Cures for an Ugly Driveway

1. Brick or Stone Pavers.

Oh to have a driveway reminiscent of the streets of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. Well, not like the actual Williamsburg of colonial days, when streets were paved with mud and horse manure. I'm talking about the Disneyfied Williamsburg with roads made of bricks in tidy herringbone patterns, or maybe with orderly rows of granite paving blocks.

The idea is tempting, but such a project would be costly. Also, bricks and stones are likely to sink or heave if they aren't installed correctly. Then where would I be?

Web Link: Driveway pavers pro and con.

2. Concrete.

Concrete is less expensive than brick or stone pavement, and a variety of special treatments will give concrete a quasi historic look.  For example, I could have the concrete tinted pale gray to mimic stone. Or, I could have the concrete imprinted with an imitation cobblestone pattern.

Faux stone like this might prove more durable than genuine stones, since there are no deep gaps to entice sprouting weeds. 

Still, concrete can and will crack. And, although more affordable than brick and stone, concrete is costly.

Web Link: Concrete pros and cons.

Just about every building in my neighborhood has an asphalt driveway. No wonder. Asphalt is much cheaper than concrete, and it's also more forgiving. Tree roots that will break a concrete slab may only cause a slight bulge in an asphalt driveway. But I hate the dismal black expanse of a driveway paved with gravel and tar. Do I really want my yard to look like a Wal-Mart parking lot?

I suppose I could use tinted asphalt, like they do for some tennis courts. The color is added right to the asphalt mix, or else is added later by applying a tinted sealer. I'm looking into color options offered by AsphaltColor.com.

Web Link: Asphalt pros and cons.

Image via Wikipedia

I suppose this is true, but I've had good luck with the gravel driveway at my 6-unit rental building. The gravel was carefully installed with a firm layer of finely crushed stone under a thick layer of bluestones. The snow plow guy knows to set his blade high so he doesn't remove most of the driveway in the winter. And there's a nice friendly crunch to the sound of wheels when cars come and go.

The grass and weeds sprouting in the middle of the driveway? Well, that adds to the atmosphere.

Web Link: Crushed stone pros and cons.

5. Combination.

I love this look. By combining two different pavement materials, I can enjoy the old fashioned look of cobblestone or brick with the convenience of concrete or asphalt.

The idea is to create two smooth runways just wide enough for tires, with an island made of a more interesting material.

More on the Web:

• Driveway Materials
  
• Concrete Roads vs Asphalt Roads 
• Best Paver Materials for Driveways, Patios, Pool Decks, and Walkways
• Not All Concrete Has To Be Stained and Ugly