Three questions first
Before thinking about colours and patterns, it helps to answer three questions:
- Where will the water go? In England, a new front drive over five square metres that's impermeable and drains onto the road needs planning permission. Permeable surfaces, or drives that drain to your own garden, don't.
- What's under the ground? Most of Hartlepool sits on stiff boulder clay that drains slowly. Near the coast there are sands that drain freely. We dig a test hole to find out.
- Do you need a crossing? In Hartlepool the contractor applies for the vehicle crossing permit. If you don't have a dropped kerb, that comes first.
Block paving
The most common choice in Hartlepool, and for good reason. Blocks come in concrete or clay, in many colours and patterns, and suit almost any house.
- Good for: semis and detached homes, drives with curves or borders.
- On clay: needs a solid compacted base and falls to a drain; permeable block paving with an open-graded base is an option.
- Lifespan: long, if the base is right. Individual blocks can be lifted and relaid.
See our block paving page.
Tarmac
Hard-wearing and quick to lay, tarmac suits long drives and families with several cars.
- Good for: larger drives, shared drives and turning areas.
- On clay: impermeable, so it needs falls and a channel drain to a soakaway or border.
- Look: black or red, often with a block-paved border.
See our tarmac page.
Resin-bound
Natural stone bound in clear resin, laid smooth over a porous base. Water drains straight through.
- Good for: a neat, modern look on semis and detached homes; frontages where planning and drainage matter.
- On clay: needs a deeper porous base or an overflow to a soakaway.
- Look: many blends; buff and grey tones suit Hartlepool brick.
See our resin page.
Imprinted concrete
Concrete laid in one slab and stamped with a pattern, such as cobbles or slabs, then coloured and sealed.
- Good for: a patterned look on one continuous surface, with no joints for weeds.
- On clay: impermeable, so drainage must be designed in; control joints help stop cracking.
- Upkeep: resealing every few years keeps the colour.
See our imprinted concrete page.
Gravel
The simplest permeable drive: compacted stone, a stabilising grid and decorative gravel on top.
- Good for: village homes such as Hart, Elwick and Greatham, and conservation areas.
- On clay: drains through the surface, but the base still needs depth.
- Watch for: stones spreading; a block apron at the pavement helps.
See our gravel page.
By type of house
| House | Often suits |
|---|---|
| Victorian terrace with a small front yard | Block paving, setts, gravel (if a crossing is allowed) |
| 1930s semi | Block paving, resin, imprinted concrete |
| Post-war or 1990s estate semi | Block paving, tarmac |
| Large detached house | Block paving, tarmac with a border, resin |
| Village cottage | Gravel, setts, clay pavers |
Our advice
There's no single best surface. A well-built drive in any of these materials will last for years if the base is deep enough for the clay and the water has somewhere to go. We'll explain the options that suit your home when we visit, and why.