How to make your driveway the envy of your neighbourhood

In every neighbourhood some homes command more attention than others. Eye-catching aspects of these homes might be an individual item or a combination of items, including: a beautiful front porch, a clean and interesting garage door, breathtaking landscaping, or interesting walkways and driveways.

Your driveway literally and figuratively welcomes your family and visitors to your home. There are several ways to make your driveway more appealing, possibly becoming the envy of your neighbourhood.

Prestige.jpg

Pressure Wash

The least expensive way to spruce up your driveway is to clean it. Older driveways can look new again with an afternoon of work with a power washer. Whether your hire a company to handle the job or rent a machine and power wash the driveway yourself, the results are noticeable.

Repair any broken pavers or bricks, fill any cracks

Over time, weather and daily use degrade your driveway. Repairing broken bricks or pavers on your driveway will quickly make a neglected-looking driveway look new again. If your concrete driveway cracks, filling the cracks and resealing the driveway will also reinvigorate your home.

Add a border

A step up from simple washing and repairing is to add a border to your driveway. Depending on what is currently next to each side of your driveway, a brick or paver border in contrasting colors can be added in a single row or in a more complex multi-paver design.

Staining concrete driveways

If you have a concrete driveway, you might consider staining your driveway. Your driveway must be clean of oil and other coatings and must not have any cracks. A wide variety of stains are available depending on whether you use acid stains or water-based stains.

Upgrade your driveway

If your driveway has degraded beyond washing, repair or refurbishing, it might be time to upgrade your old driveway. Some options you might consider are:

Paver driveways which give you a wide variety of options when it comes to color, size and design. From orderly horizontal placement, artistic circles and patterns in offset colors, or designs using a combination of pavers and grass, pavers can really make your driveway stand out.

Brick driveways which are another way to create a sturdy, yet stunning, driveway that will complement any home. Brick driveways also offer a variety of color choices that allow owners to create a unique look for their home.

Gravel driveways which are a low-maintenance and relatively inexpensive way to add a unique driveway to your neighbourhood. Depending on your skill level as a do-it-yourselfer, gravel driveways are an upgrade you can hire out or handle yourself.

Improve your landscaping

Landscaping is another project that can be handled in-house or by a local professional. Sometimes small landscaping projects can make a big difference.

Add flower beds along your driveway for a splash of color. If you choose perennials, you will save yourself the work of replanting the next season because perennials live more than two years. Annuals allow you to choose new colors each year because they complete their lifecycle at the end of each growing season. Avoid biennials because these flowers take two years to complete their growing cycle. You will only see stems and leaves the first year. Flowers won’t arrive until the second season.

Lighting

Adding lighting to your driveway ups your function and style. Lights will draw attention to your driveway and increase safety by helping you and your guests see at night. Whether you choose to install pagoda-style lights in the grass along the side of the driveway, lights on poles or pillars framing the driveway, or build lights into the pavers on the side of the driveway, lights are a fantastic way to show your creativity while working within your budget. Lights can be hardwired to a switch in the house or turn on automatically when the sun goes down.

Decorative Mailbox

While not part of the driveway, a decorative or architectural mailbox can set your lawn apart and draw attention to the driveway behind it. Whether you go with an elegant, stamped metal mailbox or have a sturdy yet beautiful custom mailbox made out of pavers, decorative mailboxes can be a unique way to improve the overall appearance of your driveway while providing a more secure receptacle for sensitive mail.

Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or like to hire a professional, making your driveway the envy of your neighbourhood can be accomplished at a variety of price points and commitment levels. Plan your driveway project today and your driveway will start turning heads before you know it.

Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.