Three Ways To Give Your Driveway A Facelift

Posted on: 26 July 2016

For homes with the garage on the street side of the building, the driveway is a major part of your landscaping and curb appeal. Unfortunately, old cracked concrete, or concrete with visible stains, detracts from the overall appearance of your home. The following three ideas can help you give your driveway a facelift so it becomes a welcome part of the landscape.

Idea #1: Get it resurfaced

Cracked or badly stained concrete needs a fresh start. There is simply no way to make it look better unless you begin with a new surface. Fortunately, you don't need to waste the time or expense on tearing it our and installing a new one. Instead, a paving company can grind down the top surface to level it, and then pour a thin layer of fresh concrete over the top. The result looks like a brand new driveway without the effort or cost. This works best for concrete that is cracked, pitted, or stained. It isn't a suitable fix for driveways that have shifted and become uneven. Unevenness or heaving is a sign of problems with the driveway foundation, which will likely require a whole new installation.

Idea #2: Design it with class

One major issue with concrete driveways is that they look boring. They may even clash with the design of your home or with the surrounding landscape. Fortunately, there is also a fix for this. When you have the driveway resurfaced, the paving contractor can stamp a design into it. This gives the driveway the appearance of bricks, cobblestone pavers, tiles, or flagstones – really any design is a possibility with stamping. This means you can tie it into the look of your home. A cottage-style house looks lovely with a cobblestone design, while a home with a rustic exterior and natural elements in the landscape may look best with flagstones.

Visit a site like http://www.masterlandscape.net for more information. 

Idea #3: Add a touch of color

If stains or discoloration is a constant problem on your driveway, why not ask for dyed concrete when you have it resurfaced. If stains are your only issue, acid staining is another option that is applied topically, so you don't have to have the driveway resurfaced to add some color. Darker colors are best for both options, since these will hide stains the best. A dark brown or a deep charcoal works well. Another option is to combine dying or acid staining with stamped concrete. This way the concrete will look even more like the material the stamping is emulating, whether it's red bricks or terracotta tiles.

Contact a paving contractor in your area for more help.

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