Driveway Luxuries

For most of us a driveway is just something to get you from the street to the garage with little effort.  However, you will quickly notice a driveway that wasn't graded correctly in the beginning by the huge sinkholes that show up a few years later. Trying to shovel snow from a driveway with potholes, uneven cracks and crumbling edges will quickly drive you insane.

Therefore, it is essential to do the proper up-front work in the grading of the driveway...do not skimp on this part!  But it is also essential to maintain your driveway so that it lasts as long as possible.

But let's say you don't just want a driveway that functions well.  Maybe you don't ever want to shovel, or maybe you want it to lend some curb appeal to your house.  We're here today to give you some ideas of those little "extras" you can add to your driveway to make it more than just a workhorse for your house.

Lighting

Source:  lightology.com

Sure anyone can put lights in along the sides of your driveway, and it definitely amps up the curb appeal.  But, again, we live in Minnesota where snow will mound higher than your head at the edges of the driveway.  Not only will your lights be covered for 8 months of the year, but they run the likelihood of being damaged by overzealous shovelers or out of control snow blowers or plows.

Source:  paverlightdepot.com

So why not opt for lights IN your driveway.  You read correctly.  There are companies that offer lighted pavers that you incorporate into your driveway to light the way.  Some are designed to look like regular pavers during the day but then light up at night.  Others look like glass blocks that you insert in with your other pavers or into your concrete driveway.

Source:  weirdworldwonders.com

And if you really want to add mystery and uniqueness, you can incorporate photo luminescent stones into your driveway to make it look like a glowing pathway to your house.

Permeable Driveway

Remember grandpa's driveway that had the two small strips of concrete surrounded by grass for his driveway?  He was onto something.  If you care about water run-off from your driveway, you might want to consider one that helps water seep through the driveway rather than sliding off of it.  These are called permeable driveways and they come in all shapes and sizes.

Source:  ayardandahalf.wordpress.com

The above driveway has small bits of gravel and stone in between that allow spaces for water to seep into the ground rather than water running into the storm sewer where it might carry residual chemicals from your car.

Source:  soilretention.com

This driveway actually has living plants in between its spaces that will use the water to grow.


Heated Driveway

Source:  snowmelt.pro

A heated driveway has to be the ultimate in luxury for those who live in cold climates (or maybe we should say necessity instead of luxury!).  While you can use electric wires, hot water pipes are probably the preferred and less costly method to heat your driveway.  The pipes run under the pavement and circulate hot water down the length of the driveway thereby melting any snow and ice that may have accumulated.  A dedicated wood fired boiler for just the driveway, would have very little cost after initial installation.  After the winter we've had in Minnesota this year, I'm sure this is looking like a might nice addition to your home right about now!

source:  getdavinci.com

source:  snowmelt.pro

Source:  Michelle Schwake for Stafford Family Realtors