Driveway Construction Options For Homes
A driveway isn't really one of the priorities when you're planning for a home improvement project, but you should know that it actually helps in improving your home's curb appeal. Also, the driveway has a practical function and won't really require a lot of attention and maintenance. Here's what you have to know when it comes to the plan of building a driveway at home.
The Type of Surface
For driveway surface types, there are two basic options to choose from. These are smooth and aggregate. If you happen to be residing in an area where there is snow and ice removal and zoning ordinances, aggregate surfaces like that of gravel driveway aren't ideal. This suggests that you're much better off choosing smooth surfaces such as asphalt and concrete Ace Driveways Stirling.
Asphalt
For many years now, asphalt has been the most preferred surface type because of its low installation cost. But there's a slight increase in its price these days, which primarily is attributed to the unstable price of oil. You should also know that because asphalt needs to be resealed every three to four years, it means that it comes with higher maintenance costs.
Concrete Surface Type
The first thing you need to know about concrete surface is that it'll cost more in installation compared to asphalt. However, if it is properly sealed, it will become more durable, suggesting that it should also cost lesser in terms of maintenance. And if you contemplate on adding a radiant heating system as investment on a concrete surface, you no longer need to perform snow and ice removal during winter.
Stamped Concrete
The greatest attribute of this type of concrete surface is that it can be stamped or stained. Stamped means that it is imprinted right away after the pour with the use of a polyurethane patterned tool. With stamps, you can mimic certain types of the more expensive materials like wood patterns, slate, flagstone, and brick. For stained concrete, what happens is that base color is added into the cement mix and release colors are added to the surface once the pouring of the slab is done. Remember that both stamped and stained concrete surfaces need to be sealed in order to add more life to the slab.
Pavers
Pavers are quite popular for creating the most beautiful driveways for your home. They provide the most curb appeal. The biggest downside though is that they also are the most expensive. The high expense covers both labor costs and material costs. Without regard to the cost of installation and labor, pavers are a good choice if you are looking at the most flexible designs and high quality aesthetics. They are currently offered in different kinds of materials including cobblestone, natural stone, concrete, and clay brick. The pattern options you get from them are virtually unlimited.