Hiring and Groundwork
How Is a Driveway Base Prepared?
The base is what you do not see, and it matters most. Here is what proper preparation involves.
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Setting levels
The finished level and falls are planned first, so water drains away and the surface sits below the damp-proof course.
Digging out
The old surface and soft ground are removed to the depth needed for the base and the surface on top.
The sub-base
Crushed stone is laid in layers and compacted with a plate compactor. The depth depends on the ground and the load, and is often well over 100mm.
Edging and membranes
Edge restraints are fixed in concrete, and a membrane may be added to separate the ground from the stone.
The surface layer
Then comes the bedding and blocks, the tarmac layers, the resin or the gravel. See driveway installation.
Related paving services
Driveway Installation
New driveways in resin, tarmac, block paving, gravel or concrete, built on a proper base with drainage planned in.
Driveway Drainage
Channel drains, soakaways and correct falls that keep water off your drive and away from your house.
Kerbing and Edging
Concrete, granite and block kerbs and edging that hold a driveway or patio firmly in shape.
Permeable Paving
Driveways and paths built to let rainwater drain through, helping you meet front garden drainage rules.
How Is a Driveway Base Prepared?: FAQs
Why do some quotes skip this?
Because it costs time and materials. It is also why those drives fail.
How deep should the base be?
It depends on the ground and use. We specify it in your quote.
Can an old base be reused?
Sometimes, if it is sound and level.
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