✔ Ease of access and safety features
✔ Functionality
✔ Low maintenance
✔ Aesthetically pleasing
EASE OF ACCESS AND SAFETY FEATURES
If your property adjoins a busy road, it is important that you have room to pull off the road, away from the traffic, before getting out of your vehicle. Most families these days have more than one vehicle so having a designated area to park the family car, or trailer tent, as well as motorbikes or bicycles is really important. From a safety point of view, you want your children to be able to get in and out of the property safely. Trying to unload shopping bags or suitcases after a holiday, for example, with small children who are exposed to passing traffic is not a good idea. It is much better to be able to pull into a driveway, park safely, and unload your car or van. Property owners who don’t install concrete or exposed aggregate driveways, or who don’t even have a makeshift surface on their driveway, expose themselves and those around them to the increased risk of trips and falls. It might be difficult for parents with a young baby to get the pram or stroller to the front door, and if vehicles churn up the area around the house, then the surface becomes slippery and dangerous to walk upon. For those with mobility problems, having a concrete driveway installed will make access so much easier for them as well.
FUNCTIONALITY
Properties that are built on slopes will benefit from a durable driveway that can be angled so rainwater falls away from the home or office, and not into the foundations of the structure, causing damp and subsidence. A properly laid out driveway will last for years, and makes a suitable outdoor storage area for all the family’s transportation and leisure vehicles. A driveway also means that people entering the home (or office environment) are not walking in mud or dirt that will end up being brought into the property.
LOW MAINTENANCE
Unlike having a grassed area leading to the property, a textured finish concrete or aggregate driveway does not need mowing, watering and constant care and attention. There is a reason why many structures are made of concrete in the business and industrial world, and that is because of its durability and the relatively small amount of time needed in caring for it. Concrete will not suffer from potholes or cracking, and apart from the odd removal of stains caused by oil from vehicles, will last a long time and still look good.
AESTHETICALLY PLEASING
You will have spent a lot of money on your home and you want it to look good and increase in value. A good driveway that complements the theme and colour of your build will not only be visually pleasing, but also add to the sale price of your house. Unkempt grass verges, cracked paving stones and mismatched paving slabs will turn off any potential buyer. These are just a few reasons why you should invest in your driveway, and in the long run you will be able to reap the benefits.