As we come out of the snowy months, it’s time to assess how well your home fared the winter. Spring and summer are the ideal time to make repairs, changes, and upgrades to your home’s landscape. How did your driveway fare this winter? Are there cracks, or is it starting to crumble? Perhaps it just looks dingy and unappealing. If you own a gravel driveway, shoveling snow can be extremely frustrating, trying not to lose all the stones. Dirt driveways in wet weather are not only an unpleasant exit to the car ride but necessitate a stop in the mudroom on the way into the house.
If these are some of the challenges you face, it’s time to consider an upgrade. There are several options to consider when replacing a driveway. You could stick with traditional concrete or asphalt, but here is a great suggestion you may not have considered: hardscaping sections of your driveway. Hardscaping brings both function and stunning beauty to the front of your home.
A well-designed driveway can improve your property’s aesthetic appeal and is one of the most overlooked elements in selling a home. It’s evident that a beautiful, upgraded driveway may increase the value of your home, but it can also help sell your home faster. It’s a simple way to increase curb appeal and the first impression your home makes to guests. But beyond all that, it delivers daily enjoyment and functionality to your life at home.
There are two main hardscaping options for driveways: bricks and pavers. Brick has been traditionally used for streets in the historic downtown sections of many cities. Brick is durable, easy to maintain, and can last for decades. They come in a range of colors and won’t fade over time. Brick driveways provide a classic look with a strength that easily bears up under the weight of an automobile. The main benefit of brick driveways is that they require very little maintenance and do not break easily. But if damaged, individual bricks are easily matched and replaced without drawing attention to the repair.
Concrete pavers are the modern version of traditional brick and are an excellent fit for a short driveway or upscale neighborhoods. They give your home a finished look, displaying the driveway as an important landscape element. The benefit of using pavers is that there is an almost endless choice of shapes, sizes, colors, and even textures. They can be laid in artistic patterns to bring a striking beauty to the front of your home.
Like brick, pavers are durable, stand up to the weight of cars, require little maintenance, and last for decades. Whereas asphalt and solid concrete can crack and crumble, pavers are individual units that allow for movement without breaking or becoming uneven as the ground shifts beneath it. If you need to excavate under the driveway, sections can be removed or replaced without redoing the entire driveway. Pavers also allow water and snow to drain into the joints and soak into the ground below, rather than solid surfaces that create a large runoff into the street or storm drain.
When choosing your paver, one thing to keep in mind is how easily you will be able to purchase that exact style years later if a piece or section needs to be replaced. So, if you desire a unique style, consider buying extra pieces to store away in the event you need to replace one.
Whether you choose brick or pavers, you will want them to match your home’s architectural style and the existing hardscaping to create an attractive aesthetic. It’s important to hire a professional rather than doing the work yourself. Installation should be done correctly, including creating the proper depth with a level sub-base, placing edging blocks, addressing drainage issues, proper laying, and spacing of the bricks or pavers, and applying any necessary sealant and jointing sand.
The first step toward upgrading your driveway with a hardscape design is to call the professionals at Createscape Landscaping Services. The licensed landscape architects will create a master plan that ties all the elements together and fits within your budget. Createscape Landscaping is a full-service provider that will create the design plan, help you choose the best materials, and professionally install your new, hard-scaped driveway. Visit createscapelandscaping.com to learn more about services offered or call us at (262) 662-0201.
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