An attractive driveway gives your house the much-desired ‘curb appeal’, adding significant resale value. It also creates an attractive frontage, making the house inviting and welcoming to visitors while also increasing the overall aesthetic of the street. Driveways Darlington come in many different materials and styles and it is imperative that you choose the most functional and stylish option.

Specifically designed for vehicle overrun, block paving Middlesbrough is a durable and reliable choice. It is a method of creating a solid area using individual bricks or blocks. This ensures it is sturdy and can withstand heavy weight like a vehicle on it for long period of time. Block paving Middlesbrough can be used anywhere, like patios and garden paths, but is especially suited to driveways due to these hard-wearing properties. There are various styles of block paving Middlesbrough, ranging from the traditional cobbled paving, harkening back to the stone cobbled streets of the past. These types of driveways Middlesbrough would really add appeal to a heritage building or stone cottage. For more modern homes, precision cut stone with clean, sharp lines can make the geometric, clean designs of a modern home really stand out. This type of paving looks expensive and adds value to the house. To add further individuality to the house, people can choose a specific colour of stone to pave their driveways Darlington with. Grey shades are fashionable and contemporary, ideal for new-builds or homes with white-rendered walls. For red-brick homes, two tone stone with shades of brown and red is recommended. Driveways Middlesbrough for stone-built properties are usually made of lighter, softer stone in shades of sand and lighter browns.

There are also permeable solutions for driveways Darlington and permeable block paving products available for homeowners who must comply to sustainable drainage regulations. Permeable paving differs from conventional block paving as it allows water to drain away by soaking through the driveway. Beneath the stone, a sub-base is added to absorb the water and stop the paving flooding.

For owners of very heavy vehicles, heavy-duty block paving is an option to consider. These blocks have been manufactured in thicknesses of 60mm to 80mm to ensure they handle the extra weight.

There are other options of paving available, but they are widely accepted as not suitable for constructing driveways Middlesbrough. These types of paving are better suited to garden patios. Concrete paving is the most economical choice and can be used to create a traditional, mis-matched patio or uniformly cut for a more modern look. Concrete can be ether textured or completely smooth and polished, offering homeowners a few different styles. Concrete can be used for driveways, but it is not as strong as block-paving and will become damaged over time due to heavy vehicle overrun.

Natural stone is a very popular choice for paving, with the favourites being limestone, slate and granite. Limestone is a softer, textured stone with deep colours that change over time. Slate offers the blue/grey colour which looks stunning with a contemporary home and garden but also the rusty-tones, perfect for a country garden. Finally, granite. Considered to be the strongest of the three, it can be cut precisely to achieve sharp, smooth finishes and gives a garden a clean, contemporary feel. These can be used to build driveways but will suffer damage almost immediately after being driven over and are really not recommended.

The latest innovation in patio stone and driveways is porcelain paving. It is incredibly hard-wearing and dirt-repelling, saving homeowners money on maintenance costs. The slabs have the convincing appearance of stone but are more durable and resistant to algae growth and frost damage. Porcelain paving is available in many colours and finishes and are strong enough to be used for driveways. The only reason it is not more popular is that it is expensive, considerably more so than the other options on the market.