You would notice some houses are more conspicuous in most neighborhoods; they garner more attention than others. Apart from the beauty of the property, what impresses your neighbor is most times the driveway. Maybe because it’s the first thing people see when they drive in or walk by the house.
Considering it’s what is at the entrance of your house, it’s important for you to put some thought into the design that sends a message that you’re neat and classy. If the driveway is all unkept and washed-out with a torn old doormat at the front, it gives off the impression that you’re an untidy person and your home would look that way too.
Even if other parts of the building are well structured and painted, a cracked driveway takes away from all that beauty. So, how about making some little changes and restructuring to your driveway? With a little bit of research, you can add some curb appeal to the entrance of your home. Check out ways to do that below. Ask a professional if you need to learn more about Concrete Contractors Albuquerque.
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1. Place Stones By The Side
How would stones make my driveway more aesthetic? That’s a great question to ask, but before you decide to stick with flowers by the side, keep reading. Modern driveways, even though wisely built with slabs of concrete, are not always desirable in a beautiful aesthetic sense. Simply put, it is effective but not appealing.
While it might make more sense to plant flowers to beautify the driveway, you would be faced with more work as you’d need to keep trimming it and hope it doesn’t grow into the driveway. If your home’s drive-in was built with modern concrete, spruce it up by placing stones by the side. That subtle placement would add texture to the path and significantly elevate the curb appeal of your home.
2. Asphalt Driveways
Asphalt driveways offer a classic look that would catch the eyes of anyone walking by your house. It gives this super clean appearance and provides crispiness that would match the style of your home.
Using asphalt for your driveway is cost-effective, easy to install, and can withstand any weather condition. Reach out to this asphalt contractor to repair your driveway if you have one or install a new one if you don’t. To make it more pleasing, you can line the driveway with stones.
3. Use Weed-Free Bricks
Bricks have been an age-long form of aesthetics and you’re certain of the outcome when you use them appropriately. Not the types that have spaces in between for weeds to grow. This kind of brick would give you a wide, circular driveway that feels like a direct portrayal of something from the history books. The look you’d get would be the tone for your dream home. Just ensure it is tidy and weed-free as earlier stated.
A good way to get rid of the weeds is to spray them with an herbicide weeks before you lay the bricks. Spray again after a week later to ensure you didn’t miss anyone or if you’d prefer, spread landscape fabric or fill polymeric sand below the bricks. Meanwhile, if you want your driveway to really stand out, you must use high-quality pebbles and gravel. Find out the significance of pebbles and gravel by consulting experts in this field. Read their explanation here.
4. Design the Driveways With Cobblestones
Cobblestone is old-fashioned, yet stylish. It brings to mind European towns filled with rich history while giving you a well-designed landscape. Cobbles are rounded stones that have always been known and used to create roads and pathways. Their size is usually between two and ten inches.
You can use cobblestones to create a driveway that gives a different curb appeal by adding its elegant historic touch. Furthermore, it adds texture to the outlook of the driveway and makes some pleasant sound when tires roll across it.
5. Improve The Landscape
Try and improve the landscape to add more beauty to your driveway and impress your neighbors. This one step that you can do yourself or outsource; the latter is highly recommended. Don’t forget to consider adding a driveway channel drain.
Add flowers to your driveway for an amazing blend of color, but not too close. Be mindful of the types of flowers you select. Perennials crops would ease you of unnecessary stress of planting at the next season; you plant and it lives for over two years. Similar criteria apply to annual and biannual crops.
6. Decorate Your Mailbox
Customize your mailboxes such that they draw people’s attention to the driveway behind them. You could plant beautiful flowers around it, paint it, or place personalized stickers on it.
Transforming your driveway to become the talk of the neighborhood depends on how committed you are and what your current budget for it is. The ideas listed above are great ways to get started.
Types of Driveways
Driveways serve a functional purpose, but they can also be visually beautiful if appropriately constructed. Fortunately, this is an easy goal to accomplish with the appropriate materials. Many people must consider the variety of driveways that can be used for a home.
1. Asphalt
Aside from being pleasing to the eye and secure, homeowners should also ensure a durable driveway. The advantages of an asphalt driveway outweigh the costs associated with its installation and maintenance. With its exceptional traction and ease of plowing snow, this is the best choice during the winter. So, it is a highly secure and long-lasting choice; the difficulty will lie in finding the most qualified expert to work on it.
It’s common practice for high-quality asphalt driveway builders to supply their clients with high-quality products and optional extras that shield their investment. Driveways that are sloped or have sharp turns can be difficult for this surface to handle during rainstorms. This problem is solved by installing professional drainage systems that direct stormwater to safe areas far from buildings or homes.
2. Concrete Driveway
One of the most popular types of driveways is a concrete driveway. The most obvious reason so many people choose these driveways is that they are one of the most durable ones. A concrete driveway is very durable and requires less maintenance.
Moreover, concrete driveways are not the best choice for people in cold places. Ice that forms during the coldest months of the year can damage the surface. Suppose the temperature in your area often drops below freezing. In that case, consider another option for your Driveway.
3. Brick Driveway
When people first started paving driveways and streets, brick was the most common material. The material will give your Driveway a classic and striking look. Still, it is more expensive compared to concrete or asphalt driveway. One advantage of using bricks is that you can customize your Driveway since bricks come in many different colors and textures, so the Driveway can be made to look however you want.
However, bricks are not one of the most durable choices for a driveway; some bricks may crack, shift, or break. Although they are easy to replace without fixing the whole Driveway, making repairs more straightforward and cheaper.
4. Porcelain Driveway
Porcelain is one of the most expensive materials for a driveway. Still, it is the best choice if you want a modern and attractive way to pave the area. Porcelain is excellent for an outdoor space because it looks stylish, is very low maintenance, and doesn’t absorb much water. Because of this, porcelain resists stains better and is less slippery when it’s cold. Some manufactured porcelain is backed with concrete, making them durable and long-lasting. Because it is laid on a flexible bed, it can be installed much faster than other driveway materials. To clean a driveway made of porcelain tiles, you only need to use the best pressure washer or a simple mop.
5. Paver Driveway
Interconnected pavers are usually made of concrete or cement used to make a paver driveway. Pavers are a popular choice for Driveway because they come in various shapes, sizes, patterns, and styles that you may customize to create a beautiful driveway. The way the pavers fit together makes the installation go quickly and makes the paver driveway sturdy. Pavers also don’t need much care, just a quick sweep now and then.
6. Gravel Driveway
Gravel driveways are popular among people who live in rural areas. Many see it as an easy way to upgrade from a dirt driveway and put one of these intakes with little skill. Most of the time, gravel driveways can be put in quickly and used immediately. Usually, a gravel driveway is made by pouring gravel into a barrier. The gravel is pressed down as hard as possible, and then the Driveway is ready to use. The problem with a gravel driveway is that it will only last for a while. Gravel is a loose material you will lose a lot of over time.
7. Resin Bound Driveway
Resin Bound is a surface solution that uses a hard resin layer mixed with clean, dry, decorative aggregates. Resin-bound pavers are very durable; it is made with a unique “honeycomb” structure that lets water and air pass through quickly while keeping them very strong and slip-resistant at the same time. Some resin-bound aggregate products are non-toxic and are made with organic waste products to have as little of an effect on the environment as possible. Resin-bound driveways are also made of various colors and styles to meet your needs. You can choose between solid colors or colors with different color combinations. These driveways are inexpensive, but you must consider the cost of preparing a base.
8. Cobblestone Driveway
Those who appreciate classic design may find cobblestone driveways an aesthetically attractive choice. Putting in a cobblestone driveway is similar to putting in a brick driveway. They will both work the same way and look great. The main difference is that using cobblestone costs a lot more than brick. When these driveways are put in the right way, they look very nice, depending on your property type. Cobblestone driveways can last as long as twenty years with only minor repairs. This high-quality Driveway will make your house stand out in the neighborhood. A cobblestone driveway is a good idea for anyone who wants to give their property a unique look.
9. Reinforced Grass Driveway
These kinds of driveways are made of gravel, sand, and grass blocks held together with topsoil and grass seed. One of the most eco-friendly driveways you can get is made of reinforced grass. The grass is natural, and the surface lets much water drain away. Reinforced grass driveways can last for a long time, but it’s important to remember that it’s still grass, so areas that get driven on often may get flattened.
10. Recycled Glass Driveway
A glass material might seem like a strange choice for a driveway. However, glass driveways can be a good solution for creating an aesthetic driveway. This isn’t regular glass and won’t cut your tires, so don’t worry about that. These amazing driveways are made from recycled glass. The recycled glass has been tumbled and sealed with resin by professionals to make it as strong as possible. It was sealed with resin so you could use it for many years without problems. Because recycled glass makes these driveways, they are also good for the environment. Moreover, this kind of Driveway is easy to take care of; you won’t have to do much to keep it in good shape. This means you can sit back and enjoy how nice your Driveway looks without worrying about too many details. There are many color choices for recycled glass driveways, so you can make it fit your style.