Block Paving Driveways & Patios

Having a good quality driveway or patio makes your home visually appealing. Using the right kind of material is key and it has to complement the property. Due to its versatility, block paving is considered a widely acceptable choice for driveways and patios. Paving blocks are made from a combination of concrete and clay. Also they come in a wide range of styles, sizes, thickness and shapes and have been used to mirror other paving materials like Natural Stone and Indian Sandstone. Block Paving Driveways are widely common in UK homes while Block Paving Driveway Slabs are not so common. Usually Block Paving Slabs are used for gardens or patios.
 
Evolution in block paving technology has reduced the price over the last few years making it widely available to most homeowners. They are widely sold in major home improvement stores across the country. With Block Paving, simple or more complex designs can be introduced into the mix. It is common to combine colours, styles and designs. As the installation is more a labour intensive process, there are more people in the construction industry involved in laying paving blocks compared to other driveway options which may need specialist skills or machinery.
 
Block Paving Driveways on average take between 3 days to 7 days to complete depending on the area and design complexity.
 
Advantages of Block Paving Driveways

• Research has shown that Block Paving Driveways add value to your property.
• Block Paving is considered more attractive than asphalt or tarmac surfaces for driveways
• As paving blocks are manufactured and not cut from stone, they tend to fit perfectly to the designated area meaning they are accurate and uniform.
• They are available in a wide range of styles, types, colours and sizes. This means that they offer a lot of design possibilities and opportunities.
• Interlocking used for paving blocks enhances the strength of the driveway
• They are easier to repair as broken or stained blocks can be lifted out and replaced with new blocks. There is no need to repair a wider surface with block paving
• Compared to Natural Stone or Indian Sandstone, Concrete Block Paving is a much cheaper or affordable options which makes it widely popular.
• There is a wide choice of depths. Usually at least 50mm is recommended for driveways as they experience a lot of traffic and need not buckle under the weight of one or multiple vehicles. There are paving blocks of up to 100mm used for heavier vehicles.
• As paving blocks are porous in nature they are considered more environmentally friendly as they absorb rainwater and stop it gathering in your driveway or patio.

 
Disadvantages of Block Paving Driveways

• If the sub-bases are not properly prepared it can result in paving blocks sinking which means the driveway will have an uneven surface.
• A common occurrence with block paving driveways is the growth of weeds between the blocks. This can be unsettling and needs to be cleaned out regularly.
• It is a labour intensive process which means the barrier for entry can be low. This means it can difficult to attract good quality companies that offer good warranties on their service.
• For block paving driveways to last there has to be an adequate drainage system otherwise water clogs and settles in different parts of the driveway which will lead to long term damage. The paving blocks have to be laid in such a way water runs off except they are permeable block paving.
• Some colours of paving blocks tend to fade over time from the elements (sunlight) and wear and tear.

 
Block Paving Driveway Cost
Block Paving Driveway costs would vary depending on the size of the driveway, the location, the level of the area, quality of material used for the construction and the complexity of the design. The cost is also affected by the outcomes you have set out to achieve. Block Paving costs will range from £3000 for a small to average driveway to £7000 for a large driveway in the UK. This excludes the cost for other works like excavating or disposing of the existing driveway.
 
So the overall average cost would be between £5000 and £5500. The cost of the same material will be broadly in line but the labour costs will vary from location to location. For instance, labour costs in the London area are much higher than outside London.
 
Other key aspects that will affect the cost of your driveway include the its current condition and the preparation work required to get the site in a condition for the pavers to be laid. Recent advancement in block paving technology are helping reduce the overall material cost. If block paving is done incorrectly the cost is enormous so it might be better to find qualified experts for the job to get the true value from the process.