A beautiful driveway leading up to your property will not only wow your visitors but put a smile on your face every time you return home. When it comes to the surface finish of your driveway you therefore need to choose wisely. Make the wrong choice and you’ll be regretting it for years to come. The best driveway surface finish will complement your home not overpower it, will enhance your property’s grounds and landscape, and continue to look good long after it was laid. So what will you choose – block paving, asphalt or a gravel driveway to enhance your property? To help you choose, here’s a handy guide to driveway finishes for premium properties:
- Block Paving
Block paving is a hard-wearing material for driveways and offers a good range of colours and shapes, which can then be laid in a variety of patterns. Depending on the block paving you choose, your landscaper will need to do significant drainage work to ensure your driveway is SUDs compliant. Consideration will also need to be given to weed management. While a landscaping membrane can be placed beneath the blocks, this will not prevent airborne seeds from taking root in the spaces between them. Regular weeding will be necessary. A large expanse of block paving is not only time-consuming to lay but can look very harsh and present a hard image of your property. However, it does create a firm surface that can be used for ball games, skating and scootering.
- Asphalt
When first laid asphalt’s slick black appearance can look impressive. It is also quick to lay and one of the most affordable driveway surfaces. Maintenance is also minimal, although it does require cleaning and treating every few years or so. A key issue with asphalt is it looks unmistakably commercial and industrial and, like block paving, can give your property and landscape a harsh appearance. It can also soften and rut in hot weather, losing its smooth surface. However, again like block paving, it does provide a good surface to play on.
- Gravel
A gravel driveway is synonymous with luxury homes and it is easy to see why. The huge range of gravel sizes and colours means you are assured of finding a gravel to match, complement or contrast with the finish of your property. Gravel also offers a softer, textured finish to a driveway that will enhance your property rather than detract from it, unlike some surface finishes which can look industrial or commercial, and present a hard appearance. This is especially so for extremely long driveways and where the house can be viewed from the start of the driveway. And which other surface finish announces your arrival or that of your visitors? There is nothing quite like the sound of car tyres rolling over gravel and it can even act as a security measure, alerting you to someone approaching your property. Gravel is also ideal for meeting SUDs compliance and ensuring that there is suitable drainage of water through your driveway surface. Not only that, it is also designed to prevent silt build up, hindering weed growth. But what about its tendency to spread far and wide, and the fact that it can be difficult to push a buggy, bike or wheelchair over, we hear you cry. These concerns are no longer a barrier to laying a gravel driveway so long as you install a gravel grid system. Beauxfort’s Gravelrings gravel retention system prevents stone migration, deep ruts forming and inconsistent coverage. With its integral mesh base, gravel is unable to work its way underneath and lift this gravel grid system, which is designed to be laid on to a sub-base and overfilled to prevent the gravel from shifting and sinking over time. You only get one chance to make a great first impression so choose your driveway surface finish carefully. Achieve the perfect gravel driveway with the Beauxfort Gravelrings system. Check out our website www.beauxfort.com for more information about the Beauxfort landscape systems, design inspiration and to request a free sample, or talk to our friendly team about your project by contacting us on 0330 055 2599 or info@beauxfort.com.
