People tend to underestimate the importance of a driveway. It’s not just there to provide a path in between the curb and your home—it’s also an important design piece of your front yard. First impressions mean everything (particularly if you’re trying to sell your property), and your driveway is an important part of making your first impression one that counts.
If you’ve got a tired, cracked concrete driveway covered in weeds and oil spots it will detract from the experience of your home. Luckily, a concrete driveway is a very versatile canvas to work with. There’s a number things you can do to spruce it up.
So, whether it’s time to sell, and you want to increase your curb-appeal, or you just want to add a fresh look to your front yard here’s how to spruce up your concrete driveway.
Coloured Concrete
Coloured concrete techniques allow you to turn your plain, grey slab into a vibrant and interesting design element. You can choose from an array of colours, allowing you to create any look you like and the best part is you won’t have to tear up your old driveway. If your existing drive is in good enough condition, you can just paint the surface and you’ve completely revitalised your front yard.
Stencil Concrete
Stencil concrete allows you to retain all the durability and low-maintenance of concrete while still being able to experiment with a range of looks. Stencil techniques allow you to recreate amazing look such as terracotta or bluestone without having to fork out for those expensive raw materials or completely rip up your old driveway. You can even come up with your own design and have it stencilled onto your driveway to create an aesthetic that is completely your own.
Stamped Concrete
Stamped concrete is similar to stencilled concrete except it adds a beautiful textured look which allows you to recreate the natural look that stone provides. You can replicate brick, slate, sandstone and tile looks while maintaining the low-cost benefits of concrete and stamping can be added to pre-existing driveways. The other advantage of this look is that you wont have to re-grout or replace stones or tiles as you would with typical stone or tile driveways.
Exposed Aggregate
Exposed aggregate is becoming a very popular option for those that are looking to spruce up their driveways. Exposed aggregate retains all the toughness of concrete while adding a striking visual element by exposing the aggregate to create a beautiful, natural and textured look. Expose aggregate also protects homeowners against a common aesthetic problem – oil stains on driveways. Exposed aggregate works with all types of homes, from traditional cottages to modern homes this look will revitalise your front yard.
Rocksalt Finish
A rocksalt finish allows you to recreate the elegance and grandeur of marble without having to pay the exorbitant cost of this material. A rocksalt finish leaves little pits and holes in the driveway and it is almost indistinguishable from concrete if done correctly.
Bordering
A great way to spruce up your driveway without changing the driveway itself is to use a stencilling or stamped technique to create a brick border for your driveway. This gives your driveway a point of contrast and makes it a lot more interesting compared to a plain concrete driveway.
Landscaping
Surrounding your driveway with beautiful plants and garden beds will give it a makeover without actually changing it. Hedges along the side of your driveway will create an interesting contrast between the luscious green of the hedges and the grey of the concrete. Using garden edging techniques will also save you a lot of time weeding.
Gates and Fences
Maybe it isn’t your driveway that needs a spruce up. Maybe your driveway just needs fence and gate systems that will show it off in its best light and give your home an incredible entry point. A fence and gate will frame your driveway, provide an important barrier between your homes and the outside world and boost your curb-side appeal – everyone wants a grand old gate to drive through every night.
Just imagine how much better that plain concrete driveway would look if it was framed by a wrought-iron double gate, or an aluminium slat panel sliding gate.
With all those options to choose from you’ve got no excuse for continuing to put up with that tired old slab of grey. You owe it to your home and you owe it to yourself to spruce up your driveway and in doing so completely reinvigorate the front yard of your home and the way people see your home as a whole.
