Create a Distinctive Driveway

Your driveway is your welcome mat, the pathway to your home. It may be a broad expanse, or curved and winding and disappearing among the shrubbery, or a straight shot to a waiting garage. Whatever the profile, your driveway presents landscaping opportunities to enhance your home and its character. While you must consider the drainage you will need, the stability of your soil, and the freeze and thaw cycles in your region, there are many materials and techniques available to help you create a driveway that goes a step beyond asphalt to accent.

Bricks

Bricks may be among the simplest of all paving and patio materials to work with. They come in standard sizes and regular forms, they are manufactured in a variety of colors, and they present a non-slip surface for cars and people. Bricks, like flagstones, cobblestones, or pavers, should be laid in a stable bed of stone topped with bedding sand. Creative homeowners can devise geometric patterns that repeat along the length of the driveway. For older and historic homes, try copying a pattern from photos of historic places. For local interest, look to area foundries for the bricks they produce. Some demolition companies also sell old bricks that are perfect for quaint older structures. There are distinct advantages to using bricks, as they can be replaced when damaged. For a more permanent set, the bricks can be laid in a concrete /sand bed and allowed to set up from below, as well as between the bricks.

Concrete

Concrete is far more versatile and aesthetic than people give it credit for. It can be colored, shaped, given surface contours and textures, or even embedded with stone or aggregates to give it a composite look. Quikcrete sells shape grids that allow you to create a decorative pattern on your walk or drive as simply as pouring concrete. They also feature color mix that you can add directly to the concrete. Some homeowners may opt to create pre-formed concrete pavers using molds. These can be lined with a layer of crushed stone, shell, or aggregate prior to the pour. Once the mold is removed, your pavers will have a pebbled surface. Concrete drives can also be stamped or imprinted with a pattern to look like stone, cobble, or brick. How you brush or finish the concrete once poured determines how slippery and uniform the surface of your driveway will be. Take into account the activities that go on before deciding upon the surface of your driveway. Basketball is easier on a smooth surface, while walking to the mailbox or bringing your car up an incline is easier on a less slick surface.