There is little that complements the exterior of your home more than a block paving driveway or patio. With a driveway, you have a safe, easy to maintain and stylish area to park your car. A patio offers plenty of opportunity for relaxing in your garden or entertaining guests with a seating area and barbecue facilities. But why is block paving the best option over other materials? Here we look at just a few of the many advantages block paving has to offer.

The Many Advantages of Block Paving

First of all, block paving comes in a huge variety of styles, colours, types and sizes, so it’s not only easy to find one that appeals to you aesthetically, but also to choose an option that will complement or enhance the appearance of your home. Selecting the right one will ensure your patio or driveway looks like a seamless extension of your property, rather than an ugly add-on – which is often the case with tarmac drives. This is hugely important, particularly if you’re thinking of putting your house on the market in the near future. The right job will add value to your property; an inferior one will do more harm than good in this area.

Next, block paving can be configured into a range of designs, so it’s versatile enough for you to add your own unique stamp on your patio or driveway. Because the stones are manufactured rather than being natural stone cut into shapes, they’re more uniform and can be positioned with accuracy to form an attractive, regular surface.

Thirdly, depending on what you choose, block paving can be an inexpensive option. If you are just after a relatively simple design, you can find a way to cover your drive or patio that will fit in with your budget. Of course, more complex plans will add to the cost, but this is largely within your control. Even the most basic, most affordable surface will look elegant and clean. More than that, block paving doesn’t need any specialist machinery when it’s laid – like tarmac would, for instance. So installation can be cheaper too.

Maintenance and Longevity

Fourthly, block paving is easy to maintain. A simple soap and water solution is enough to clean off any surface grime. And because the blocks are porous, rainwater will be absorbed down into the soil below, rather than forming standing puddles that can be inconvenient at best. If an individual paving stone does get stained with oil, petrol or diesel droplets and can’t be cleaned thoroughly, then it can simply be replaced, rather than having to completely re-do the surface.

The longevity of your block paving patio or driveway can be improved if you choose the right firm to carry out the work in the first place. Always opt for an experienced company that will carry out the proper preparation of the ground before the slabs are laid. This will avoid scenarios where heavy weights like vehicles will cause blocks to sink in some areas, creating an uneven surface.

At VP Lewis, we have years of experience working with block paving, as well as providing overall groundworks services. Speak to us if you’d like to find out how paving a patio or driveway area could enhance your property.