Driveways the First Impression.

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Drive way or walk through is the first impression of your home and clearly indicates the aesthetic sense and living style of those living in that house/home. As if you have a messy cluttered non decorative driveway/walkway then you are living in a house however an aesthetically decorated neat clean airy and space utilized driveway/walkway means that you are living in a home, who inhabitants love their place as much as they love themselves.

In this blog I will try to highlight few important tips that one should follow to make their drive way more appealing, beautiful and eye catching. Further I will explain few tricks to keep your drive way free of dirt/oil spots and how to maintain your drive ways in a tip top condition. But before that lets answer few very important questions that may arise in your mind.

1: Does a driveway add value to a house?

Driveways are definitely a good investment. ... Based on the average house, a driveway could add up a handsome value to a property. However, this will heavily depend on your location.

2: What are the best materials to pave your driveway with?

a)      Exposed aggregate. This is a type of concrete finish obtained by removing a thin layer from the top of laid concrete to reveal the pebbles, shells, stones and/or sand near the surface.

b)      Concrete.

c)       Bluestone pavers.

d)      Clay brick pavers.

e)      Timber sleepers.

f)       Slab with Grass Combo.

A concrete driveway is versatile, durable, low-maintenance and cost-friendly in the long term, making it another popular choice, but one that is suitable for any part of the country. Brick, Concrete, or Cobblestone Pavers Concrete and asphalt are by far the most popular surfaces for driveways. Both are long-lasting materials that are relatively economical.

3: What are the Cheap Ways to Pave a Driveway

a)      Rustic Gravel. Gravel is one of the most inexpensive paving options for a driveway.

b)      Durable Apshalt. Asphalt is usually quite affordable.

c)       Elegant Tar and Chip. A tar and chip driveway is an affordable driveway paving option that often has a more decorative appearance than plain asphalt.

d)      Low-Maintenance Concrete.

Now let’s get back to different ways with which we can make our driveway a perfect eye catching driveway. There are several ways to make your driveway more appealing, possibly becoming the envy of your neighborhood, few of them are:

a)      Landscape in a unique style:

Landscaping is a 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.

b)      Use 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.

c)       Beautify with a border.

In addition to 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.

d)      Monitor repair of 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.

e)      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 removers are available depending on whether you use acid stains or water-based stains. We will explain few ways of cleaning stained driveway in the last part of this blog too.

f)       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. Brick driveways which are another way to create a sturdy, yet stunning offering  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 neighborhood.

g)      Place a Decorative Mailbox.

A decorative or architectural mailbox at your entrance can set your lawn apart and draw attention to the driveway behind it. Whether you go with an elegant, stamped metal mailbox can be a unique way to improve the overall appearance of your driveway while providing a more secure receptacle for sensitive mail.

h)      Lighting

Lights are very important to give your drive way a beautiful look in evening or at night. 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.

With all these pointers let’s see few other things that will improve the overall beauty of your drive and will add more scenic variety to them.

Ø  Stamped Texture

A stamped finish can refresh a concrete driveway and its borders. A spray treatment and textured roller were used on this driveway to give the surface a realistic look.

Ø  Illuminate It

LED lights recessed into this driveway by Pinnacle Lighting Group add definition and help highlight the home's stone exterior.

Ø  Mix Materials

. Your drive should have a mixture of wood, stone, metal and natural elements. On the main driveway, decorative flagstone near the entryway accents the concrete. The home owners desired overflow parking for entertaining. A driveway with crushed marble, weathered steel, blue fescue grass and neon green sedum 'Angelica will look great.

Ø  Concentrate on your Gate

Adding an elegant and artistic gate, whether large or small, can make your driveway look more distinguished.

Ø  Remove Barriers

Make sure that you have a clear eye space of your driveway with minimum barriers. If you add up barriers in your driveway it will give a smaller and campy look to it.

Ø  Add Edging

Try to have as much as possible of a curb appeal, literally, by using pavers that complement your driveway. These will also serve as a way to contain planting areas

Ø  Walk This Way

You can easily enhance your driveway look with a classic walkway leading guests to the front door.

Ø  Add Design Details

Try to have more unique and different design patterns on your driveway, not just one design but complementing designs should be there to keep guest interest in your driveway.

Ø  Pick New Pavers

Don’t stick to old pavers try to experiment with new ones or you can have a proper combo of 2 – 3 pavers in a different blending mode..

Ø  Use Fountains.

Water elements can turn a driveway from drab to dazzling. A tiered fountain surrounded by flower beds is the center of a driveway will attract interest of your guests more than anything.

Ø  Focus on Small Detailing.

Put a small fence in your fared, place few animal sculptures have a sitting log or you can have waterfall in a corner of your garden.

Ø  Last But not Least Maintain It.

No matter how beautiful your driveway is if you won’t maintain it regularly it will lose  appreciation and its charm with the passage of time.

In the last part as promised I will tell you few tips with which you will remove stains from your driveways and keep them in good shape.

1: How to Make Discolored Concrete White Again

·         Wet down the concrete with a hose or bucket of water. This helps the baking soda stick to the surface.

·         Pour baking soda over all of discolored areas. Lightly moisten the baking soda to form a paste. ...

·         Allow the baking soda paste to sit on the concrete overnight. ...

·         Apply vinegar or bleach to the discolored areas.

Motor oil cleaning

v  If the pavement is dry, wet the area, and then scour with a stiff brush and a baking-soda-and-water paste. Use a garden hose to rinse it off, and let air-dry. If the dark marks remain, apply a strong household cleaner, such as concentrated laundry detergent. Leave on for a few minutes, scrub vigorously, and rinse well. Use Cola to Clean Up Oil Stains. Oil dripping from a car can tarnish your driveway or garage floor, but it's easy to clean up with some cola. All you have to do is pour a few cans of room-temperature cola on the stain, and let it sit overnight. In the morning, blot it with some old towels, and rinse off any remains.

v  Borax or laundry detergents are the first ingredient in your homemade concrete cleaner. These products are good for removing basic dirt and some stains. When mixed with normal household vinegar and baking soda in a bucket with hot water, you get an effective grease cutter and cleaning product.

v  Spoon the vinegar solution onto the remaining oil stain on your cement. Wet a scrub brush, and scrub the cleansing solution into the oil-stained cement.

Adding few pictures of some Driveways at the end that will visually depicts all that I have said:

  

Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or like to hire a professional, making your driveway the envy of your neighborhood 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. Hope this blog will help you in converting your house driveway into your home driveway.

OVAIS Asad Khan