Introduction
Your home’s curb appeal is made up of three core components, your home, your yard, and your driveway. That’s why it’s important to pay a lot of attention to the driveway design. However, it’s also important to keep the driveway practical and functional since it’s going to be in use for a long time. You can search for “paving companies near me” and hire pros to do it for you or use the following tips to design it yourself.
Tips & Tricks
1. Size and shape – You’ll need to decide on the shape and size of your driveway before you work out any other details of the design. There are many things that need to be considered while deciding on the size and shape of your driveway. You’ll need it to be wide enough for both your and your guests’ vehicles and some extra room for getting in and out of the driveway.
You’ll also need to account for the extra room that’s necessary for opening the gate. If you have a large property with a bigger front yard, you may even want to reserve some extra room for the driveway to accommodate cars and pickups turning around. When it comes to shape, you need to choose between a simple and straight driveway or a curved and fancy driveway.
If you have a garage, it’s best to choose a shaper that connects the garage to the entrance in the most efficient way. Even if you want a simple shape, it may not be possible if you have large valuable trees in the way. You also need to make sure that you’re adhering to legal codes with the shape and design. For instance, some HOAs and municipalities require a minimum width for certain types of driveways depending on the neighborhood you’re in.
2. Gradient – Gradient also plays a big role in driveway design. You need to account for it so that the water is drained out properly within the boundaries of your property. While you can enhance drainage with permeable paving blocks, you have to create a gentle gradient that can direct rainwater in the right direction while helping your vehicles maintain good traction in cold and icy conditions. The materials can’t be too steep or too smooth for the same purpose.
3. Choose the materials – The materials you choose for the driveway decide how practical and aesthetically pleasant it would be. Think about your budget since that would heavily influence your choice. The cheapest material would be decorative aggregate made up of limestone chippings, flint gravel, and other such ingredients laid over compacted hardcore like MOT Type 1.
You can make very attractive gravel driveways with few drawbacks including dirty shoes during the rain and uneven footing. This type of driveway isn’t ideal for people with mobility issues either. On the other hand, the cheapest hard surface material would be concrete blocks while natural stones would be the most expensive option. You also need to consider installation costs if you hire a professional for building your driveway.
After you’ve factored in the budget, it’s time to think long and hard about aesthetics. Think about how the material would complement your home. Does the driveway color and texture match with your home’s walls, front doors, garage, and design? Or does it create a beautiful contrast? You’ll also need to think about patterns if you’re laying paving blocks. From herringbone patterns to stretcher bonds and organized chaos, there are all kinds of design philosophies and patterns that may align with your taste.
4. Maintenance and drainage – While deciding the shape, size, and materials for your driveway, think about the maintenance as well. If you go with the most expensive options, these things will sort themselves out since materials like natural stone paving tiles are the most durable, easy to repair, and require little to no maintenance.
As you go down the price ladder, the combinations change, and you need to decide on a compromise that makes the most sense to you. Try to bring down maintenance costs as much as possible so that you can keep the recurring costs of owning a home as the years go by. If you have a tight budget, permeable concrete paving blocks would be the best choice for their high repairability, excellent drainage, and low cost of maintenance. Otherwise, you may need to invest in stormwater drains and drainage channels.
5. Add finishing touches with edging – After you’ve sorted out the above-mentioned factors, it’s time to think about the tiny details. Consider garden edging ideas if your budget allows for them. Garden edging always manages to make the most bland-looking driveways very charming and can drastically boost curb appeal.
They add definition and softness to the hard surface. You need to think if the edging is going to be chamfered, straight, bullnose, or something else. Think about the height of the garden edging. The height also determines the resources, maintenance, and types of ground cover and plants you choose. When it comes to color, choose a hue that complements the shade of the driveway or matches the overall dominant color of the property.
5. Gate – Adding a gate to your driveway increases the security of your property by a great margin and keeps your pets and kids inside your home. You’ll find gates with all kinds of designs in the market. Choose one that completes the garden theme. If you can squeeze in a bit more from your budget for the gate, go for an automated gate. While it seems like an inconsequential and unnecessary expenditure, it is a genuine quality of life upgrade.
Conclusion
Driveway design doesn’t need to be too complicated to be good. You just need to come up with a solid and durable design that is made with the right materials to last you for a long time while boosting curb appeal. You can always get suggestions from professionals by searching for “paving companies near me”.