While expense and ease of installation play no small part in choosing driveway paving, the more prominent your driveway, the more its new look will be noticed.
Many of the patio options we discussed will also work on your driveway, with similar installation. The key thing for most driveways is proper preparation with a good deep (4-6″) base of tightly packed crushed stone.
Interlock brick/concrete pavers provide an attractive look, and come in a variety of styles to give you formal or more random patterns. These pavers have a particular advantage in a driveway. If the family carriage stains the driveway with a little leaked oil, removing the evidence is as easy as replacing the brick.
The crunch of gravel has a civilized sound, but if you’re heavy on the gas pedal, this may not be for you. A deep base of crushed stone keeps weeds from growing up through the surface, and if the layer of more decorative gravel gets thin, it won’t be that noticeable.
Poured concrete provides a smooth, stable surface. For car traffic, you’ll need at least six inches, and you may want to strengthen it with a deeper footing around the outside and a layer of wire mesh about midway through the thickness of the slab. An attractive option is two concrete paths for the wheels of your vehicle, with grass down the middle. Make the paths wide enough for different wheelbases.
While it’s not the most pleasant stuff to work with, asphalt blacktop is a fairly economical paving option. The better the prep, the less chance of cracks and potholes, but even if you experience problems, they’re relatively easy to repair. And a coat of sealer every few years keeps asphalt looking new.