CUSTOMER CARE LINKS:
Asphalt Guarantee and Maintenance • Asphalt Instruction Sheet • Concrete Guarantee and Maintenance Guide
Concrete Instruction Sheet • Design Process and Criteria • Excavation and Basing Instruction Sheet • Service Areas • Ways to Save
Walkways and driveways should be both practical and good-looking. Begin your designing process by determining the natural paths people take to doors and any high-use areas. Avoid building a walk that will be bypassed in favor of walking on the lawn.
A residential driveway is literally a private road that leads up to the entry of a home. If comfortably planned, this can be a welcoming access to your home. Landscaping, attractive driveway materials and surrounding fences can complement your driveway.
Driveway Widths
1. Single lane driveways range from nine feet to 12 feet in width, while double-lane driveways range from 16 feet to 20 feet in width, in Minnesota. This is the typical standard, but depends on the size of car you own. A general rule of thumb would be 10 feet for a standard car and 12 feet for an SUV. If you have the space, 20 feet will allow for a very adequate two-car driveway.
The width of a curved driveway is dependent on the inner and outer radius. For example, a curved driveway of width of 10 feet will have an inner radius of 33 feet to 35 feet and an outer radius of 43 feet to 45 feet.
Driveway Lengths
2. Allow for 18 feet to 20 feet in length for your car in the driveway. An additional length of about six feet to 12 feet before your car will allow for maneuvering room and sidewalk space if required. It is also important to consider your turning radius. This depends on your car, but anywhere from a 12 feet to 17 feet turning radius is a general rule of thumb.
Proper Drainage
3. It is important to slope your driveway away from your home to allow for proper surface water drainage. Slope the driveway at a grade of 1/4″ for every foot in length. If site conditions do not permit this, consider making use of a drainage pipe.
Driveway Type
4. If you have the space, choosing the right location for your driveway becomes important. Most homes lead into a straight driveway that ends in a garage. Circular driveways and long, grand driveways leading up to the home’s front porch are impressive styles of driveways, that are wonderful if you have the space.
Sidewalks and Patios
Stamped Concrete by design is one of the most versatile and colorful design options when it comes to creating a patio, walkway or driveway. Stamped concrete allows for the addition of integral color that gets blended into the mix during the placement of the cement as well can have a variety of surface colors as well as patterns added to the finish.
Main Feature: The widest variety of texture, color and patterns available. Limitless design and finish options.
Benefits: It becomes a solid one piece concrete slab that is great for stopping weeds and is relatively easy to clean, can be designed to blend in with any decor or setting.
Maintenance: Standard cleaning and occasional re-sealing every couple of years or so based on wear, climate and usage.
Look and feel: Stamped concrete mimics natural products and can resemble flagstone, brick, natural stone, slate, and other rock, tile, and stone patterns.
Exposed Aggregate
A great way to add pizazz to a normally gray concrete finish. Exposed aggregate can have many different styles determined mainly by the pebble or aggregate used. The finish is designed to show off the stone found in the concrete and is very durable, your wear surface is rock and very long lasting.
Main Feature: A durable timeless finish that goes with many styles and decor settings.
Benefits: Exposed aggregate is a common finish that can be done in many settings, it offers slip resistance and is very hard to damage.
Maintenance: Standard cleaning but may require occasional pressure washing to remove grit from between the aggregate occasional re-sealing every couple of years or so based is also recommended
Look and feel: Exposed aggregate looks like a field of small stones or pebbles and has an accu-pressure kind of feel on the bottom of your feet.
Broom Finish
Broomed finished concrete is the best way to add a decorative, slip resistant, functional finish to a freshly placed concrete slab.
Main Feature: A relatively simple and cost effective way to add functional finish, patterns or designs to a newly placed plain gray concrete slab.
Benefits: Easy, Functional, and cost effective.
Maintenance: Standard cleaning methods apply usually pressure washing and if its been sealed should be resealed every couple of years or so.
Look and feel: Has a pattern of brush strokes or broom marks. Gives a grip but shouldn’t be too aggressive.