Construction & Contractors Blog
You have a few options in styles when you need a new concrete driveway. Your first step is to check your local codes to see what's allowed in your area. For instance, there may be codes that regulate where your driveway can join the street. Also, talk to a contractor who does residential concrete work to understand your options and how those options would work on your property. Here are some driveway styles to consider.
A Straight Driveway Leads From The Street To Your Garage
If your driveway will be short, and the line from the street to your garage is straight, then a straight driveway could be the best choice. This is a popular option since it makes access to your garage convenient and the driveway takes up less space in your yard.
A short, straight driveway doesn't have much parking space, so you might want a double driveway. This is a straight driveway that is wide enough for two cars to park side by side. If your kids are still young and won't be driving for years, you could have a standard driveway installed now and then expand it to a double driveway years later.
A Teardrop Driveway Lets You Turn Your Car Around
A teardrop driveway has a single entry from the street, but the portion near your home is circular so you can turn your car around in the driveway and not have to back out of the driveway or reverse into the street. Plus, a teardrop driveway might be your only option if you want a circular driveway and the local codes only allow one entry from the street onto your property.
A Horseshoe Driveway Has Two Entries
A horseshoe driveway has two entry points from the street. This type of driveway is convenient if you don't have a garage and you want additional parking spaces. The sides of the horseshoe can be attached to straight lanes if needed for access to a garage or for additional parking.
An advantage of a horseshoe driveway is you can drive in one entry and out the other so you don't need to back out into a busy street. Plus, a horseshoe driveway creates an enclosed area near the street that you could landscape for added curb appeal.
A Circular Driveway Adds The Most Parking Space
A circular driveway could be ideal if you have a large front yard since it takes up quite a bit of space, but the extra space provides more parking areas too. This type of driveway adds extra parking space in an attractive manner since you could put plants and flowers in the middle of the circular area to make the driveway more attractive.
Teardrop driveways often have a solid concrete circular area near your house, but a circular driveway is designed to have a complete circle in your yard that has yard space in the center of the circle for planting shrubs and plants. The advantage of a circular driveway is that it only needs a single entry point from the street. You can also drive around the circle so you don't have to back out of the driveway. Plus, a circular driveway adds a bit of glamour to your property.
Your concrete contractor can design any type of concrete driveway shape you want since one of the first steps is to build the shape with a form that will hold the wet concrete. A contractor familiar with residential concrete work can help you plan a unique look for your property or simply give you the most parking space that you need in a way that makes the driveway complement your property.
For more information, contact a local residential concrete construction company.
Share11 May 2022
A lot of contracting work takes time — sometimes weeks, sometimes months, and sometimes years. As such, when contractors finally get finished with a project, they often like to step back and take a good look at what they've created. This is their time to be proud, and they certainly deserve to be. When we step back and take a similar look at the work of contractors, we feel awe. We may not have built the thing, but we understand the work that went into it. After you read some articles on this website, you'll have a good understanding of the work, too.