Despite its primary purposes of utility and function, a driveway is often taken for granted, and is rarely treated as a key design feature of the landscape. Yes, driveways do need to provide a safe environment for cars to drive, but they can also be fully integrated into a gorgeous design scheme that welcomes visitors and makes you feel proud of your home in York and Harrisburg, PA. The materials you use in your driveway project can easily be discovered and obtained at your local masonry supply. Here’s how a masonry supply can help you choose the best materials for your driveway project.

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Consider Your Landscape and Home

While some homeowners choose asphalt or poured concrete for their driveways, you will likely want to consider pavers as an alternative. They are longer-lasting, less prone to heaving and cracking from the freeze-thaw cycle—and while you’re installing them, you can also install a driveway heating system that will virtually eliminate the winter hassles of plowing and deicing. Pavers also give you the most design options as they come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, textures, and styles. Your local masonry supply company will suggest pavers that fit into the design scheme of your landscape.

Older homes typically fall into traditional or more rustic categories that will be best adorned with traditional styles of brick and natural stone: asphalt and poured concrete don’t fit in as well within those styles, while pavers can make the driveway look as though it’s always been there.

Newer homes may fall into contemporary or more modern categories that have much more leeway when it comes to artistic choices; modern plank-style driveway pavers are taking the lead in current trends.

Weight Restrictions

Driveway materials need to be exceptionally strong and durable. Any driveway surface needs to be properly supported by a well-constructed foundation that uses the right materials in the right amounts, and in the right manner. Choosing the right pavers for the job is vital, as pavers that are not driveway-rated could crack under the weight of vehicles (by contrast, thicker driveway pavers are known to significantly outlast poured concrete or asphalt). The experts at your local masonry supply will know exactly which pavers to recommend for your driveway.

Prioritize Permeability

Precipitation is a natural force that every homeowner must contend with, and driveways are particularly vulnerable. The amount of water that flows off a driveway after a heavy rain or as snow melts can be significant. On a solid-surface driveway, that water has to go somewhere. It will settle in low-lying areas of the driveway, or run off onto the landscaping or into the municipal storm drain system (if there is one).

One way to mitigate potential water damage is to choose permeable pavers. These are designed to allow any surface water to efficiently seep into the soil through larger spaces between the paver joints and a permeable base. An added ecological benefit is that the water passing through your driveway will help replenish the groundwater supply.

Emboldening Creativity

You may also want to keep in mind that the driveway can be an incredibly ripe area for creativity and artistic expression. You don’t need to see your driveway as simply a place to park your cars, but as a blank canvas that can become a rich tapestry of creative design. The wide variety of pavers available at your local masonry supply will allow for multiple patterns as well as borders, accents, and inlays that can make your driveway a one-of-a-kind feature.

When choosing pavers, you could take a few samples home so that you can see what the pavers actually look like next to your home and in both dry and wet conditions (pavers, like other surfaces, tend to darken when wet, and the colors become more pronounced).

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