If you have ever built a custom home, you know that there are many decisions to be made. From the tile for your backsplash to the finish of the fixtures, your style can shine through. One of the decisions you may not be thinking about are your driveway options. While you may not think of this choice as important, the driveway is the entrance and pathway to your home – both form and function should be considered. This means that not only do you need to consider what type of materials you will use to build the driveway, but how you want traffic to travel around and to your home.
If you live in an HOA neighborhood, you should check with the rules and covenants of the community before making any changes to your driveway.
Driveway Options
In many of our deed restricted communities, a driveway is simply a straight path from street to garage. However, in communities with larger lots, it is not uncommon to have a winding driveway that travels several hundred feet to the garage. Many people choose to have a circular drive in front of their home in order to more easily turn around and go back down to the main road. (without having to back down a long way.) Driveways are also often widened or extended along the sides close to the home in order to allow for extended parking for guests or visitors.
Circular driveways are also popular for those living on a busy street. Backing up into traffic can be difficult and dangerous, so creating a circular drive for an easier exit is a good choice. Your driveway options are typically determined by community rules, size of lot, traffic flow, and number of cars you anticipate on a regular basis.
Driveway Materials
You might think you have limited options when it comes to driveway materials, but a driveway can represent a design choice as well.
In many parts of the country, asphalt driveways are the norm. Here in the Sarasota area, the most common driveway material is light colored concrete. This allows for a long lasting and nearly maintenance free driveway. Although concrete will eventually show some cracks in the sun, it is easy to clean and weeds will be close to non-existent. Stamped concrete is one way to get all the benefit of a concrete driveway, but to allow for a bit of unique design flair. Concrete can be “stamped”, painted, or even textured with plaster or additional concrete for a wide variety of styles, colors and designs. Inlays of tumbled glass or stone may also be added.
However, other materials are also popular. On Longboat Key, for instance, it is not uncommon to see a driveway made of crushed shells. Not only is this a durable and long-lasting choice, it fits into the aesthetic of the beach community. Variations on this theme include crushed gravel and other stone materials which are finely crushed. However, these materials can be tough on bare feet, and will need to be filled in and replenished on occasion due to washing away in storms, or simply being moved around by car and foot traffic.
Another of the more popular driveway options is paver driveways. These are often found with some of the more upscale homes and communities, as they are a bit more costly. Still, pavers are a beautiful choice and allow homeowners to get creative with design and color schemes. Pavers will be sealed and tend to keep weeds down, but may eventually need weeding between the stones.
Overall, your driveway options range from pure functionality to expressive design.
Which is best for you? Whatever your choice of home style, Lindahl Construction is here to help with Sarasota new home construction, custom building, or renovation.