Exterior, Home Improvement, Landscape

3 Great Materials For Your Perfect Driveway

three-meter-tape-ruleEmbarking on the strangely exciting venture of designing your new driveway is a fantastic way to start your year, remember your driveway creates the first impression when you have visitors to your home. The choices are difficult and sometimes it’s difficult to know what material best suits your needs, as let’s face it what need have you had for knowing that Tarmac Driveways can be driven on the very same day, or that block paving driveways are susceptible to moss if not treated at least annually.

Things to be considered when making this choice are:

  • Usage – If your driveway is expected to take a bit of battering then you need something durable.
  • Character of your property – If you live in a Victorian home then it may be worth looking at a material that matches the age and character of your home. On the hand of you live in a modern property then something  sharp and clean looking may be better.
  • Cost – Different materials vary in cost so do your research and set a budget before setting your heart a material you can’t afford.

3 popular choices for driveway materials are:

  • Tarmac – Durable and easily maintained, Tarmac is a great choice if you want something to last a long time as asphalt will take as much usage as you can throw at it and most companies offer a at least a 5 year guarantee. Tarmac is also non-slippery hence it’s popular use for car park, roads and pavements and it’s also waterproof so it can be very difficult for water get underneath which is often where problems with driveways can be begin.
  • Imprinted concrete or stamped concrete – Similar to tarmac, imprinted concrete is very durable and can take heavy usage over many years. It’s simply wet concrete with moulds laid on top and finished in desired colours. The great thing with imprinted concrete is the flexibility with design and colour, you can get really creative with your designs and it gives off a very impressive look to your home. Be aware it can be slippery when wet so not the best choice for the elderly.
  • Inidan Stone – If you’re looking for something unique then this natural stone from India is perfect for you. This stone is made up of a number of different materials and gives every piece a completely unique design, its fantastic stuff. Laid in flags it looks very impressive in the dry or the wet and is not slippery at all, once the concrete is dry it suitable to walk or dry on mostly the same day depending on the weather conditions.

This time if the year is best to start looking as you can normally negotiate a good deal as driveway companies are often quiet this time of year, that also means you can get the work completed without a waiting list as the summer months you’ll find their very busy.

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Elite Driveways guest authored this article and are specialists in Concrete, Tarmac and Natural Stone Driveways.