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As a homeowner, we want to take our home’s exterior appearance quite seriously because we want our house to look its best to impress our guests and neighbors. But sometimes, the costs of enhancing your exterior can be quite expensive and so although we want to upgrade our home’s facade, we don’t really like the expense that comes with it. The good news is, there are actually practical ways that you can do to increase your home’s curb appeal without burning a hole in your pocket and that includes getting your asphalt driveway in tip-top shape.
So if you’re tired of your plain and boring blacktop and you want to put life back into your home’s exterior, here are our practical tips to help you spruce up your home’s frontage.
- Clean the asphalt
The first order of business is to groom your driveway. Weed out unwanted vegetation that can damage your asphalt. Consequently, clean your asphalt of dried leaves, debris, stains, and other dirt. Not only because this is unsightly but also because by just by simply maintaining cleanliness, you can protect your driveway from drainage clogging which can cause water to pool on the soft spots of the surface. Moreover, scraps and fragments that could be obstructing your driveway can be potential safety hazards that can cause accidents.
- Repair if necessary
Since we’ve already tackled driveway maintenance, it’s only right to discuss the condition of your blacktop. To do this, perform annual inspections and check for cracks, potholes, and other possible repairs. Remember that a shabby driveway is an eyesore even to the most eye-catching lawn.
While you can do minor repairs on your own, major pavement issues, on the contrary, should be handled by a professional. If you know that your driveway is already heavily riddled with holes and large cracks, don’t try to make it a DIY project anymore. This won’t work. You might think that you’re saving money to do it on your own, but the truth is, you just might be setting yourself for much larger headaches. Go ahead and seek the help of a local paving company in your area. For instance, you can search online for a local driveway contractor in Virginia Beach or any city you may be currently located in or simply go to https://www.vbxpaving.com/ for quality paving and repair services.
- Edge/Border your Driveway
The edges of your driveway are tamped-down at a 45-degree angle to ensure that aggregates are well-compacted on the sides. This is important because the edges are the most vulnerable areas of your driveway because they can easily chip and crumble. One way you can protect them is by adding a crisp layer of border to your driveway. This does not only serve as an additional protection to your blacktop, but it also dresses your driveway and enhances its aesthetic appeal. These borders frame your driveway in a way that it adds colors, layers, and varied textures to your landscape. You can choose edging materials such as loose aggregates, colored bricks or stones to go along with your blacktop.
- Add Color or Stamp your Asphalt Driveway
If you’re not satisfied with the usual black color of your asphalt driveway and you have the budget to spend a little more, then you might be happy to learn that you can opt for a decorative asphalt rather than the usual midnight black finish. There are specialized paving companies that offer colored and stamped asphalt and you can pick from different colors ranging from soft and creamy ones like white, sand, and pale terracotta to warm and bold hues such as red, green, and chocolate brown.
But if you want something more different, you can go for a stamped asphalt. Stamped asphalt is fabricated by using a stamping template to create impressions on the asphalt surface and imitate different textures like bricks, slate, or stone. This can be a good alternative to using actual bricks or stones if you want to achieve a similar feel while still on a budget.
- Install flower beds
The only way to brighten a dull and monotonous landscape is to add life and color to it by installing flower beds along the edge of your driveway. Start placing flowers from the entryway leading up to your front door or garage. Aside from serving as a boundary between your lawn and your driveway, the assortment of colors creates an accent to your front door that is inviting and pleasing to the eyes.
- Install lighting
While lighting isn’t noticeable during the day, think of it like your flower bed, they illuminate the way leading to your doorstep. Installing path lighting along the edges of your driveway brings a dramatic effect at night. Lighting accentuates the whole landscape highlighting the best features of your house.
Improving your curbside appeal starts with fixing the issues first such as doing the necessary repairs and maintaining cleanliness before adding in the adornments and other embellishments. Moreover, you don’t really need to spend a fortune to do a makeover to enhance the quality and appeal of your landscape. You can do things as simple as planting more flowers or adding more lights to a dim entryway.