Block Paving in Kents Hill

A lot of Kents Hill homes were built with a block paved drive already in place. After a few decades, many of those original drives show the same signs: dips where the car stands, blocks rocking near the entrance, edges that have spread into the lawn and joints full of moss. The blocks themselves are often still sound. What has usually failed is the layer underneath.

That gives you a choice. Where the existing blocks are in decent condition, we can lift them, rebuild the sub-base and bedding sand, and relay them, which keeps the look of the street and avoids buying new material. Where blocks are cracked, faded or a style you no longer like, a new range on a new base makes more sense. We will show you which blocks are reusable at the survey rather than assuming either way.

Fixing the cause, not just the dip. Lifting a sunken patch and putting it straight back on the same base rarely lasts. We dig down to see why it sank, which might be a thin original sub-base, a leaking drain or soft ground, and correct that before anything is relaid. Milton Keynes estates often have shared drainage under driveways, so we take care around inspection chambers and keep them accessible.

Edging is another common weak point on estate drives. Some original edges were laid with little concrete behind them, so the outer blocks have slid sideways and the joints have opened. We reset edging on a proper concrete bed and haunch, which holds the whole surface tight.

If you are widening the drive into the front lawn at the same time, think about where the extra rain will go. Hard surfaces that drain to the road can need permission from Milton Keynes City Council once they pass five square metres of new area, while permeable block paving or falls into the garden generally do not. We plan the drainage with that in mind.