To get the most out of your curb appeal, you’ll need to spruce up your driveway. Here are some ways to improve the appearance of your driveway.
We all wish our homes’ exterior was the talk of the town for being beautiful, fabulous, and having more curb appeal than you could ever ask for. We work on landscaping, beautifying our front porch, and updating any outdoor features, like our shutters or lights. But there’s one aspect of our home that we tend to overlook—the driveway. Your driveway is a major contributor to curb appeal. If it’s riddled with cracks, dents, and debris, it can harm other people’s perception of your home. A well-maintained, well-designed driveway, on the other hand, is guaranteed to turn heads. If you’re searching for ways to improve the appearance of your driveway, these useful tips and tricks are worth a try.
Get Rid of Unsightly Cracks
Over time, the elements can chip away at your driveway. Water from rainstorms can infiltrate your paved surface, washing away its sand and gravel base. With its base gone, the top layer gets distorted and starts to crack. Other things can damage your driveway, too. Simple things, such as rock salt, the shovel you use to plow snow, and the tires on your car can cause your driveway to crack, dent, or otherwise break. Let’s face it: cracks don’t look great. Repairing them can transform a neglected driveway into something clean, damage-free, and beautiful.
Make It Shine With Sealcoat
Another way to improve the appearance of your driveway is to sealcoat it. If your driveway is lackluster, sealcoating the surface can make it shiny and new again. Apart from making your driveway look great, sealcoating comes with a multitude of practical benefits. It prevents water intrusion, slows deterioration, enhances flexibility and skid-resistance, makes your pavement easier to clean, and extends the overall life of your driveway. Before you sealcoat your driveway, you’ll want to make sure it’s clean of oil, debris, and other coatings and free of cracks. You can wash your driveway by hand or bring out the power washer. If your driveway is otherwise damage-free, a quick wash can make all the difference, even if you decide not to sealcoat it! But for homeowners who want to preserve their driveway and make it stand out, sealcoating is the way to go.
Add a Border
If washing, repairing, and sealcoating isn’t enough, you might want to consider adding a border or driveway edging to your driveway. You can add a brick or paver border in contrasting colors in either a single row or a more complex, multi-paver design. Like sealcoating, borders don’t just look good—they’re beneficial to the health of your driveway. Edging protects asphalt and concrete driveways against cracking and chipping. It also helps restrict the growth of tree roots and grass. This reduces the amount of maintenance your driveway needs over time, giving you more time to spend on your hobbies, relaxing with family, or whatever else you enjoy doing. A border will protect your lawn, too. Edging creates a visual barrier, which means visitors are less likely to step onto your lawn. It can also prevent soil erosion by keeping mulch, soil, and plants where they belong.
