Introduction
That tarmac driveway has developed a lot of cracks and potholes over the years. This gives you the perfect excuse to build a new driveway. However, instead of pouring over another layer of asphalt, you may want to consider other options like driveway pavers. While they may be a bit more expensive, they have numerous advantages that can increase the curb appeal of your home. You can search for “paving companies near me” and get reliable contractors to do the job. Let’s check out how driveway pavers can increase the curb appeal of your home:
The Details
- Durability – Driveways handle a lot of foot and car traffic regularly. Tarmac when poured on the driveway acts as a solid structure. That’s why it reacts more actively towards pressure and temperature changes. Since it acts as a solid unit, your tarmac driveway develops cracks easily with the change of seasons and even when you fill in those cracks, it never looks the same.
Driveway pavers are very different in every way possible. The pavers are individual units that come together in an interlocking pattern to create your driveway. Since they are individual units and are installed with tiny gaps in between them, they have room for expansion and contraction. Moreover, if pavers are made from concrete, they are stronger than tarmac and can tolerate more abuse.
That’s why driveway pavers last you for several decades and don’t require frequent repairs. They look pristine and don’t need to be resealed every couple of years either. Even when you repair a paver driveway, there is virtually no change to the aesthetics. The curb appeal of your home is maintained for a long period.
- Erosion fix – While sustainable features used to be “nice-to-haves” in the past, homeowners today demand it in the inflated property market. Your old asphalt driveway may not provide any decent soil protection, especially if you aren’t careful around the edges.
While you can solve the problem temporarily by building retaining walls along the sides, they come with their problems. While the walls keep the soil in its place, it ruins the curb appeal of the driveway since it looks completely out of place.
A better solution is to get a paver driveway that is completely made from a permeable paver system. This kind of driveway allows the rainwater to pass through them and collect in a detention pond underneath or replenish the underground water system.
Moreover, unlike asphalt or concrete driveways that may develop sinks and drainage issues, paver driveways are superior in quality and broken units can be easily replaced to fix any damage.
These pavers have a tight gravel base under them that provides stability and strength without sacrificing permeability. Installing them on your driveway prevents soil erosion and damage to the driveway. Your driveway looks its brilliant self for years without the curb appeal taking any hit.
- Synergy for your home and garage – If your home has a unique design, your driveway stands out as a boring dark path with no character. Even if you jazz it up with decorative edging and trimming, the driveways still look above average at best.
With paver driveways, the option is limitless. Irrespective of your home’s design, you would be able to achieve a synchronized look for your home and garage. For instance, if you have a home with modern architecture, you can create a paver driveway that’s equally elegant with clean geometry. If you have a traditional home, you can opt for pavers that feature the look of cobblestones and old bricks. Moreover, these pavers are stronger and cheaper than the real thing.
Even if you have a brick front, you can cut and lay thin red pavers on the sides to match the aesthetic. A house trimmed in gray can have gray pavers on the driveway for a unified look.
- Cost advantage – As mentioned above, while the upfront cost of asphalt or poured concrete driveway may be less than paver driveways, the long-term benefits are plentiful. Yes, paver driveways may be as much as five times more expensive compared to asphalt. However, they get damaged very easily and need to be repaired quite often.
Apart from the damage repair fee every year, you also need to shell out a resealing fee every couple of years or so to protect the asphalt or concrete driveway from the elements. Resealing and repair aren’t very quick either. You need to wait anywhere from a few days to weeks till the driveway is cured and safe to use.
With paver driveways, you don’t have to face any of those problems. They can be installed within a day, and you can use the driveway right after. No wait times whatsoever. The same holds for repairing damaged pavers. You can pry up and remove a damaged paver and replace it with a new one without the help of a professional.
When there is a lot of wait time and extra expenses, homeowners may be inclined to delay repairs and maintenance. It further damages the driveway and destroys curb appeal.
- Add personality – Asphalt driveways come in one color – black. While there are new technological innovations that allow for colored asphalt driveways, they can be more expensive than pavers, and repairing them is a nightmare.
On the other hand, pavers come in all sorts of shapes, colors, and sizes to fit your design. You can keep the driveway elegant with a solid and neutral color and a uniform texture or make it interesting by creating a beautiful pattern from several colors, textures, and shapes. Your imagination is the only limit.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned advantages point out how driveway pavers can be a lucrative option for your home. The total cost of installation and maintenance is less in the long term, and it looks stunning and a worthy upgrade to the old tarmac. While some may prefer to DIY their driveway, hiring a professional by searching for “paving companies near me” is the better option.
