Sloping Driveway Surface Options

The general rule of thumb is that driveways should have a slight slope to allow water to drain away from the surface. However, when the slope is too steep, the driveway can easily become dangerous and slippery in bad weather.

Experts in the industry recommend that the slope should be no more than 15%. If your home is on a hill, one way to reduce the incline is to add curves to the driveway. Fixing a slope is a challenging project. And in terms of the sloping driveway surface options available, there are some common choices, but most of them come with their own set of problems and pitfalls.

We will look at some of the challenges posed by a sloped driveway, and what can be done to prevent them. Of course, we have to offer you a solution that can meet all the standards, counteract all the challenges, and provide a long-lasting finish….

Challenges of Sloping Driveways

Reversing is a challenge

Driving backwards is never easy. But on a sloped driveway, it can get even more challenging. When you have a steep and sloping driveway, the potential for a disaster increases; especially in Winter, when icy and rainy weather puts even more stress on your brakes.

Sloped driveways reduce your manoeuvrability, making it important to have surface that will be able to withstand wear and tear long-term.

Pedestrians at risk

Vehicles are not the only ones having problems on a sloped surface. Pedestrians are also at risk of slipping and skidding, because they are faced with limited traction. Sloped driveways do not provide your vehicle with sufficient grip, consequently putting unnecessary strain on your brakes as a result.

Drainage issues

One of the biggest problems with sloped driveways is drainage. It is now mandatory that any driveway is SUDs compliant. The Environment Agency has raised the standards bar in order to prevent floods. A steep driveway will essentially deflect water from your entrance.

However, water will accumulate at the bottom of the incline, unless you have a surface material that is permeable. We will discuss the sloping driveway surface options that are permeable later on.

Water accumulates not only at the incline, but also on the sides of the roadway. This leads to a waterlogged landscape, plagued by puddles.

Reselling

Anyone who has ever tried to resale a home with sloped driveway, knows the challenges. Buyers drive by, and then they usually say the driveway is too steep. Now, while you cannot do something about the incline, you can make the driveway look much more beautiful.

Driveway Surfaces: What Are My Options?

As mentioned previously, there are several sloping driveway surface options you can consider. But every material comes with its own set of advantages, as well as disadvantages. Let’s check the options, and see which one works best for slopes.

Gravel

Gravel is one of the more versatile materials for a driveway surface. You can chose from a wide range of designs and styles, due to the wide array of aggregates available. But the stylish gravel becomes impractical when installed on slopes. Even on a flat surface, gravel shifts and moves around.

You will have to constantly top the surface and install stabilisers, to significantly reduce the shifting. Gravel instinctively rolls downhill on an incline, and there is nothing you can do about that.

Concrete

One of the more stable materials for driveway surface, concrete comes with its own set of problems as well. For starters, concrete suffers from the freeze/thaw phenomenon. That means during the Winter months and periods of heavy rainfall, your concrete driveway is not as safe when installed on an incline.

The steep and slippery combo can be a recipe for disaster. Simply put, concrete lacks adequate traction when installed on a sloping driveway.

Tarmac

In the past few years, resin has become one of the more popular options for a driveway. But that does not apply for sloping driveway surface options. Just for info, tarmac is basically asphalt concrete. The word is used in the UK to refer to asphalt concrete.

The main problem with tarmac is maintenance. You need constant maintenance, including sealing and resealing the surface. Your main goal is to keep spillages from spoiling the surface, and that is not an easy task to do.

Sloped Driveway Surface Options: Why Resin Does It Better

Let’s start by saying that resin is relatively new product on the UK market. That is why we did not include it in the common sloping driveway surface options. But resin brings all of the benefits of the common materials to the table, without their disadvantages.

For starters, resin is permeable, which means it allows water to flow directly into the ground. Because water does not stay within the driveway, there is no risk of floods and pools forming at the bottom of the incline.

Resin is fully SUDs compliant. Because of that, there is no need to obtain prior planning permission to install a resin driveway. In addition to this, we offer anti-slip options for the affected areas, further preventing water from pooling.

In addition, resin comes in a number of textures, colors, and designs. This eliminates the problem of people passing by without looking at your home. Resin will vastly improve the kerb appeal of your home, making it beautiful even with a sloping driveway. You can choose a design from our wide palette.

But most importantly, resin is long lasting. With proper, minimal maintenance, resin can last up to 25 years. While concrete can offer similar longevity and durability, concrete comes in a limited number of options, making a resin bound surface a far more preferable alternative.