What is the best concrete for driveways?

A good driveway isn’t just a handy private parking space on which those of us without garages (or with garages that are being used for something else) can safely leave our cars. It’s also a key element in the kerb appeal of a property, hopefully giving visitors a great first impression and making you proud and happy every time you come home. 

Having said that, latest statistics from the government show that in 2022 there were 12 cars for every ten UK households, up from eight cars per ten households in 1985 to 1986. That means that there is also a greater need for new or expanded driveway space than ever.

Whether you need a new driveway, are looking to renovate an old one or need to expand your existing parking area, driveway concrete represents a strong, practical and reliable material to use to build it.

But what is the best concrete to use for a driveway? The Stewart Brothers Concrete team is here to tell you all you need to know.

What to consider with driveway concrete

When choosing the right concrete for the job in hand, you need to give careful consideration to what it is going to have to cope with once the job has been completed.

Driveway concrete needs to be tough enough to withstand large and heavy items – i.e. cars and/or vans – driving on and off it on an almost daily basis. Many mixes would only be able to deal with so much of that before crumbling or cracking under the weight. 

At the same time, you also need to give consideration to how it’s going to cope with the elements. This includes things such as freezing and thawing during colder months and the surface water that can accumulate during a heavy rainstorm. Any driveway bigger than five square metres must, by law, have a drainage system that allows water to run to a permeable area. One solution for this could be using permeable concrete.

The other thing worth considering is whether you want more than just flat, grey concrete – there are all kinds of more attractive or interesting alternatives these days, including using exposed aggregates, pattern imprinted concrete or even a polished finish.

Types of concrete for a driveway

Hand-mixed concrete

Mixing concrete on site appeals to some driveway builders, because they feel it gives them more control, in that they can adapt their mix as they go. However, it’s undoubtedly both more time-consuming and very labour-intensive. Mixing on site does not offer any certainty of accuracy regarding meeting specifications of mix design and quality assurance when compared to BSI Kitemark standards either – an accreditation that Stewart Brothers Concrete guarantees with every load.

The other thing you need to consider when mixing your concrete on site is the potential disruption that can be caused if you don’t have somewhere to put all the necessary equipment without it getting in your or your neighbours’ way.

Ready-mixed concrete

Ordering ready-mixed driveway concrete is a far more efficient way of doing the job. You can order in the knowledge that experienced concrete experts have designed, tailored and mixed the right type of concrete for the job and then delivered it to your site when you need it. At Stewart Brothers Concrete, we’ve mixed concrete for driveways countless times before – giving you peace of mind that, with us, you’re getting the exact mix you need, first time.

One of the great advantages of concreting a driveway – as opposed to some other locations – is that access for the delivery lorry should be relatively easy. That should mean that the concrete can be poured quickly and cleanly with a minimum of disruption and mess.

How thick should concrete be for a driveway?

For a standard residential driveway, the recommended thickness for your concrete is going to be somewhere between four and six inches. If there are going to be heavier vehicles using your driveway on a regular basis, then you might need to go up to eight inches thick.

For high-quality ready-mix concrete in Ashford or elsewhere in Kent, talk to the experts at Stewart Brothers Concrete. With years of experience to call on, we can create the perfect concrete mix, deliver it to your site at a time that’s most convenient to you and have it poured quickly and cleanly. 

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