Concrete is great for a driveway with its durability and strength. It's also excellent aesthetically, as you can choose from a large variety of decorative concrete options. Here are some tips when choosing a design.
Camouflage Stains
Vehicles will be rolling over the driveway constantly, bringing dirt and mud. Plus, a car may leak oil over the surface. Some concrete designs will camouflage marks and keep your property looking better. For example, you could choose a dark-coloured exposed aggregate. The patterns as well as the darkness will hide dirt. Or, you could install stamped concrete that mimics natural stone with swirls of tans, blues and oranges. On the other hand, pale ivory or pink concrete will do the opposite. They'll highlight any stains.
Increase Safety
You'll probably be getting out of your car with bags of groceries to tow inside. Other members of the household will be running late at times and hurrying out the front door when it's raining. To keep everyone safe, consider the surface of the driveway. More textured paving offers a better grip and is thus safer. Decorative concrete styles that will help include stamped and aggregate finishes. You can also opt for simpler textures in a rock salt or broom finish.
Enhance the Kerbview
While it's important that the driveway is practical, it also needs to be attractive. Your home's kerb view affects its value, which is particularly crucial if you're thinking of selling. Decorative concrete can be customised to flatter your property's colour palette and style. For a rustic cottage, you could lay stamped concrete that emulates cobblestones. For a modern house with a grey and cream roof and cladding, you could lay exposed aggregate concrete full of charcoal stones and pebbles. You need to also consider the hues in your garden. Some paving colours such as deep grey will emphasise vibrant lush green foliage for example.
Create the Driveway Shape
A concrete company can pour cement to create any shape, with smooth curves or straight precise lines. Thus consider ways you can configure the driveway to be most practical and beautiful. For example, do you have an enormous front yard that can fit a circular driveway leading to the front door? Or would you like an extra wide driveway so you can put up a basketball hoop? You don't have to necessarily stick to a standard shape if something unique will work better and look more appealing.
For more information, contact a local concrete company.