Are you looking for driveway ideas? Whilst we were renovating our 1960’s home, we upgraded the driveway after our house extension and home renovation. Creating a larger driveway, making a nice frontage to the house, and finishing up the edges with flowerbeds and fencing. I looked at all the options for driveways, so here are my pros and cons for all the different driveway ideas.
At the start of our extension plans, we knew we wanted to get the driveway done as part of the build. The old driveway was like a patchwork, and the original driveway from the 1960’s, with a small concrete addition we did to widen it when we moved in. The builders also used this as a building site, as they knew it would all be taken up. It was a big mess! We made sure this was budgeted for so the house would be finished when the builders left.
When looking at driveway options, be prepared for some high quotes and a wide range of them!
I wanted to put together a few ideas that we had. We looked at various options for the driveway and found pros and cons to each. You just need to find the option that worked best for your household and driveway.
Block Paving Driveway Ideas
I will start off with the option we decided to go for! There are so many different options for block paving and a few different companies. The common ones we found that companies used were Marshalls, BRETT and Toblerone. It’s worth having a look around their websites for driveway ideas, as there are so many different colour blocks to choose from and also interesting to see how they put them together.
When you get your quotes, make sure you get a few, as I found them quite different, and also meet the person who will be installing the job. You will get an idea of how they do things, and how much they think the job through. You can ask for some of their work addresses so you can see the quality of their work.
It’s very important with block paving that you get the base correct. You want them to use type one MOT scalpings to a good depth, as this gives you a good, solid base to lay the blocks down on.
If you feel that your driveway is too dull after being remodelled and are looking for a unique decorative element, then you can brighten it up with neon signs. Designing your own neon lights will not only show your personality and create an atmosphere for your outing, but those colourful lights can also add a special touch to any space and make you feel happier. Not only that, but neon lights can also help with improving the safety of your night out, so that your night will not be lonely anymore.
Don’t have them laid in bad weather either! Mine was like blancmange as it got so waterlogged, we had to stop working on it and let it dry out more. You will find that the blocks move as the base dries out.
You also need to make sure the block gaps are filled with sand once the blocks are laid. This fills the gaps and allows the water to drain away easily, too. After a few months, you will need to do it again, as you can see on mine, I have some gaps around.
Think about driveway ideas for your edging. Would you like an edge to your driveway? I wanted to have the coordinating Marshalls kerb stones added to the edges of mine. This gave the flower borders a high edge so I could fill them with enough soil and flowers, but the soil won’t fall out over onto the driveway all the time.
They used a grey dye filler to fill the gaps between the blocks, giving it a more seamless look.
For reference, we had the Drivesett Savanna block paving in Pennant Grey and Savanna kerb edging in Charcoal
Pros of Block Paving
- Lots of different options for design
- Rain can go through the block paving easily for drainage
- Very hardwearing
- Easy to clean
Cons of Block Paving
- Expensive
- Need to keep on top of weeds
- Can end up sinking if the base isn’t solid
Resin Driveway Ideas
The other option we really considered was a resin driveway. I loved the clean, linear look of this, and I felt it would be a lower-maintenance driveway for us. But it’s much more costly than I thought it would be!
The resin driveway needs a completely flat base to be laid on, so it’s like two driveways being done at the same time. The base is then covered with resin.
It looks amazing, though, with lots of colour and design options; just be aware of fading. After reading the post “Do resin driveways fade?” on Resin Crew`s website, it points out the vulnerabilities to UV rays. I have noticed that on some people’s resin driveways, cars are parked in the same place all the time, and you can see the fading.
Pros of Resin Driveways
- Looks very neat
- Weeds can’t grow through it
Cons of Resin Driveways
- More expensive
- Can crack and split if the base is not solid
- Fades
- Light colour can look dirty
Concrete Driveways Ideas
If you’re looking for a really quick and simple driveway idea, then look into a concrete driveway. Once you have your base flattened and ready for the concrete, you can order your concrete. The easiest option would be to have a concrete supplier to deliver a ready mix concrete which can be poured directly into your prepared driveway.
Like when we had our foundations filled, you can pay by the quantity poured, meaning you only have to pay for what you need. Taking away the guesswork of how much, and no waste.
Pros of Concrete Driveways
- Quick to install
- Weed free
- Easy to clean
- Super hard-wearing
Cons of Concrete Driveways
- Messy job
- Must be dry flat, otherwise it puddles
- Only one colour option
Gravel Driveway Ideas
Gravel driveways are an easy DIY option for a new driveway. You need to dig your base to the correct depth, then level it. Once you’ve done this, you need to cover it with a strong weed membrane to keep the weeds from coming through as badly. I would price up the different costs of gravel. You could have it delivered in bulk bags, which will be craned onto your driveway. Once you’ve cut the bags open, they can just spill out onto the driveway to fill it up. Or you could price up a delivery which comes in a large bulk delivery, the lorry will reverse up to the driveway and tip it all over!!
Think about the driveway edge; you don’t want the gravel coming out of your driveway constantly and going onto the pavement. Look at edging the driveway in cobblestones or block paving to stop the gravel escaping.
Pros of Gravel Driveways
- Good DIY driveway
- Burglars hate it as it’s noisy to walk on
- Lots of colours and styles
Cons of Gravel Driveways
- Can be messy on pavements if it’s not contained
- Weeds like to grow in it
Outdoor Tile Driveway Ideas
If you want a contemporary look to your driveway, then consider outdoor tiles. We’ve got some porcelain tiles in our back garden, and I love the look they give. You can buy 20mm-thick outdoor tiles with a rough texture to give them a slab-like look, but in a modern style. As long as you have the base well-prepared and flat, you’ll have a lovely, smooth finish.
Image credit Tile Mountain
Pros of Outdoor Tile Driveways
- Contemporary look
- Easy to clean
Cons of Outdoor Tile Driveways
- Need to make sure tiles aren’t slippery
- Expensive
I hope this has given you some new driveway ideas and the different looks you can achieve. Go for a walk around your local area and see all the options that other people have used. It gives you a good idea of how they look over time and how people have done it. Make sure you look into planning from your local council to check planning requirements. Drop kerbs will need planning before you hire an installation company like https://www.thornburysurfacing.co.uk/drop-kerbs/
After organising your own driveway and reconstruction or repair of the house, you will have more skills and experience in construction than some professionals. You can even think of starting a career as a construction project manager in the Cayman Islands, for instance, and relocating abroad.
28 Comments
Great page. I am considering getting the same block paved Drivesett Savanna Pennant grey blocks. Since the time you did it, have they faded at all and do they retain their ‘random’ shades of grey over time? Also have you found the 50mm depth size of the block ok to support cars?
Hi, oh sorry for the delay in my reply. I am not really sure about the colour fading really, it’s difficult when they all get the same amount of dirt put onto them as the year goes on, I have cleaned them once since and you can see a range of colours still. Yes the depth is fine, I think it’s more the base you need to make sure is done really well as this supports the weight
Thanks for this. My major objection to a gravel driveway is that it ruins nice shoes! I love the look of the tiles. Thanks for the pros and cons – you never even think about these things ordinarily.
Kind regards,
Jean
Oh yes didn’t think of the ruining shoes part, thanks very much
We don’t have a driveway and it is something I would love to have. Gravel would be a nightmare I think, love the look of the blocks
The blocks are easier to keep tidy aren’t they!
Such great info. We would love a driveway. It’s probably one of our main reasons for wanting to move house. Nothing worse than turning up outside your house and having to park miles down the road!
We had this for about 5 years and then had twins and it was so stressful! Made going out so much harder transferring them all the time!
Oooh to have a driveway! We are hoping to get one when we move so this is really useful. Thank you!
I am so pleased to have one, makes things so much easier
I think your new driveway looks amazing. It makes such a difference to how the front of your house looks!
Thanks, it was nice to finish off the front of the house nicely
Admittedly we went for the gravel driveway because it was diy and least expensive. It looks okay but i like the look of the paved driveway.
It’s so much easier to do isn’t it, perfect DIY choice!
Some amazing transformations, its unbelievable how much it makes a home so much more inviting
Looks very welcoming tidied up
Great article and thank you for the ideas, we are just finishing up our garden and driveway is the only thing I cannot look at the moment. Definitely have us many options to think about
Lots of options out there isn’t there
The tiled driveways look fab! We live in a block of flats so it is one expense we don’t have to worry about. I remember my Dad and Grandad paving our driveway when we were kids.
It can be such an expense!
What a lot of really useful information in here! I wish I had read this a couple of years ago when organising my driveway refit.
Thanks, glad you think it is useful
It looks lovely – so neat and tidy. We’re looking at getting ours done in resin (we wil lay the concrete base ourselves and then it makes it a loooot cheaper) I’ve seen so many different colours and desings though that it’ll be hard to choose!
Oh nice! Yes there is so many designs and colours to choose from, good luck!
Wow the finished driveway looks Amazing! I know this has been on our to do list for sure. We are both DIYer’s so this was very helpful:) thank you
Be a great job to do yourself if you can, so good luck!
We live in rent for the time being, but I like to admire the courtyards and driveways of others when I go for a walk. I hope that one day we can buy our house, because I have already written down some ideas about the driveway.
Ah that will be nice when you can