Driveway Tips and Advice helps you get the best driveway, patio  ideas and much more

Thousands of people have the above work done at their homes each year. Some get a perfect job, many are satisfied with the work, but there are also lots of people left unhappy with the results. Driveway Advice provides tips to consider when looking for a contractor and deciding on materials for your driveway, patio, fencing and other outdoor home improvements.

A quality job should last 20-30 years+ so it's not necessary to have this type of work done as regularly as decorating inside a house. If done right you should only need to do this  type of exterior work once. Follow Driveway Tips and Advice and you'll save the time, money and possibly lots of stress of doing these jobs repeatedly. 

Hot topics on Driveway and Patio Advice:

- Patio Furniture Covers

- Patio Heaters

- Storage Sheds

- Driveway Alarm

CHOOSING A PAVING CONTRACTOR

• Good Driveway Contractors - Quality ones will have a reputation, its always good to ask friends and family for recommendations. Always ask paving contractors to see work they have done in the area, a good contractor will offer to show you his previous work. I always used to give my potential customers 3 addresses in the area when I gave them a quote. A good contractor will have credit at suppliers and will not need any money upfront. They will also have a landline phone number, and quotes will be on letterheaded paper.  
• Cowboys   - These rogues are usually one man bands, a guy and his mate who have bought a cheap truck and fancy trying their luck. There are also cowboy companies, these are generally the ones that knock on your door and promise the earth, trust your first instinct when that happens as your instinct is usually right. Asking for money upfront, being vague in any way, and not proving that they are a proper business are instant alarm bells.  
• Others   - Its not always a back and white, good or bad thing when it comes to contractors- most companies will probably fall into the grey area in-between. These guys are likely to do an OK fencing or patio job, but you might still have some problems with your driveway or patio. Just follow the checklist and advice here and you will also avoid these guys and get a proper job done.  click here to go to the choosing a contractor page  

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DRIVEWAY AND PATIO DESIGN IDEAS AND MATERIALS

The first thing to consider is what looks good of course, but also practicality and cost. If your contractor buys good materials, then most surfaces will have a similar lifespan: Whether it be tarmac, block paving, or paving. Within these categories there are bad options e.g. a cheap tarmac top over, on top of your exisiting drive will deteriorate faster than a job with good grade asphalt on a solid new foundation. Natural stone paving will obviously last longer than the cheapest concrete slabs from your local discount DIY centre. With fencing a standard panel dipped in a water based colouring will last much less time than a panel which is tanallised (pressure treated). If you have your own driveway and patio design ideas, ask the contractor how cost effective they will be. When I was a contractor I was sometimes asked for intricate designs which doubled the price of the job, so be prepared to listen to alternatives.  click here to go the paving design and materials page  

DIY DRIVEWAYS, PATIOS AND FENCING

Creating a driveway or patio doesn't require a degree, and a very simple plan is usually all that's needed, but that doesn't mean it's easy. It's very physically demanding, if your not used to carrying a concrete fence post or mixing and then pushing a wheelbarrow full of wet conrete 50 metres then you will find it very hard to do for any period of time. And you will need lots of time if you do it yourself as experience is everything in this game: it takes years of being an apprentice to become a paving expert (foundation and drainage are big issues for driveways and patios) contrators will also get materials cheaper. getting your levels right on your paving is not easy for beginners.  click here to go to the DIY page

OK thats the basics-      Now you can browse the pages on Driveway Advice to get the information you need in more depth. We have lots of pages listed on the right to help you find a paving expert and choose the right patio design ideas. The choosing a driveway contractor page explains how people in this business work and how to pick the good ones from the bad. The patio design and materials page gives a brief overview of what materials are recommended and some rough ideas of price differences. The DIY paving page covers the basics of doing it yourself. Click driveway and patio cost for a free online quote (in the UK). There are lots of other pages to browse on this site, I am constantly filling it with articles to aid with exterior home improvements. Also covered are sheds, woodworking, brick pavers, patio design ideas, invisible dog fencing, natural stone paving, Marshalls paving, bamboo fencing, garden lighting, gates, alarms and much more...