If you’re planning for curb appeal and outdoor renovations, then it’s not just your garage door you should be thinking about, but also the area surrounding it. Whether you park your car there, use it for recreational activities, or just have it as a simple entry and pathway, the driveway in front of your home should look nice and be practical. If you’re refinishing your driveway, here are some of the best materials and finishes to consider.

Gravel

Gravel driveways are quick, easy, and reasonably low-cost to install. They can produce a nice aesthetic with gravel available in different colors, shapes, and sizes to suit your tastes and the style of the front of your home. They can be more difficult to maintain than a paved driveway, however, as debris can easily get caught up between the stones and can be difficult to remove. 

The stones will also move around and may get caught on your shoes, leaving patchy areas that need filling in and maybe causing you to bring stones into the house with your footwear. Think about your garage door, too, as pieces of gravel could be kicked up and scratch the paint or finish of your door.

Gravel driveways won’t be suitable if you’re hoping to play ball games on your drive, especially basketball.

Paving

Block paving creates a kind of tile effect in your driveway with stone. These blocks can be various shapes, sizes, and colors, helping you create different patterns or aesthetics to boost your home’s curb appeal. Traditional brick driveways will also produce a similar look.

The smooth and solid surface is easier to clean and maintain compared to gravel and is more suitable for activities like basketball. It’s more difficult and expensive to install compared to gravel, so likely won’t be a DIY job, but the installation costs are still reasonably low.

Concrete

Concrete is a simple and low-maintenance option for your driveway, although it may not produce as impressive an appearance as other materials. It’s no-nonsense, which also makes it easy to clean and maintain. It may just need resealing every few years. Concrete surfaces can be made more decorative, however, with different color, texture, and imprinted pattern options.

Asphalt

Asphalt driveways are a good option for cold climates as they can withstand the cold of snow and ice. This material retains heat, helping to melt snow more quickly after snowfall, and it also resists damage from freezing and thawing. The sleek black finish is a simple look that will suit some people’s tastes but perhaps not others, depending on the style of their home.

If you’re doing a complete renovation of the front of your home or are simply sprucing it up a little, contact Carolina Garage Door for new garage door installation services or repair and maintenance for your existing garage door. We serve residential and commercial properties around Winston Salem, Greensboro, High Point, and Kernersville, NC.