A beautiful home, with a lavish lawn and a lovely car standing in the driveway, is something that every individual dream of. A driveway adds appeal and value to your home. A worn out yard is extremely unattractive and does not look good when you have people and guests visiting you. The materials that are used when building a driveway influence its price, reliability and visual charm. Each type of materials comes with its own particular benefits. Therefore, it is essential for the building owner/home owner to have a basic idea of the materials that are used for driveways along with their advantages.

Driveway Home

Mentioned Below Are Some Of The Popularly Used Driveway Materials Along With Their Advantages And Disadvantages

• Concrete: This is perhaps the most commonly used material for constructing a driveway. Concrete is known for its high durability, attractiveness and versatility. Moreover, they are priced relatively cheaper and require less or absolutely no maintenance. The main problem with concrete driveway is that it is not suitable for usage in the areas with extremely cold climate as recurrent de-frosting may cause damage to the concrete material. In addition, the initial price required for installing concrete driveways is quite high and resurfacing is not possible. Concrete driveways are more susceptible to stains from oil and tires which can be removed only by a special stain remover. This can be expensive and time consuming as well.
• Asphalt: This is another commonly used material for building driveways and is comparatively much cheaper than concrete.  It can be easily installed and cured. The disadvantage of asphalt is that it requires more maintenance, contracts and expands with fluctuations in temperature. Moreover, like concrete, they cannot last for generations.
• Gravel: Compared to concrete and asphalt, gravel is cheaper in cost. However, it requires a lot of maintenance as more gravel is required to refill the driveway at least twice a year. This is because of the unfastened nature of the gravel.
• Brick: Bricks, when properly installed, can give a timeless appeal to the driveways. Compared to concrete; bricks are a bit fragile and thus they require regular maintenance.
• Cobblestone: These materials can give an outstanding look to the driveway if installed properly and can also last for ages. However, they are ideal for shorter driveways.

Apart from these, there are some pathways that are constructed using different materials or a combination of two or three. Brick pavers, paving stones, and natural stones are the popularly used pavers. They can make the areas look more eye-catching. But unfortunately, this type of driveway necessitates more time and is to some extent problematic to install. Paving driveways are also costly and need high upkeep.

Driveway

When Choosing A Material For The Driveway It Is Important To Keep In Mind The Following Things:

• Budget: Budget is an important thing to consider when planning a new driveway or getting it replaced. Certain driveway materials cost less compared to the others; therefore, the owner needs to do a thorough research before selecting a particular material for the driveway.
• Size of the Driveway: Size is an important factor to consider since it indirectly influences the price. For example in the case of the shorter driveway, gravel or cobblestone may be preferred while for the longer pathway, concrete or asphalt can be chosen.
• Climate: Excessive cold or heat can affect the driveway materials; therefore, consider the climatic condition of the region.
• The function of the Driveway: Besides using for parking, if kids are to use the driveway for playing it is advisable to look for a driveway material like concrete as they help to prevent skidding.