Creating A Lush and Welcoming Landscape

For many homes, the driveway is a prominent feature of the landscaping in front of the house. An expanse of gray, faded, and stained asphalt can really detract from the curb appeal of the home. The following are three techniques you can use alone or together to create a much more attractive driveway that is a complement to your home's exterior.

Sealcoating

Sealcoating lays a thin layer of fresh asphalt over the old. This process evens out stains so they are no longer visible while also filling and covering small cracks. If your driveway has larger cracks or potholes, the sealcoating service will first patch and repair these. Then, the fresh sealcoat will cover up the color differences from the patch. A freshly sealcoated driveway looks virtually brand-new when complete.

As an additional benefit, sealcoating helps keep moisture from soaking into the asphalt, which can minimize the chances of future stains, crack, and pits.

Asphalt Dyes

Asphalt doesn't have to be plain gray. It can be tinted a darker color so that it is nearly black, or you can get more creative and choose a color like green or terracotta, for example. It's even possible to combine colors, such as a black main driveway with terracotta asphalt trimming on each side. Most dyes are mixed into the asphalt before the driveway is installed. The color is integrated throughout the material so it won't fade or show chips easily.

It's also possible to have a dye added to the sealcoating emulsion. This gives you the opportunity to add color to an existing driveway without the need to completely remove and reinstall the paving.

Decorative Stamping

Decorative stamping can give asphalt the look of bricks or cobblestones, particularly when it is combined with an appropriate color of dye. Stamping is usually done at the time of installation. The installer uses a special machine that has a the stamp set onto a rolling drum. The machine is then slowly pushed across the warm asphalt to stamp in the necessary lines for the design. The lines are then permanently affixed once the asphalt finishes curing.

It is possible to stamp existing asphalt, though. The installer will first heat the asphalt so it is malleable enough to take the stamp. Once the stamping is done and the asphalt cures again, a sealcoat is applied to protect it.

If you decide to use more than one of these options, you should first install and stamp the asphalt with an integrated dye. Once the asphalt is cured, your asphalt service will apply a sealcoat to protect against damage and stains.