MORI Poll Reveals That People Prefer Block Paved Drives
Two photographs of the same house were shown to a representative sample of the British public. Both were identical in all respects except that the driveway in one photograph was black tarmac and in the other it was concrete block paving. Asked to express their preference, 81% of people said they preferred the house with the block-paved drive and only 10% preferred the black tarmac version.
This overwhelming preference for concrete block paving was just one of the findings of a national MORI poll Paving Research Amongst the General Public commissioned by Interpave. The poll also revealed that block paving is the public's favourite paving material by far, not only for residential driveways, but for pavements and pathways generally, patios and garden paths, street paving and town centres.
Another part of the poll asked people to name their most favoured surface for residential driveways from a choice of block paving, black tarmac, coloured tarmac and concrete flags and slabs. Once again, block paving emerged the clear favourite, with 62% saying they preferred it compared to any of the alternatives. Delving behind these preferences, 75% of the people who preferred block paving for driveways said it was because of its visual appeal and good looks.
When asked next about pathways and patios in houses and gardens, 55% preferred block paving, and 26% opted for concrete flags and slabs. Once again, visual appeal was the key factor behind block paving's popularity. Tarmac fared particularly badly in this section, with 70% ranking it as their least preferred option.
The overwhelming preference for block paving reinforces the belief that it is the best means homeowners have to create a handsome and long-lasting drive, adding richness and value to their property and creating a warmer welcome than tarmac or poured concrete. The availability of attractively coloured, textured and shaped concrete pavers means a multitude of different designs can be created, all enhanced by the laying pattern chosen.
As well as providing years of trouble-free service due to its outstanding strength, concrete block paving neither softens in the heat of summer nor disintegrates in severe frost and can withstand oils, salts and most garden chemicals. It is also unaffected by the turning and braking of slow moving power-steered and 4-wheel drive vehicles which can deform a tarmac drive.
Yet a block-paved driveway can cost only marginally more than an equivalent area in tarmac - a small extra to pay for the disproportionately higher added value to the property. With benefits as good as these, is there any wonder why block paving is now established as the public's favourite paving material?
Technical details
MORI interviewed 966 adults aged 15+ across 194 sampling points throughout Great Britain between 21st and 26th June 2001. The data has been weighted to reflect the national population profile. Interviews were conducted in-home.
