The driveway is the gateway to your home, the means by which most people will approach your house and as such form their first impressions of what kind of person you are and what kind of home you live in.
For many of us though, the driveway is just an area we view as somewhere to keep the car when what it could be is a stylish statement about you and your home before a person has even set foot inside. If your driveway is lacking in style, then read on for some ideas of how to improve it.
The most basic element of the driveway is the material. There are so many you can pick from, but you’ll want to get the one that is right for your home. The sound and feel of gravel conjures up images of a classical home and is also one of the greenest options for a driveway.
The simplest type of driveway is that made of poured concrete – it is cheap and easy to construct. It can, however, look a little boring so if you opt for a concrete driveway, then add some edging to it. You can do this with decorative stones or small metallic fences.
Blocked paving is one of the most popular styles out there as it is easy to maintain with the blocks sitting together, rather than being stuck permanently in place. This means that in the result of damage or an oil spill, for example, you can simply lift out the ruined blocks and replace them. You can also use blocked paving to create different patterns on your driveway, which can help add an artistic element which is useful if you have a long approach to the house.
If you can’t decide which material is most suited to your driveway, then there is no harm in mixing and matching. Gravel can go with decorative flagstone, and you can even leave a grass strip down the center for a more natural look, all the while reducing costs on the amount of materials needed.
Speaking of the natural look, planting can help to focus the eye on your driveway and the role it plays in the approach to your house. Trees, bushes, and plants will create walls around the drive, which help to give it a sense of space, almost as if it were a room itself rather than just an approach.
All of this is pointless if you can only admire the drive in daylight hours, so lighting is something to be considered. LED lights add definition and illuminate not only your driveway but your home itself, showing it off to the world. It also has an important security role to play, with well-lit properties being a deterrent to potential burglars.
However, there is little point doing all this work on your driveway, if you are then going to cover it up with a load of vehicles. Rather than cover your work, consider how to make your garage the perfect storage solution available. While nobody wants to go through the effort of driving up to the house, getting out the vehicle, opening the garage, getting back in the vehicle, driving it into the garage, getting out the vehicle and shutting the garage, at garagedooropenersystem.net, you can find the best reviews for garages and electric gate openers.
Finally, a gate can add a distinguished look to a house. Wrought iron adds a touch of class, and there are plenty of modern alternatives out there ranging in both size and statement. If you don’t like the thought of living behind a gate and cutting yourself off from the world, then you can install one that remains permanently open, achieving the sense of theater they bring without the sense of isolation.
