Block Paving

Block paving is built from individual concrete or clay block units, each laid by hand into a bed of sharp sand over a properly compacted sub-base, in a pattern such as herringbone, basketweave or stalled stretcher bond, then vibrated in and jointed with kiln-dried sand. A firm edge restraint around the perimeter is what keeps the whole surface locked together under vehicle loading, so its condition matters as much as the blocks themselves. Because it is made of individual units, block paving can be lifted section by section for repairs or access to services below and re-laid, which is a genuine practical advantage over a single continuous surface. Joints do need periodic re-sanding, and block paving was the standard original specification on a great deal of estate housing built from the 1970s onward.

Best suited to: estate-standard driveways, properties wanting a specific pattern or colour, and anywhere repairability of individual sections matters

Less suited to: a fully seamless look with zero visible joints

Permeable / SuDS: No — this is an impermeable surface by design, so drainage falls have to be built in at construction rather than relying on the surface itself.