GRAVEL DRIVEWAY GRIDS | GRAVEL STABILISATION FOR DRIVEWAYS
The best gravel grid solution for creating firm, low-maintenance gravel driveways.

If you are planning a new driveway or looking to refresh or redesign your existing driveway - then this article is for you. There are actually not that many options to choose from when planning your driveway. The main options for driveways in the UK are:

1. Gravel
2. Concrete and natural stone block paving
3. Wet pour concrete
4. Tarmac
5. Resin bound or bonded gravel
6. Paving slabs

...and that's about it. Just SIX main options. Now you may come up with a few more options that are less common. Yes, you could use slate chippings or self-binding gravel, hoggin or stone setts or some other variation. But essentially the options listed above are the top six options for surfacing your driveway.

Within each driveway surface option, there are of course plenty of colours, styles, and textures to choose from. With so much choice it can be a little overwhelming. There are lots of factors that will determine your choice of driveway material with the main three being the style of property, personal taste, and cost. Now, we could start to delve into all the driveway options in detail, but this is not quite what this article is about. We want to focus on why a gravel driveway that is stabilised with Nidagravel grids is the best option.

WHY A GRAVEL DRIVEWAY STABILISED WITH NIDAGRAVEL GRIDS IS THE BEST OPTION.

1. Cost
A stabilised gravel driveway is the most cost-effective driveway option. A Nidagravel grid driveway will cost less than the other 5 options. Gravel is available all over the UK in bulk bags or loose loads, a large loose load of gravel for a large driveway will also save you a lot per tonne compared to the individual bulk bag rate. Because our large grids are very quick and easy to install, the driveway is laid much more quickly without the need for a specialist contractor, so the cost of installation itself is also less. So that's a big tick to start with - your gravel driveway will cost less than block paving, wet pour concrete, tarmac, resin and paving slab driveways.

2. The Environment
So which type of driveway is best for the environment? Guess what - it's a gravel driveway stabilised with Nidagravel grids! Here's some of the reasons why a Nidagravel stabilised gravel driveway is a more eco-friendly option:

a. Gravel driveways are 100% rainwater permeable over the entire surface area. Forever. That means every time it rains the rainwater can soak into the ground instead of running off the surface and into a drain. Why is this important? Because all that rainwater runoff has to go somewhere and if all goes down the drain this can cause pressure to the stormwater and sewage system. When the UK sewage infrastructure gets overwhelmed with stormwater during heavy downpours, which as a result of global warming are becoming regular events, it can result in flooding, especially in built-up urban areas where most surfaces are hard landscaped or paved and the worst-case scenario is that untreated sewage has to be discharged into rivers, waterways and the sea by the water companies to alleviate the pressure in the system. So, by installing a rainwater permeable Nidagravel driveway which deals with the rainwater at source by letting it soak away gradually into the ground, this really helps tackle the problem and the more permeable Nidagravel gravel driveways there are, the greater the effect this will have.

b. Anything that is made of concrete requires cement, so this includes concrete block paving and wet pour concrete. Cement and concrete production creates a huge of carbon per tonne produced which is not good for the environment. Concrete products all consume huge amounts of sand and gravel in their production. Packs of block paving are also very heavy and require large trucks for delivery as does wet pour concrete, this consumes more diesel and energy in its transportation.

c. Plastic recycling. We all know the problems that single-use plastics are causing the environment. All those plastic fizzy drinks bottles and plastic fast food packaging, carrier bags, and general plastic food packaging can, unfortunately, be found in the environment all over the planet. Now plastic as a material is not bad, but it shouldn't be used carelessly for disposable items. In reality, a lot of plastics are used for disposable items that are consumed at an alarming rate. So, at the moment the best thing to do is recycle those single-use plastic products into useful plastic products that have long-term applications. One such product is a Nidagravel grid. Within our range, our honeycomb grids use approx 30% recycled plastic in their production, and our heavy-duty gravel and grass grids are made with 100% recycled plastic. So that's a good thing and a small win over single-use plastics. When you think about what goes into tarmac and concrete production you start to realise that a stabilised gravel driveway is the better option.

2. Appearance and Performance
Nidagravel gravel driveways always look good and complement any property. With the choice of gravel types available in the UK, there is always a nice coloured gravel to select to match the style of a property or the area it is located. Another great thing about decorative gravels and chippings for driveways is that they are all natural products, so they won't fade or discolour like concrete products which have colours added to them which fade over time. In addition to this gravel driveways are non-slip, which can be a concern in winter with block paved or tarmac driveways especially if they are on a slope. All exterior surfaces require maintenance over time - even paving slabs, wet-pour concrete, tarmac, and block paving. Usually, these surfaces are cleaned with detergents and pressure washers, this can be messy, especially with block paving, which requires the joints to be re-sanding after jet washing. With a Nidagravel driveway, all you need do is blow the leaves off in autumn and give it the occasional brush-up and it will remain looking like new. So, in our humble opinion, a gravel driveway stabilised with Nidagravel grids really is the best way to go for a natural looking and eco-friendly driveway.

Gravel Stabilisation Grid Range
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Nidagravel gravel grids

Gravel Driveway Grid Case Studies
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Stabilised gravel driveway case studies