Top ways to improve your driveway

Driveways are one of the first things people see when they arrive on a property. Usually, they go unnoticed. However, they are usually are precursor of what’s to come or what to expect from the house. The saying, first impressions last longest, can very much apply to your driveways introduction to your home. Setting the standard high is very important to onlookers perception and setting the right tone.

So, with this in mind, we are going to give you a few tips and ideas on how to improve the overall look of your driveway.

Tip #1: Fixing general cracks

General surface cracks are really common in driveways over four to five years old. While small cracks aren’t going to ruin your driveway, if not addressed, can lead to a much bigger problem.

The type of cracks a driveway has is do with the materials. For example, if your driveway is made of concrete it will be prone to hairline cracks, for example asphalt. Hairline cracks, are pretty easily sealed over, usually with sealant. Fortunately, this repair job is super cheap and will only take about 20 minutes.

The cracks that you want to be aware of are called, alligator cracks. They get the name alligator cracks because they end up looking like the scales of an alligator. Visually, these look terrible and practically, they can expand and grow over time making your problems ten times worse. Fortunately, they only occur where the asphalt or concrete is weak on your driveway. This means fixing the cracks is really no big deal.

The solution

All you really have to do with these types of cracks are cut out and remove the affected area and re-seal it. Make sure the reseal is the same colour as the surface and that it’s levelled to prevent the replacement looking out of place.

Tip #2: Staining your driveway

Staining your driveway is one of the easiest ways to give your driveway a nice new look. This tip is for concrete driveways only. Applying a staining solution pretty much the same as staining a piece of wood.

All you need are the following four things:

• Broom
• Paint Roller & Paint Tray
• Driveway Stain
• Some Good Weather

We recommend using water-based stains over acid stains because means the better range of colours you can get. Concrete stain is a bit different to paint, as instead of just sitting on the driveway’s surface, the stain permeates into the concrete. This causes the stain to fuse with the concrete rather than just sit on top.

The solution

All you really have to do is sweep off your driveway and make sure there is no rubble, and as little dust as possible. Then, pour your concrete stain into your paint tray and apply the stain to a roller.

Make sure you work backwards from the bottom up to ensure that you are not walking over the work you have already done. Usually, the stain will dry within one day. However, make sure you read the instructions on your stain as all types are different.

Tip #3: Bring in the plant life

Simply putting in some plant life along the sides of your driveway can make a world of difference.

What we have found to make a big difference is placing fresh grass seed along the edges of a driveway. Once this fills in, it should come right up to the edges replacing an area that is typical pretty barren.

For some, the lack of grass on the surrounding edges of your driveway might not even be an issue. But for those that it is, and who are wondering why this is, here is the answer:

If you driveway does not have appropriate drainage channels, water will tend to run off to edges and onto the soil. This water will pool and, over time, erode the surrounding grass. While filling in the grass is not a long-term solution, it can act as a temporary fix.

If you intend to do a bit more heavy-duty garden work, such as planting some trees or thick bushes, be mindful of the root growth. As time goes on, tree and bush roots will burrow underneath your driveway. These can lead to general cracking in the future and eventually undermine the entire driveway.

Tip #4: Lighting

Line the sides of your driveway with some LED lights.

Typically, this is something you want to do while your driveway is being constructed. That way, you can embed them into the concrete or asphalt. This will make the lights and the driveway look one and the same.

But have no fear! If your driveway is already built you can still add some awesome lighting features.

You can pick up some pretty cheap outdoor LED lights from amazon and best of all; they can run on solar power. All you need to do is place them in semi-concealed spot so as to ensure that they still get some sunlight and illuminate your driveway.

Tip #5: Pressure wash

This has got to be the cheapest and easiest of all our tips. Simply pressure washing your driveway can take as little as 15 minutes and can make a world of difference.

Over time, your driveway will come into contact with oils and all other manners of stains and dirt. If you don’t already own a pressure washer, head down to your local hardware store and rent one for the day. Washing your driveway will take little to no time at all. A high-quality pressure washer will be able to wash all manner of stains off the surface.