Decorative Driveways

December 21, 2009

Decorative stone or tile driveways used to be only available to the obnoxiously rich. The surface area involved in a normal driveway made it cost prohibitive to use anything beyond asphalt or normal concrete. One of the great things about living in the 21st century – besides YouTube – is that “normal” concrete is no longer normal, unless you really want it to be.

Decorative Stamped Driveways

The easiest and most cost effective way to construct a decorative driveway is to pour a single concrete slab and then use commercial stamps to mimic brick, tile or stone shapes. Sometimes you can make the driveway look like a concrete driveway but still stamp it with decorative botanical or geometric designs. The effect is one of having a patterned concrete carpet on your driveway.

Colored Driveways

Color can be added to a concrete driveway by either mixing it in with the concrete or “dusting” It on when the concrete is freshly poured. Another option is to add the color to existing concrete with an acid wash. Acid washes will not work well for most faux finishes because the color will be mottled, but it will work great for imitating colored tiles, or inlaid stones.

For most of us, our choice of driveway materials has always been between black asphalt and grey concrete. Now, thanks to some creative souls, the average homeowner can actually have textured, colored and decorative driveways that add to your curb appeal and your sense of fun.