Upgrading or resurfacing your driveway is one of many home improvement projects that can significantly add value to your property. And although a driveway is more about functionality than looks, it can still enhance your humble abodes. An interesting and well-designed driveway can significantly affect the appearance of the entire property.
The driveway should be smooth, durable and easy to maintain. It’s worth remembering that when it’s raining or snowing, a well-designed driveway made of high quality materials is worth its weight in gold. A non-slippery and even surface will allow you to safely park your vehicle and walk the route from your car home, even in high heels.
Practical advantages have made the driveway a mandatory element of every single-family house. If you design it appropriately, it will certainly also become its aesthetic showcase.
Driveway Design: Requirements
If you own a large property, you can afford to design and build a substantially larger driveway area. You can allocate a lot of land to maneuver the car freely. You can also design a driveway where guests can drive into and park.
A big driveway can become a representative place, and to make it more effective, it is worth combining different colors of the paving stones and adding decorative elements, such as palisades marking the driveway, stylized benches or slopes planted with grass. An interesting option may be to create a small roundabout in the driveway, the center of which will be a flowerbed or a fountain.
In the case of a small property, you do not have such freedom, so you must remember to maintain maximum functionality while maintaining high aesthetics. You might want to give up decorations that may interfere with maneuvering – flower beds, garden benches and pots.
The design of the driveway largely depends on the location of the garage. It is assumed that the driveway should be at least 18 to 20 feet long and 10 to 12 feet wide. However, if you have more space, it is worth considering a wider area. This will make it much more convenient to get in and out of the car and move around it. If, in addition to the access function, the driveway is also to serve as an access point to the house, then its width should be at least 15 feet.
Proper water drainage is critical for the look and safety of your property. Surface water drainage is where rainwater is removed to avoid any structural issues arising in future. It is extremely important that water does not linger on your driveway, which is why it is necessary to have adequate drainage to ensure that any excess water is removed from your property. As a general rule, a driveway should grade away from the garage at a 2 to 5 percent pitch. For this purpose, appropriate transverse and longitudinal slopes should be designed. There are also special pavers that allow to maintain a biologically active surface. However, it should be remembered that this solution may make it difficult to move around in high-heeled shoes, with crutches or a cane.
If your property is rather large, the driveway’s construction project should also include any arches at the entrance – they shouldn’t force you to take sharp turns. Before starting the design works, it is necessary to properly adjust the foundation to the bearing capacity of the soil and the groundwater level. This will have a significant impact on the selection of materials and maintaining their durability.
It is also worth remembering that for the construction of the driveway, you should choose thicker paving stones than for a walkway or a path.
Driveway Paving Materials
One of the key issues is choosing the right material for your property’s driveway. There are many different options to choose from. The choice depends not only on your individual preferences, but also on the budget that you can spend on your new driveway. It is definitely not worth saving on products, as the poor quality of the material or poor workmanship will result in increased repair costs down the road, so it is better to pay a little more and get the right result the first time.
The surface of the driveway is subject to quite heavy loads. Therefore, it is recommended to use smaller and thicker paving materials. The most popular and most frequently chosen are Euro pavers. Long or slender paving stones will not work here, as well as cubes that are too thin, as they can float and key. This is exactly what must be avoided.
Thick paving stones will work best. However, a lot depends on the type of vehicles that will be parking there. If you own a large SUV or a van – it is best to choose a thicker type of paving stone. It is a good practice to check with the manufacturer of the selected material whether he recommends using it in places dedicated to such traffic.
When choosing materials for your driveway, remember that other elements will also be needed to complete it. First of all, it is worth taking care of the appropriate edging of the paved surface, for example with palisades. In addition, at the planning stage, it is worth thinking about lighting the driveway and planning the location of the overhead lamps.
Brick Paving Contractor Chicago
A durable and elegant driveway is one of the most important elements of any house. If you choose the right brick paving contractor and the right high-quality materials, you will be able to comfortably move around your property. This is especially important during autumn rains or winter thaws, when the ground is soaking wet and the car can easily get stuck in it. A solid driveway with a hard surface will help you avoid such surprises.
