The Benefits and Cost of a Driveway

cost of a driveway

Having a driveway can make it much easier to park your car and get in and out of the house. It also increases your property value and adds curb appeal to your home.

Concrete driveways cost $4 to $15 per square foot and can be stained, stenciled, or etched for an extra design element. Adding a brick or paving stone border to the edges costs an additional $6 to $15 per linear foot.

Curb Appeal

A driveway is an important part of a home’s curb appeal. It’s where neighbors, friends and strangers alike first make their initial impression of your property. And while enhancing the exterior appearance of your home can seem like extra work at a time when most homeowners already have plenty on their plates, it’s well worth the effort for anyone who wants to attract a quality pool of prospective buyers and boost their property’s perceived value.

A paved driveway can be made of asphalt or concrete, with prices varying depending on materials and installation requirements. Generally, asphalt will cost less upfront, while concrete can be more expensive. But in the long run, concrete may be a more economical option since it’s more durable than asphalt and requires fewer repairs. It also offers more design options than asphalt. It’s best to consult with a contractor before making any final decisions. A professional will be able to provide recommendations based on the specific needs of your home.

Increased Value

A paved driveway can add value to your property, as it is often a selling point for buyers. It also offers an attractive alternative to on-street parking, which can be a hassle for commuters and other drivers.

A quality new driveway can increase the value of your home by 5% to 10%. It will make your property more appealing to potential buyers, and it can reduce the cost of maintenance for you and your family in the future.

Driveway costs vary depending on the material and the size of the project. Concrete is more expensive than asphalt, but it has a longer lifespan and requires less maintenance. Extras like multiple stain colors, stamped patterns and unique finishes tack on additional costs. Heated driveways require special equipment and installation, which increases the price as well. The cost of ground and sub-base preparation will also impact the overall price. If your driveway is steep or uniquely shaped, you may need to hire an engineer to create a plan for proper drainage and grading.

Easy Parking

A driveway gives cars a safe, convenient place to park instead of blocking your front yard or making it difficult to get in and out of your home. It also provides easy access to the backyard and reduces the need for driving on grass or dirt.

Costs vary greatly depending on the size, material and design of your driveway. Labor accounts for half of the total cost, and specialized designs or complex excavation require more work and time.

Asphalt and concrete are the most common materials for driveways, but they aren’t the only options. Blacktop is less expensive and easier to install than concrete, but it can crack over time and needs resealing every three to five years. It’s also a petroleum product and not very eco-friendly.

Poured concrete driveways are more durable than asphalt, but they’re also more expensive at $5 to $11 per square foot. They can be finished smooth, with a broom finish or textured surface, or exposed aggregate for a raw look.

Easy Maintenance

A new driveway looks great and is easy to maintain. It eliminates the need to drive over cracking, crumbling asphalt that can damage your car and reduce its fuel efficiency. It also eliminates the hassle of finding a place to store a car lift or other equipment.

A brick paver driveway is expensive to install at $10 to $25 per square foot, but it’s very attractive and long-lasting. A concrete driveway costs between $9 and $24 per square foot and can be stained or stamped to look like pavers.

The cost of a new driveway largely depends on labor and extra features. If your old driveway needs to be removed, it will add to the overall project costs. A new drainage system that includes trenches or channels along the driveway costs $400 to $2,400. Other extras that can add to the cost of a new driveway include excavation, grading and site prep. These steps ensure the site is stable and that water drains correctly.



from Concrete Tweed Heads Solutions https://ift.tt/QF1O8BR
via IFTTT

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fu-Tung Cheng and Sakrete’s ShapeCrete

Image
Fu-Tung Cheng has made a career using concrete as the star of the architectural show. His work includes everything from concrete water features to a concrete range hood. He recently teamed up with SAKRETE to make the material accessible to makers, crafters, and DIY homeowners. The product, ShapeCrete, allows users to mix and sculpt concrete without the need for oven-baking or kiln firing. Easy to use Concrete has a reputation for being difficult to work with, but ShapeCrete changes all that. This easy-to-use, just-add-water product can be rolled, pushed and molded into concrete projects that are limited only by the imagination. It is a collaborative innovation from designer Fu-Tung Cheng and Sakrete. In this project, a koi pond surround was created to keep kids from jumping in and disturbing the fish at Teance Fine Teas in Berkeley. To achieve this, the team added perlite and peat moss to the ShapeCrete mix to create a hypertufa-like material that should grow moss over time. To m...
Read more

The Benefits of an Exposed Aggregate Patio

Image
With a wide range of design options and durable, slip-resistant surface, exposed aggregate patio is a beautiful decorative concrete option for your backyard. A well-maintained exposed aggregate patio will last a lifetime and will increase your home’s value. To protect your investment, consider having Brickform’s premium sealers – Stealth-Seal WB and Gem-Guard SB – applied to your patio after installation. Improved Traction The textured surface of exposed aggregate patios offers improved traction, which can help reduce slips and falls, particularly when the concrete is wet. This makes it a safer option for children and seniors who may be more susceptible to injury on slick surfaces. This type of decorative concrete is extremely durable and can withstand high foot or vehicle traffic without cracking, chipping or fading. It also withstands weather extremes, including freeze and thaw cycles. While it is more durable than interlocking pavers, this type of patio still needs to be seale...
Read more

Types of Slab Construction

Image
A slab is a shallow foundation that spreads the load imposed by a building over a large area. This reduces deflections and vibrations while providing fire protection and thermal storage. To check for proper formwork, stretch a string across the top of the forms and measure to the ground in three or four spots. Avoid hot and windy days; concrete hardens quickly in these conditions. Corrugated Slab The corrugated slab is a type of reinforced concrete slab that uses high-tensile steel tendons to reduce the load on the concrete. This allows the slab to have a greater capacity for resisting tensile stresses, and can help reduce deflections. This type of slab is often used in large buildings where space is limited, because it can be built more quickly than a traditional concrete slab. It is also more cost-effective than other types of slabs. This research aims to compare the flexural performances of conventional slabs with a new type of composite slab metal decking (SMARTDEK) made of 0....
Read more