HAVE A SLOPING PAVED DRIVEWAY IN KENT? PREVENT SINKAGE & CRACKS
THE DANGERS OF SLOPES
Many homes in Kent sit on land with natural slopes or uneven surfaces. These features add character to properties, and yet they create serious hurdles for driveway installations. Homeowners often overlook the risks. Block paving in Kent can transform such spaces, but without proper planning, problems like sinkage and cracks emerge quickly. We at Base Driveways are experienced in tackling these issues head-on.
There are several types of sloping land in Kent. This kind of terrain needs experienced hands if anyone wants to build homes. Simple block laying seems straightforward, but gravity pulls everything downward on a slope. Water flows faster, too, and as a result, the base erodes over time. Without proper reinforcement, these blocks shift and form gaps between them. You can see uneven areas appearing where you park your vehicles. Cracks spread from constant pressure, and shrinkage happens when the sub-base compresses unevenly. The situation worsens during the wet winters in Kent. Frost heave gets are added to the mic, and this lifts the sections randomly. We have seen driveways fail within years because the installers ignored these factors. This is the reason why understanding soil movement is so important. Flexible systems like block paving in Kent adapt well to moving soil, but they need a solid foundation to prevent these failures.
RETAINING EDGES AND HOLDING EVERYTHING IN PLACE Contrary to what most people believe, edges matter just as much as slipes. Sometimes even more. Without them, blocks slide downhill. We use concrete haunching for restraint and set it along the perimeter. This creates a barrier. For severe gradients, we install retaining walls. The low ones suffice for most driveaways, so we build them from matching blocks for a seamless look. Surprisingly, the steps can break up long slopes as they reduce the incline per section. We pave each level separately and connect with risers. This design eases vehicle access as it also minimises stress on the block paving in Kent. In Kent homes, where space is premium, clever edging maximises usability. Tips We Give Our Customers We recommend you start with a site survey. We come over and measure the gradients accurately using levels and strings. It’s crucial to plan for load-bearing vehicles like family cars and vans. You are required to choose the block design wisely. However, we will always help you out. The thicker ones, like 60mm, suit slopes the best. They handle shear forces better and are joined with siln-driesd sand. This locks the blocks together. We hope you are ready to upgrade your paved driveways in Kent. Give us a call today!
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CONTACT US:
Contact Us 10 Balas Drive, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 5BA 01795 423264 | 07971 276696
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