Patio Paving Services

We are specialists at laying patio paving in garden areas throughout County Durham. We provide a range of affordable options intended to suit both your budget and your requirements. With garden paving, you can opt for a wide variety of paving products for your patio. You can choose slabs finished with a riven texture or smooth, you can opt for multiple colours and we provide multiple laying patterns.

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For laying your patio paving, with some styles of patio paving, you have a choices of multiple sizes, between 1 and 4 sizes on average. You can lay it using all 4 sizes or you can go for a more uniform style of garden paving using one single size. Other styles of patio slabbing is only available in one standard size. These can be laid uniform style, offset or we can lay it an angle to your house to create a more unique finish.

Call the team at TFJ Paving LTD today to book in a free quote for laying down a new patio in Durham. Our range of services includes lawns, fencing, walling, slabbing and more.

Laying Block Paving On A Driveway

New Driveway Laid With Tegula Paving in Durham

New driveway installation completed by TFJ Paving LTD. Experts at laying new driveways with block paving in Durham. The old driveway was built with a concrete slab (council style). We removed the entire driveway including the manhole cover in the middle of the driveway.

We put in a new foundation, a new recessed inspection chamber to help blend in the manhole cover on the driveway and put down membrane sheeting to help block weeds.

We laid the paving on the driveway in a stretcher offset pattern. The paving range is the Tegula range from Marshalls, laid in 3 sizes. Standard charcoal block paving brick around the driveway in a 9 inch header style.

Call TFJ Paving LTD today to get a free quote on replacing your driveway in Durham. Unbeatable prices. Find out more at https://www.tfjpavingltd.co.uk/

Kerbing Installations

We provide a range of kerbing options for your driveway. These options are designed to not only retain your driveway but also to function as decorative and to add style to any driveway area.

We have options ranging from standard brick on edge to concrete edging kerbs, block paving curbs and natural stone edging. Below, we will highlight some of the various styles available so you can see which type of edging might suit your driveway.

Concrete Edging Kerb

Concrete edging kerbs are one of the most common type of kerbing available. They are available generally just the one colour, that being grey. They’re available in various sizes depending whether you wish it to finish flush with your driveway.

Concrete edging kerbs are available with a sloped edge, a rounded edge, or a flat top edging. Generally, we always use flat top edging kerbs as a divide at the front of the driveway from the local pavement.

Brick on Edge

A brick on edge, is commonly used as a small retaining line for driveways against lawn areas and flower beds. A brick on edge is a block paving brick, laid on its side and bench the concrete. The benefit to using this is that you can use a matching colour to the driveway if you are opting for block paving. Find out more about our block paving in Durham here.

Block Paving Kerbs

block paving kerbs, are available in two different sizes generally. KL kerb which is a large kerb and a Ks kerb which is a small kerb. They are available in multiple colours with the two most common being brindle and charcoal.

Block paving kerbs are available as a rounded kerb and a slanted kerb. They are also available in a matching style to cobblestone and Tegula Paving.

Natural Stone Kerbing

Natural stone kerbing is generally made from hewn stone and squared off. You can also use cobblestone as a natural stone kerb provided it has the depth to allow benching in concrete. With natural stone you are limited with the option of colours however you are guaranteed that whatever colour you pick, that colour will remain throughout its entire lifespan.

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All our kerbing is installed to industry standards, providing both function and appeal to any driveway. To read more about our paving options including custom bespoke steps and block paving laying patterns, visit our paving services. We hope you’ve enjoyed this article and if you require more information or would like to discuss your driveway in Durham, we would love to hear from you. Find out more at https://www.tfjpavingltd.co.uk/

Guide: Cobblestone Driveway Installations

Cobblestone driveways are one of the almost old-fashioned style for driveways. As manufacturers have improved the quality of the materials you can opt for natural cobblestone or manufactured cobblestone.

The laying of cobblestone really comes down to what style you’ve chosen and what the overall appearance needs to look like. You can opt for a fan/wave style of cobblestone laying or you can choose a more traditional style laying it in an offset pattern.

An offset pattern installation of cobblestones can also be replicated using Tegula style or the Thomas Armstrong manufactured Durham Setts.

Having cobblestones laid on your driveway is not the cheapest option when compared to block paving in Durham. The reason for this excluding the extra price for the materials is also the extra work that is involved when laying the cobblestones.

Unlike block paving especially if you are opting for a fan style, it all has to be laid individually and by hand with no replicating pattern which makes it difficult to lay at any great speed.

Choosing to lay the cobblestones in an offset staggered pattern does speed up the installation process so an average driveway, you can save over two days work using this pattern style. Of course, this applies to an average driveway size of 100m2. Larger sized driveway will impact it even more and smaller, less.

Another great inclusion with a cobble stone driveway is bordering or edging. You can opt for a granite cobble stone border which is benched in concrete or you can put in a tumbled paving kerb. You can learn more about our kerbing options here.

If you are opting for natural cobblestones versus manufactured style cobblestone, your colour choice will be very limited. Most natural stone is available in shades of grey, with options and darker and some gold mixes.

Opting for manufactured gives you a significant wider range of colours including red, black, charcoal, grey, brindle, burnt ochre and more.

Below, we will show off various examples of the different types of cobblestone paving that you choose for your driveway or patio. If you would like a free quote or to discuss your options please get in touch our team would love to hear from you.

 

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Permeable Driveway Options

A permeable driveway is a driveway that will let water drain naturally down through it with surface and the drain away safely through the foundation. This type of driveway is general required for SUDS regulations (Sustainable Drainage System) and to avoid the need for planning permission.

When it comes to permeable driveway, we provide various options to help you choose the style and finish of your driveway. These options include permeable block paving, permeable Tegula paving and gravel/shingle driveways. Using permeable paving means you can have the same patterns as standard paving as shown here.

Here we will highlight the types and benefits of choosing one style a permeable driveway over the other. Regardless of the finished surface the base preparation is generally the same. Let’s first look at how permeable driveways work and what the base requirements are.



Permeable driveway functions by letting the surface water drain away back to its natural environment. The method by which this is done is called attenuation. The surface water is collected by the driveway and held in storage as its release back through the base and then back out into its own environment.

One of the biggest differences with the base installations is not just the depth but also the finished base the sub base material should have no fines in it this means you cannot use type 1 MOT and you should be using type 4 MOT hardcore. This type of foundation is significantly coarser and will allow the water to penetrate faster.

In effect if you think of your base and imagine it like a porous sponge. It will soak up the water and gradually releases back into environment over a period of time.

There is effectively three layers that will be applied during installation of a permeable driveway, top layer will be your laying course which is generally a grit stone instead of river washed sand. The next layer underneath this will be your permeable sub base which would be Type 4 MOT or similar to allow the water to drain down fast.

The next layer will be your base layer which will be very coarse and will have gravel mixed through it. This will allow the water to enter this area very fast and store it to allow a slow release back.

Now do we know what type of base installation will require we can look at what the finished surface will be. You have the option of block paving finish using permeable paving or you can opt for a gravel finish.

PERMEABLE BLOCK PAVING

Permeable paving is very similar to having a standard block paved driveway. The biggest difference between the types of block paving is the edging which is designed to allow a bigger space between the gaps which is then filled with a grit instead of kiln dried sand. You can learn about laying block paving here.

The finished style and design can be whatever you choose as permeable paving like standard paving can be laid in a variety of styles colours and patterns. Once you have built your base correctly the water on your driveway should drain away very fast.

GRAVEL DRIVEWAY

Opting for a gravel driveway or as is commonly known shingle, is also a very common style for a natural driveway. You have as with any gravel driveway the choice of using plastic stabilisers which help to keep the gravel in place otherwise we recommend a solid border or edging curb around driveway to hold it in place. You can read more about driveway kerbing here.

You can choose to combine permeable block paving with gravel creating a block paved apron as an entrance or a paving inset at your door or on the driveway. The two options are the best choices available on the market for a completely sustainable drainage system for your driveway.

You also have the choice of using Aco drains which when piped correctly can take away water to a designated area like a soak pit or drainage system. This type of system is commonly used in standard driveways or patios.

You would like to know more about a permeable driveway options or would like to discuss getting a new driver installed, we would love to hear from you. Visit https://www.tfjpavingltd.co.uk/ for more details.

Block Paving Patterns and Styles For Your Driveway/Patio

One of the reasons the block paving in Durham is so popular is due to wide variety of laying patterns that are available when you when you choose block paving for your driveway, patio or garden area.

Here we will highlight some of the various pattern styles that are available for you to choose from when it comes to laying block paving on your driveway in Durham.

STRETCHER BOND

stretcher bond is generally used on pathways and garden areas. The benefit a stretcher bond is it can be laid without any real type of cutting required. It can be curved gradually to go around pathways. Stretcher bond is also commonly used as a laying pattern for a border around driveway. You will often see it laid in singular strips or double strips around a driveway.

HERRINGBONE

herringbone pattern is most commonly laid pattern of block paving. The reason for this is because of interlocking. When you look at the side of the block pavior you will see little protruding sections under pavior. This is to ensure a gap for kiln dried sand and also to lock the paving in place. We would always recommend standard block paving on driveway 45° or 90° herringbone pattern.

BASKET WEAVE

the basket weave pattern is very commonly used on patio areas it can be laid in groups and provided you have mapped out your area correctly you won’t to carry out any cuts to your paving. As a decorative pattern it looks very nice however for heavy traffic areas would not recommend this pattern

OFFSET / STAGGERED

The offset staggered pattern is generally used with a form of block paving known as Tegula paving or cobblestone style paving depending on which manufacturer you use. The most popular paving manufacturers are Marshalls Paving and Thomas Armstrong.

It can be laid in a variety of sizes ranging in general small medium to large sized paving. You can opt to lay this pattern using all three varieties or using a single a variety if you choose to use a single a variety we recommend opting for the larger medium-size. The small size makes it very hard to offset the lines due to the size of the block.

The above options apply to both standard block paving and using block paving on a permeable driveway which you can see here.

We can lay all these types of block paving patterns and more on your driveway/patio or garden area. We can lay block paving inside of steps, which you can read about here.

We hope this guide has given you some idea on the various types of block paving that is available to choose from. You can read about our block paving laying services here. If you need more information please do not hesitate to get in touch, our team would love to discuss your driveway or patio project with you.