The driveway of your home is often one of the first aspects of a property noticed by passersby. But, the driveway serves a greater purpose than just parking. It provides excellent access to your home and completes the overall look of your property and surrounding gardens and landscape features.
When homeowners are contemplating the development of a new driveway or the repair of an old one, asphalt surfaces are becoming an increasingly popular choice for residential use. Without too much fanfare, asphalt surfaces can develop into a well managed, driveway providing excellent service to vehicles traveling over and through it.
The simple truth is that choosing the correct driveway material is only half the battle. The complete driveway project includes the site preparation, the grinding of the site to the correct grade, proper drainage, adequate drainage flow, correct driveway design and measurement, quality landscape design surrounding the driveway, and quality of workman ship of the driveway installation.
Why Consider an Asphalt Driveway?
Many people opt for asphalt driveways because the material provides a good balance of functionality and aesthetic value.
A well planned asphalt driveway can look great and be a smooth surface for vehicles to travel on, it can also blend in with the architecture of a home and its surrounding landscape. The dark color of asphalt can provide a good contrast to light colored stone, plants, gardens and other exterior features of a home and landscape.
When you are replacing a driveway, you have a great opportunity to improve both the function of the area and the look of the front of your property.
Note that the asphalt itself is only one of the factors that will determine the success of your driveway. The quality of the sub-grade (the area under the driveway) on which you build the asphalt, as well as the quality of the drainage from your driveway, are critical to the driveway’s long-term performance.
1. Durability for Everyday Use
Driveways are used frequently by vehicles and subject to various types of weather and usage throughout the year.
Asphalt paving is well suited for residential use. The driveway surface provides a strong and solid driving surface for regular use of vehicles. With the proper installation and maintenance an asphalt driveway can last for many years.
The key is proper preparation.
Before you can start thinking about a driveway surface, you need to think about the site where it will be placed. A proper site evaluation and site preparation will affect the performance of your driveway surface. This includes the soil, any existing surface, the drainage, grade, and the intended use of the driveway.
In short, a beautiful new asphalt driveway doesn’t have to fall apart right away.
2. Better Curb Appeal
Your driveway is typically one of the largest features of the front of your property and therefore very visible.
Just as your newly designed front yard exudes beauty, an immaculately finished driveway surface contributes significantly to enhanced curb appeal. This surface must be clean and beautifully finished to frame your front entrance and complement beautifully landscaped beds, creating the polished look you expect from Luxury Landscaping Oakville.
Modern Landscape & Design specializes in designing and constructing beautiful outdoor spaces and works with homeowners to create functional and inspiring landscapes tailored to their individual needs and property.
By looking at the asphalt driveway within the larger landscape of the home, the potential for enhancing the beauty of the property greatly increases. As pointed out by Modern Landscape & Design, a leader in Landscape and Design for homes in the Region, asphalt driveways are best viewed as another hardscape feature of the yard rather than a bulky barrier that must be included as a necessary evil.
3. A Practical Surface for Ontario Weather
For outdoor areas in Ontario, the driveway serves as the transition from the home to the yard, taking into account changing temperatures with the seasons.
These conditions make proper driveway construction particularly important.
The management of water on your property during rainfall events is an additional factor that needs to be looked at prior to the installation of your driveway. Surface and structural damage can result if water collects around the edge of and seeps into the ground beneath your driveway.
Modern Landscape & Design provides site grading and drainage for all our outdoor landscape construction projects, including catch basins.
A well-planned driveway for water, not cars
4. Proper Grading and Drainage Matter
A driveway’s most important consideration is often drainage, or where water will flow.
Driveways also need to work with the existing grade of a property and flow with the direction of water in relation to walkways, garages, and landscaping features including new hardscape.
Modern Landscape & Design takes a project approach to designing and building the outdoors, including the site evaluation for proper grading and appropriate drainage.
Before beginning a driveway installation, homeowners should ask:
- Where will rainwater flow
- Does the existing property have drainage problems?
- Is the driveway properly sloped?
- Could water affect nearby landscaping?
- Are additional drainage solutions necessary?
These are questions that must be considered when planning your driveway in order to create a functional driveway and to enhance your outdoor space.
5. The Importance of Site Preparation
While what you see is the surface of the driveway, the actual driveway installation starts below the finished surface.
A driveway installation starts below the surface you see. This can involve removal of an existing driveway, dealing with unsuitable materials, making sure the correct fall is in place, and then laying a solid base to ensure stability.
The surface you see is only one part of a driveway. The strong driveway installation begins below the finished surface. Depending on the existing conditions, preparation may involve removing an old driveway, addressing unsuitable material, establishing appropriate grades, and preparing a stable base.
Proper preparation of the sub-grade will help to create a stable foundation to your driveway and minimize potential problems in the short term.
6. Integrating Your Driveway With the Landscape
A driveway should not look disconnected from the rest of the property.
Consider how it relates to:
- Front gardens
- Walkways
- Entry steps
- Retaining walls
- Landscape lighting
- Planting beds
- Fences and gates
- The home’s exterior finishes
Modern Landscape & Design provides a full range of hardscape and landscape services, including interlocking pavers, landscape lighting, grading and drainage, full landscape installation and much more.
The additional services that Modern Landscape & Design offers are relevant for homeowners who wish to have their entire exterior designed and to have their driveway done as part of a total coordinated design for their outdoor surroundings.
7. Asphalt Does Not Mean Sacrificing Design
Many homeowners think that asphalt driveways are ‘unchic’ and will not look good when combined with many outdoor features.
This home’s exterior was designed with contrasting borders and also included multiple stone features, interlocking walkways, and landscape lighting which added to the overall curb appeal.
An asphalt driveway need not be a purely functional feature and can be contrasted with borders of differing materials and other hardscape elements to create attractive landscaping features such as interlocking pavers for walkways, landscape lighting, stone planters and other features in planting beds.
A simple asphalt surface can be used as a neutral foundation and contrasted with premium pavers for pedestrian areas leading up to the home.
Homeowners can choose an asphalt driveway while still maintaining design within their outdoor living areas.
8. Consider the Size and Layout of the Driveway
The driveway is used for many things and if you are to be choosing a driveway it is best to consider how you will use the driveway before it is installed.
First, you must consider the space that will be needed for parking one or more vehicles and the additional turning space that larger vehicles will require. In addition, it is also important to consider the location and access to your garage(s) as well as the space needed for visitors to park without blocking a pathway to your home.
Also important is how you will use the driveway and how you can maximize the use of your yard.
A too narrow driveway may cause problems when parking. On the other hand, an oversized driveway may use up too much valuable landscaping space.
Thoughtfully planning your driveway to best fit your needs is important to achieve your goals of parking, access and great curb appeal.
9. It’s More Than Just a New Driveway
Your old driveway was more than a simple surface. If it has cracked, become uneven, does not drain properly or just no longer serves your property well then the time has come to consider replacing it with a better alternative.
Replacing an old driveway often presents the homeowner with the opportunity to cure many existing problems in addition to the surface itself. Often the existing grading, drainage, etc. are problematic and need to be addressed as well when installing new hardscape on the property.
Addressing several problems with one change is possible.
Modern Landscape & Design’s full-service model allows us to handle all aspects of your outdoor renovation, including hardscaping, landscaping, grading, drainage, lighting, and much more through our comprehensive design planning.
10. Why You Should Consider the Connection Between Your Driveway and Your Front Walkway.
The area where the driveway meets the front walkway should also be thought of in terms of a connected whole. The path through the front yard and the driveway are two elements that people tend to think of in separate contexts. The entrance to your home needs to be clearly recognizable and be of sufficient dimension to be safe for pedestrian traffic.
A pedestrian route should be clear to travel along, be comfortable for people to travel along, and connect along to the front of the house (driveway) to the front entrance to the house and other points of interest on the property.
In order to look good and be safe, it is also beneficial to choose contrasting materials between pedestrian areas and vehicle areas.
For example, an asphalt driveway can be paired with an interlocking paver walkway to give visual definition between the areas of the property that different modes of travel are using and to create separate and distinct areas.
Modern Landscape & Design is able to provide interlocking paver solutions for driveways, walkways and patios. These can be combined with other hardscapes and used to create a complete landscape design.
Asphalt vs. Interlocking Pavers
Asphalt is not the only option for residential driveways.
Interlocking pavers, for example, are used by many homeowners looking for flexibility in terms of color, pattern, border and overall decorative elements.
Asphalt vs. Interlocking Pavers – Modern Landscape & Design specializes in asphalt driveways as well as interlocking pavers for driveways, walkways, and patios.
The best material depends on your priorities.
Asphalt May Be a Good Choice If You Want:
- A clean and understated appearance
- A practical surface for everyday vehicle use
- A straightforward driveway design
- A dark, neutral finish
- Integration with landscaped surroundings
- Interlocking Pavers May Be Worth Considering If You Prefer:
- Greater design flexibility
- Multiple colours and patterns
- Decorative borders
- A more detailed hardscape appearance
- Individual paver replacement options
A professional consultation will assist you in comparing the various surface types on offer, against the unique requirements of your property.
Before Installing an Asphalt Driveway, Ask These Questions!
Consider asking your contractor:
- How will the existing site be prepared?
- Will the property’s grading and drainage be evaluated?
- What needs to happen to the existing driveway?
- How will the driveway connect to existing walkways?
- What surface and base materials are recommended?
- How will water be directed away from the driveway?
- What landscaping should be completed alongside the driveway?
- What maintenance will the finished driveway require?
- What is included in the project scope?
Use these questions to evaluate the different responses to ensure you are comparing “apples to apples” based on more than cost.
Why Professional Planning Makes a Difference
The items listed above interact with each other and with several other variables to determine the performance of your new driveway.
The factors to consider when designing a driveway are the current conditions of the property, the grading, the drainage, the access and the landscape surrounding the property and the look the homeowner is trying to achieve.
Modern Landscape & Design – a full-service design and installation company with over 20 years of experience designing and installing landscapes in Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton and South Mississauga.
The front yard and overall property need to be taken into consideration when designing a driveway for a front yard renovation.
Creating a More Complete Front-Yard Design
A new driveway can be just one part of a complete front-yard renovation.
In addition to installing a new driveway, homeowners may wish to look at other elements of the front-yard to complete the overall look of their property such as:
- Front-yard landscaping
- Walkways
- Garden beds
- Landscape lighting
- Entry steps
- Retaining walls
- Interlocking features
- Drainage solutions
All improvements to your home can be organized in order to complete a total front-yard landscaping improvement project.
Modern Landscape & Design is a complete outdoor design and build company offering landscape and hardscape solutions to homeowners around the Boston area.
Is an Asphalt Driveway Right for Your Home?
No single driveway material is best for every property.
There are many factors to consider, including the architectural style of your home, the existing landscape, drainage, aesthetics, parking requirements, budget and long-term plans for your property.
For someone with a clean look and durability as prime factors, asphalt is a good option for a driveway. Pavers can offer more decoration possibilities for a front yard or for backyard walkways and play areas.
You can create a composite landscape using a variety of materials, sometimes even mixing within a given area to maximize the benefits of each.
You need to consider the entire property when deciding what the best driveway is for your home. Evaluating the driveway as part of the entire property and making decisions based on all of the factors (architecture, property size and layout, drainage needs, style, parking, budget, and future plans) will ensure that you choose the right material for your home. Contact us today to discuss your driveway needs and find the right solution for your Oakville property.