Your driveway is the first thing that visitors experience about your home. It's also the first thing to greet you when returning home after a long day. Because of its prominence, the design of your driveway is vital. Often driveway installation hinges on how well the area is designed and whether certain factors are taken into consideration.
Tip # 1 - Extra Wide Goes a Long Way
Often two or more car families need to have extra wide driveways providing the amount of room they need to park all of the household cars. Even if you only have a single car garage, extending the driveway width a few feet on either side or a full 12 feet out on one side can be highly beneficial. Use that space to maneuver vehicles around, park trailers for the summer or simply as a necessary space for a family vehicle.
Tip # 2 - Extended Length
Sometimes you can extend the length of your driveway down one side of the home. Again, this not only offers extra room but serves well to store those vehicles and items that are only needed seasonally. Try building a wide gate to block the extended driveway visually or if you live on a corner lot, consider whether bringing in your drive from the other road will result in more length.
Tip # 3 - Garages Are a Guideline
Although your driveway needs to go directly to your garage, the features and size of the garage are only a minimum. Design the drive to suit the needs of your family, not one that simply fits in well with your garage. Remember that driveways can easily become part of the landscape, even if they infringe on the lawn or move past and beyond the garage.
Tip # 4 - Create a Circle
Circular driveways offer a unique and highly convenient design. If you have the space in your front or side yards, building a circular drive helps drivers to easily exit and enter your home. It also offers a place to store snow in the winter time (the middle of the circle is a handy spot) and could even be built to accentuate a landscaping feature like a tree or gorgeous garden.
This can be challenging if a garage is involved, but circular driveways can become a part of the whole driveway, with a piece that connects to the garage but directs visitors into the circle.
Tip # 5 - Turn Around T's
This type of driveway design is ideal when your home is located on a busy street. It allows you to pull straight into the driveway, then before leaving you can turn around in the “T†and pull out into traffic forward again. Offering a safer environment with plenty of extra parking spaces, the turn around section can be an “L†or even a “J,†but the idea of a perpendicular extension from the main driveway is to offer you a spot to turn around, making it safer to pull out of your driveway no matter the traffic.
Be sure that your driveway installation begins with a solid design. Create a width and length that will hold all of the vehicles you have and don't be afraid to go beyond the scope of the garage. Think about what a circular driveway can offer and if space permits, consider a “T†section for turning around. These designs will make for a better, safer and more convenient driveway.
Posted by: TrustedProsSuggested Reading For You
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