Block Paving Driveways

Individually laid blocks giving flexibility in pattern, colour and repair

Block paving builds a driveway from individual concrete or clay blocks laid in a chosen pattern, and its biggest practical advantage over a poured surface is flexibility — in design now, and in repair later, since individual blocks can be lifted and relaid without disturbing the whole drive.

A block paved driveway starts below the surface, not at it: excavating to the right depth, laying and compacting a sub-base sized for vehicle loading, then a bedding layer of sharp sand that the blocks themselves sit on. Get the sub-base wrong and no amount of care in the laying pattern above will stop the driveway rutting or sinking under vehicle weight over time — this is the step that determines whether the finished drive lasts or fails early. Blocks are then laid to the chosen pattern, whether that's a simple stretcher bond, a herringbone pattern that interlocks more effectively under wheel loading, or a basket-weave design, with a compacted, kiln-dried sand joint between each block to lock the surface together. Block paving's real advantage shows itself later, not on installation day: if a section is damaged, stained, or needs lifting to access a utility run underneath, individual blocks can be taken up and relaid without the patch-repair scarring you'd get on a poured concrete or tarmac surface. Permeable block paving systems, using specially shaped blocks with wider joints filled with permeable jointing material, are also available where drainage compliance for the driveway area is a consideration.