Five Ways to Improve the Look and Feel of Your Driveway

You can make your trip to the garage more pleasant and smoother, no matter what the problem may be.

On TV, and in real life, when home improvement professionals and realtors talk about "curb appeal," they really mean everything that is beyond the curb. It includes the facade of the home (front door, windows, and facing materials like bricks or shingles), landscaping, sidewalks, and even house numbers. From a field-of-vision perspective, the driveway is the most important.

Many needs can be met by driveways. How does a homeowner make sure their driveway fulfills all their needs? Here are five ways to improve the look and functionality of your driveway.

• Smoothen the surface. This is the #1 job for a driveway. This is the first job for a driveway.

It's usually not a problem with new driveways. However, cracks and holes can occur from time, temperature swings, meteors, and tree roots as well. You can avoid most of this by being proactive and catching it early. For example, a crack in asphalt allows moisture into the pavement, which can cause it to collapse. This happens even more when the temperature swings between freezing and melting. You can prevent potholes by sealing cracks, which is an inexpensive process. You can fill small potholes with better-quality pothole fillers.

• Give your home a professional appearance. Beauty is subjective. However, driveways can have different beauty levels. Landscaped edging can be a good option if the pavement has a good quality. Concrete, asphalt, paver stone, and even crushed gravel are all options if you start from scratch. Topcoat and crack sealing are two options if your driveway has not deteriorated.

• Drama. Concrete can be stained or stamped to make it look more dramatic. Stamping, for instance, can give concrete the appearance of flagstone or slate. Etching can be used to create patterns, graphics, or house numbers. Water-based colors can also be brighter and bolder than earth tones. For more interest, add lighting at night.

• Water can be saved in many places. Puddles may form on your driveway or nearby. This could indicate a drainage problem. While driveways should not repel water (they should slope slightly from the center), paving with permeable asphalt, pavers, or other paving materials allows water to absorb into your ground.

• Create a legacy. You can have your driveway complement everything about your home or property by hiring a landscape designer. Perhaps some curves, maybe a mix of concrete squares alternated with a short-cut lawn, or perhaps a beautifully designed cobblestone driveway that complements the other features of your house.

In any case, you don't have to be sad about your driveway or curb appeal.