29 Aug Choose Paver Driveways for the Ultimate Curb Appeal
Do you take your driveway for granted? Why not make it beautiful and functional at the same time? That smooth, clean look of a fresh concrete or asphalt driveway only lasts so long. Soon enough, it starts to get weathered, stained or cracked.
And then, due to budget constraints, you probably wait around for your driveway to deteriorate further, until you feel like you absolutely have to replace it.
But your driveway really doesn’t have to be a thorn in your side. In fact, it can be the key to the ultimate curb appeal you’ve always dreamed of, as if your home has leapt straight off the pages of a magazine. The secret? Paver driveways!
Pavers Provide Options Galore
Do you want your driveway to be a work of art? Then paver driveways are for you. After all, you put a lot of care and consideration into what color to paint your house, what to paint the trim, which color scheme you should use in your flower beds, etc. Why should your driveway be the same driveway that everyone else has?
Pavers come in all kinds of shapes and sizes, which means you could turn your driveway into a veritable mural, if you so choose. But you can also be a little more modest, arranging deep-colored blue or red stones in a smooth, circular pattern. There won’t be another house for miles with a driveway just like yours. And, if you want your house to be the showstopper of the street, such a unique driveway is the way to do it.
Pavers Are Second to None in Versatility
Because pavers are laid out one-by-one, they are incredibly versatile, and not just in terms of color and design, as we’ve seen above. If cracks appear in your driveway, it’s all too simple to remove the affected pavers and replace them.
The same goes for oil spills or other messy stains, which constantly plague driveways. To give your paver driveway a fresh look, you only have to replace a small portion of the pavers. With any other type of material, you’d need to install a brand-new driveway.
Other Paver Perks
Pavers have improved traction over other types of driveway materials thanks to improved drainage. Rainwater washes right down into the joints between each paver, leaving the top surface less slick.
And finally, if you’ve ever had to park down the street while your new driveway sets, you will appreciate the fact that paver driveways are ready to use the instant the last brick is in place. There’s no drying time, and no risk of debris or leaves falling into a wet mixture … or of someone accidentally walking through it before it’s dry!
Patterned Concrete Driveways Are a Cheaper Alternative
As great as paver driveways are, there is one major downside: they can be expensive. This is primarily due to the cost of labor, since each paver is set by hand. If a beautiful paver driveway is just not realistically within your budget, you can still achieve the stylish look of pavers without the hefty installation cost. A patterned concrete driveway will be your little secret!
You have a lot of design flexibility with a patterned concrete driveway (also known as a stamped concrete driveway). For example, you might choose to create a brick-like border around the driveway, breaking up the interior with a stone-like pattern. Intricate tesserae designs are also possible.
But what about that dull concrete color? Are you stuck with the same monotonous gray driveway as everyone else on your block? Absolutely not! Concrete can be colored in different ways, and different textures can be achieved as well. An acid-wash is a popular look, for example. You can also mimic the look of bricks or stones with the help of an artistic driveway installation team like DirtWirx who can apply the perfect amount of light and dark areas to create depth and authenticity.
Although concrete driveways are easier to install than pavers, they also require more maintenance. And because concrete is laid out in a thick, single slab, any cracks that appear will ultimately be fixed by breaking up the old driveway and laying out a new concrete concoction. On the other hand, pavers by nature are extremely easy to replace and repair if cracks appear. Take this into consideration when you look at the long-term costs and savings associated with each type of driveway.
What has been your experience with paver driveways or stamped concrete driveways? Share in the comments below to help other homeowners weigh their options!
DISCLAIMER: The information and views set out in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the MyCity-Web collective. This is a contributed article via our Submit Post Page and should be viewed as such.
