BLOCK PAVING DRIVEWAYS IN DUDLEY
Dudley is not a flat place, and that matters when you are laying a driveway. Plenty of homes in Netherton, Gornal and around the castle sit on a slope, so the levels and the drainage need thinking about before a single block goes down.
We lay block paving on a fully compacted base with concrete-haunched edges, set the falls so water runs where it should, and cut everything in neatly at the kerb and the house. The site visit and the written quote are free.
Free site visit and written quote, no pressure and no obligation.
BLOCK PAVING ON DUDLEY'S SLOPES
On a sloping drive, a channel drain across the bottom or along the garage often saves the house from water running towards it in heavy rain. We look at where the water goes now and plan the falls around that, rather than just following the old surface.
In Kingswinford and Wall Heath the drives tend to be flatter and wider, and the question is more about pattern and colour. Herringbone with a contrasting border is the usual choice, because it holds up well where cars turn on it every day.
WHAT WE CHECK ON A DUDLEY DRIVEWAY
Parts of Dudley sit over old limestone and coal workings, and plenty of gardens have been built up over the years with whatever fill was to hand. Most of the time that makes no difference to a driveway. Sometimes, once the old surface is up, there is a soft patch, old brick rubble or ash where firm ground should be. When that happens we stop, show you, and dig it out to something solid before the sub-base goes in, rather than burying the problem.
Around Brierley Hill, Woodside and Netherton, many drives are narrow and run alongside the house to a garage or a side gate. On those, the line of the edge matters, and so does the fall, because any water that lands on the drive has a short way to go before it reaches a wall. We usually set the drive to fall away from the house and towards the road or a channel.
In Coseley and Gornal, where front gardens often step up from the pavement, a couple of steps or a low retaining wall in a brick that matches the house can tie a new drive in neatly. We price those as part of the same job so the levels all work together.
HOW WE LAY BLOCK PAVING DRIVEWAYS IN DUDLEY
- Dig out the old surface and any soft ground underneath.
- Build and compact a proper MOT type 1 sub-base.
- Set the edge restraints in concrete.
- Lay, cut and compact the blocks, then brush in kiln dried sand.
DROPPED KERBS AND PLANNING IN DUDLEY
If your kerb is not already dropped, you need permission from Dudley Council before you can drive across the pavement in Dudley. It is worth applying early, because approval is not instant. We measure up with the kerb in mind so the driveway lines up with it.
Paving more than five square metres of a front garden needs planning permission from Dudley Council, unless the rainwater drains into a border, a soakaway or a permeable surface on your own property. We plan the drainage on the site visit so your driveway meets the rule.
Plenty of drives and gardens in Dudley step up or down from the road, so we measure the levels on the visit rather than judging them by eye. A small difference in height decides where the water ends up.
WHERE WE WORK AROUND DUDLEY
We cover all of Dudley, including Netherton, Kingswinford, Brierley Hill, Gornal, Coseley, Wall Heath and Woodside. Dudley is about six miles south of Wolverhampton, so we are never far away. If you are not sure whether we cover your street, call us and we will tell you straight away.
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Free site visit, fixed written quote, no pressure.