November 2021

At Southampton Driveway, they are a dedicated company in the UK providing Southampton residents with paving services. One of their objectives is to protect the investment of their clients, alongside enhancing their current projects to make each property increase its resale value.

One of the major problems of driveway clients is that their money is put to waste when they hire the wrong guy, turning out their driveway has lots of problems and is not ready for heavy rains.

Whether you have a damaged driveway or planning to get a new one, Southampton driveway fitters are here to help.

Read on to learn how to protect your property from driveway flooding.

Steps to prevent driveway flooding

Flooding will cause severe damage to your driveway if not given a solution to it. Save your driveway by adopting the following tips on flooding.

1. Find the source of water.
2. Redirect the water flow to a more effective drainage system.
3. Check gutters and downspouts. It is important to note that the terminal of the water coming from the downspouts is directed to the street and then to the main sewage.
4. Dig additional ditches to create a runoff if you think that’s the best path to the water flow.
5. Replace the driveway with more permeable paving.

What happens when your driveway doesn’t have a drainage system on its own?

A driveway that creates a pool of water results in problems with the integrity of the surface.

• Poor water runoff contributes to frequent flooding that can extend to your front door
• Ponds are a breeding site for insects
• Flood softens the paving of the driveway
• Will give you a slippery driveway
• Will destroy your home’s appeal

So, what can you do?

Follow these tips:

1. Redirect the water flow

• If you can find the cause of flooding, build a different path for water to flow. Wait for the rain and see if the diversion worked.
• If you notice the problem comes from the sloping of the driveway, then the path is not the problem. You need the help of a driveway builder to fix the surface levelling.
• Check the gutter and the downspout. If the water drops from a damaged gutter, it means the water does not fully flow to the downspout. Have your drain fixed to prevent the leak.
• But if the gutter is working fine, try to extend your downspout pipe that will lead the water to a proper drainage system.
• Avoid diverting the water runoff to another property or to the street. With proper channelling, you can prevent the driveway from damage and save yourself from local city fines.

2. Install a new drain

Most drainage systems are overused due to frequent flooding. You know how powerful water is that it will soon give away when it drenched a certain implement. Apart from wear and tear, your drainage could be overly clogged and old.

• Have your driveway builder create a trench drain in your landscape for effective de-flooding.
• Ensure the path is sloped downward to the street to prevent the water from entering the centre pavement. Lead the trench to the drainage point or a dry well.
• For effective water runoff, install a French drain and a dry well as its endpoint to ensure the soil absorbs the collected water from the heavy rain.

When it constantly rains, the French drain is an effective method in preventing flooding. Install the French drain to a location you think most of the water drips off. This drain is built by digging a long trench that goes towards the dry well. It has a perforated pipe where water can percolate when it drips down from the soil.

Before laying the pipe, place a geo-fabric for separating dirt from water that goes into the pipe.

Install a new driveway with a different surface

The most common problem of flooding is due to a non-permeable surface of the driveway. A permeable surface is one with a soil base. 

Materials like concrete collect standing water because the concrete is compact and less porous than block paving, tarmac, or gravel.

Though changing the surface is costly and labour intensive, consult a driveway fitter in Southampton before you do so. The driveway contractor you hire can also help you with planning permission if a requirement comes up.

Gravel and tarmacadam are suitable surfaces against flooding. The flood water will naturally flow down in between the stone aggregates to the soil. The soil will absorb the water fast and will prevent standing water on the surface.

Conclusion

With these tips, you have the option to do it by yourself if you have the necessary tools and equipment. But we highly suggest having someone expert in driveways do the job so they can assess beforehand what to fix.

If you need to talk to licensed driveway contractors, Southampton Driveway is here to help. Call our representatives or send your queries through the websites to take immediate action for your driveway flooding issue.

A driveway provider in Southampton warns potential customers of potential scams on paving.

Scammers are targeting residences and offering paving services for a cheap price. However, this trend had been happening since time immemorial where bogus companies try to lure potential customers.

Consumers must be highly cautious when engaging in a contract for a driveway repair or makeover according to Southampton Driveways and Patio Pro. Never make bad decisions and judgements.

How do you know that you are dealing with a pretentious contractor?

Beware of scammers!

Different signs of scams:

• Unable to provide a contract. After a long talk, given that you were convinced when the signing of the contract will take off, there’s not a piece of paper to show. These kinds of people who always talk a lot but have nothing to present are bogus. Don’t be fooled by flowery words.
• Suspiciously cheap offers. We know that prices drop at certain times, but it doesn’t mean they spiral downwards. Legit prices are never too low unless they want their service for free. Besides, construction materials are quite pricey this time due to the recent resurgent of businesses and supplies. Very low rates are doubtful.
• Convincing but not convincing enough. A little dubious in behaviour. It is the salesman’s nature to be pushy but not trying hard. If they insist on their merchandise after many NOs on your part, you bet it is not a genuine paver provider. Because an honest seller will let you sit down and discuss things and make proper assessments for your property. Reputable contractors would even send their written estimation in a week.
• Asks for upfront. It is very rare for legit businesses to ask for upfront. If there is, careful assessment has already been penned and studied, and its release would take some time. What they stipulate contain no hidden fees. This is mostly the reason why customers get scammed. After believing in the flowery talk, sales representatives would surprisingly ask for an advance or include unscrupulous details on the offer. Never deal with this kind of people. Once they have your cash, you will never see them again, ever.
• Going door to door. It is an old way to go door to door. Modern salesmen never offer their merchandise that way anymore. Besides, what they offer are services, not products. It is easier to sell products by the knock on the door if the item is already on hand. But a service like home improvement is different merchandise. Plus, websites and social media are already a thing! If people are searching for driveway companies, they would rather look up the Internet instead of the old school yellow pages.
• No service truck in tow. Official trucks or cars speak for a legit company. Make careful research of the company, ask for telephone numbers, get the physical address, and if possible talk to a live customer representative over the phone to ensure you are dealing with a genuine company.
• Shoddy works. You may not immediately hint that the people you deal with are scammers if they have the complete equipment and workmen. But look at their work if it passes quality. Poor workmanship can easily be seen if the paving crumbles after rain or a few passes from your vehicle, or a very shallow surface.

Reputable contractors will never present themselves as con men. More often, customers make queries online and seek them according to what the company can offer.

If a customer wants to begin a paving project, do a makeover driveway, he will ask for recommendations from driveway companies with good backgrounds and have a proven track record in their place.

If someone shows up and says they are going to give you some super good deal offer, say NO.

Investigate who you are dealing with. If you are keen on getting a new paving project for your home improvement, visit https://www.southamptondrivewaypro.co.uk/  and look for the best offers. More often, they post their promos there and you will get to see the list of services they have.

For more helpful tips on getting the best driveway and patio, call Southampton Driveway and Patio Pro. They will be more than happy to help.