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Choosing the right driveway surface
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Your driveway is your property's face to the world. Here's how to get it looking its best.
Because it usually sits in front of your house, your driveway plays an important role in creating a first impression. But this doesn't mean it needs to be remarkable in any way. Rather, it should blend in with the rest of your property and complement your garden and house.
"The sort of driveway you choose will depend on the style and heritage of your house," says landscape designer David Young.
A driveway should also be practical. It needs to be safe, stable and durable. It needs to perform its chief function, which is to take the weight of cars and other vehicles. It should also be easy to maintain.
When it comes to driveway surfaces, there is a huge array to choose from. David says the most common form of driveway surface is concrete, whether it's an exposed aggregate concrete with pebbles or gravel set into the surface, or just plain concrete.
"This is by far the cheapest surface you can get," he says, "and so it's the most popular."
Concrete also comes as individual pavers. There are numerous sizes, from small 220mm x 110mm rectangles up to 500mm x 500mm squares. You can achieve a number of patterns with pavers, depending on the mix of sizes and shapes you use. They also come either straight edged or with a bevelled or angled edge. This latter design allows for interesting slants in angles and patterns for your chosen concrete pavers.
If you have a house made from natural materials, like timber or natural stone, as well as a native garden, then pavers made from clay or sandstone might be worth considering. Again, they come in a number of shapes and sizes. Sandstone and clay pavers tend to be more expensive than concrete pavers, but the effect, if it complements the style of your home, is well worth it.
A skilled designer and construction team should be able to create virtually any shape, pattern or surface, regardless of the topography of your property. As David points out, different slopes, soil and rock types might affect the technique used to construct a driveway, but it doesn't always narrow the choices available to you. Talk to a landscape designer or contractor and get them to run through the options that exist for your driveway.
