Here we provide a round-up of the five common mistakes made when laying a driveway that can come back to haunt you.
1. Failing to plan
When you’re raring to get started on a building project, planning seems rather dull but it’s essential if you want to save time and costs down the line. The planning stage of a driveway project should include finding out if there are pipes or cables running under the area where you plan to lay the driveway and accurately measuring out the area.
2. Making foundations too shallow
Another factor to consider is how deep you need to excavate to accommodate the base layers you are going to use. Not leaving adequate room for a proper foundation is a major cause of problems later on. By not digging deep enough or inadequate sub-base layers means you risk your driveway sinking, cracking or becoming uneven over time, regardless of the type of surface material you choose. Excavating to the right depth and choosing the correct substrate as a base material will give you a good firm base to create a driveway that will remain level, stable and pristine for years to come.
3. Not choosing the right geotextile fabric
Geotextiles fabrics are a synthetic material for use in landscaping and building projects to achieve, amongst other things, soil separation, ground stabilisation, drainage and filtration. Selecting the right geotextile fabric for the job is essential to attain the best results. The best geotextile fabric for driveways is DRIVETEX from Growtivation’s Product That Works range.
A professional driveway fabric, DRIVETEX prevents sinking and rutting caused by the settlement of aggregates into the soil beneath (sub-grade) and spreads the load imposed on the sub-base when vehicles drive over the surface.
4. Ignoring potential drainage issues
“No, we don’t need to worry about drainage” are words anyone who lays a driveway will come to regret saying. Drainage is one of the key challenges to creating the perfect driveway. Making sure the driveway falls towards the drainage points is a vital stage during the planning process. It may be necessary to create additional drainage capacity by installing a soakaway. Wrapping the soakaway in a professional drainage membrane, such as drainage geotextile fabric DRAINTEX, will also help tackle this issue.
5. Being Impatient
Finally, a common mistake is to create a beautiful driveway and then allow someone to drive their big, heavy car onto it as soon as it’s done and before it’s been compacted or had time to properly set. Depending on the surface type, you’ll need to be patient and wait the required period of time before allowing anyone to use your new driveway.
Whether you are a professional landscaper or driveway contractor, or a homeowner either looking to employ a professional to install your driveway or perhaps undertaking the work yourself, avoid that sinking feeling when your driveway develops an uneven surface by specifying DRIVETEX as part of your project.
DRIVETEX is available in a range of roll and pack sizes, from the Mini Roll at 1m x 10m to the Contractor Roll at 4.5m x 50m.
To ensure you have all the information you need to successfully use this ground stabilising and separating geotextile fabric download the Installation Guide, Tech Data Sheet and Brochure.
To find out more about the other ground control products in the Growtivation Product That Works range download our Landscaping That Works guide.
Or to find out where you can buy Growtivation geotextiles fabrics visit our online Where to Buy facility or contact the friendly team at Growtivation for advice on 0800 197 8885 or email sales@growtivation.com.
