporating a drainage system underneath the new paving.

Manhole covers need not be an eyesore as Grasshopper uses recessed manhole covers on all driveway paving projects. This integrates the manhole in the body of the paving so it is hardly noticeable.

There are five essential stages to create a durable driveway surface.

• Excavation
• Sub-base
• Weed control fabric
• Grit Sand
• Paving surface

We remove all existing vegetation and soil from the area that is to be paved. We excavate back to the more stable sub-soil underneath, this is also known as the sub-grade.

The next step is for is to apply the sub-base. The sub-base layer is the one on which the whole paving system lies and so it is very important. There are various materials that can be used for the sub-base. The preferred type is 804 aggregate, ideally for residential driveways, a depth of 125mm is sufficient. Once the sub-base is spread on the ground it needs to be levelled and compacted.

Once the hard-core is in place, we install a weed control material. This fabric is a bit thicker then the type used in planted beds, however it performs the same function. It will prevent any weeds growing up from underneath the driveway paving.

This is the layer onto which your chosen driveway paving is laid. The material for this layer is determined by the type of material to be laid. For example, concrete block paving unbound (no cement) grit sand is used. This is compacted in order to prevent movement and provides a perfectly solid bed for a block paver.

With natural stone a moist grit sand and cement mix is preferred. The mortar mix allows the slabs to be bedded and accommodates the varying thickness of the stone.

The choice for driveway paving is huge so why not take a look at the driveway products that we recommend and see what would suit your location. Make sure to choose a unit and colour of paving that will match the colour of the house façade. The most important feature to consider is the depth of the paving unit, 60mm depth must be used on a residential driveway.