Exposed Aggregate Concrete for Landscaping Driveway Lines
It’s tempting to add plants anywhere that’s not paved, but plants in a small space adjacent to vehicles can struggle. Car exhaust stresses plants, and in a northern struggle. Car exhaust stresses plants, and in a northern climate they can be damaged by snow clearing and de-icing agents. Gravel is a common option, but the gravel can become weed-infested after a few years, even when a weed barrier is installed.
Paving a narrow strip is often the best option, as it reduces maintenance and increases parking space. An aesthetic solution is to install a different paving material or vary the concrete finish to create a visual border to the driveway, preferably balanced elsewhere in the front yard with a similar feature. Use contrasting interlocking brick or an exposed aggregate concrete finish against a plain concrete driveway, or repeat the walkway material to tie the landscape together visually.
Some gardeners can’t resist available space, but planting in cramped quarters requires careful cultivation. Protect the planting with a concrete or pressure-treated wood curb. Keep plants consistent with the rest of the planting scheme for the yard, but at suitable sizes for limited space. For a narrow strip annual flowers add color to the driveway and can be removed in the fall without concerns for winter damage. Consider planting annuals in plant containers. They’re available in an assortment of styles and colors, adding a fresh design dimension to the landscape. Hardy ground covers are low maintenance and ornamental grasses have striking form and color and don’t require much space.
You spend a lot of time and energy to make the inside of your home look its best, carefully polishing your hardwood floors, deep-cleaning your carpets and protecting the upholstery on all your furniture. Now that you are done with all that, it is time to show the outside of your home some love.
You already know about curb appeal, but the exterior appearance of your home Is Important even when the property Is not for sale. Having a beautiful exterior landscape will Is not for sale. Having a beautiful exterior landscape will make you feel great, and you can enjoy the great outdoors without ever leaving your driveway.
Exterior upgrades do not have to be expensive. In fact, some of the most effective are also the least costly. Here are five inexpensive ways to beautify the exterior of your home.
Get Creative With Planters
You do not have to dig up your front yard to enjoy an abundance of colorful flowers and a never-ending supply of fresh vegetables All you need is an assortment of planters and containers, each carefully arranged and lovingly cared for. A large planter by the front door can make your home look warmer and more inviting.
A line of smaller planters in the front yard can help you create a stunning front walkway. A front yard can help you create a stunning front walkway. A couple of planters on your porch or back deck can turn that wasted space Into a vibrant and bountiful home vegetable wasted space Into a vibrant and bountiful home vegetable garden. The ideas are nearly endless, and the only limit is your own imagination.
Light Up Your Landscape
You can do so much with landscape lights, and homeowners have more lighting options than ever before. The widespread availability of solar lighting means that you may not even availability of solar lighting means that you may not even have to string any wires — you can simply put those landscape lights in place and let the sun do the work.
The ideas for using landscape lighting are nearly limitless You can Install Inexpensive solar lights along your front walkway, making getting to and from your home In the dark safer. You can add an automatic spotlight to your the dark safer. You can add an automatic spotlight to your front entry door, enhancing the safety and security of your home. You can even string LED lights along your front porch or back deck for a stunning look that will turn the home. You can even string LED lights along your front porch or back deck for a stunning look that will turn the or back deck for a stunning look that will turn the neighbors green with envy.
Add Wildflowers to Your Landscape
Planting flowers is a great way to upgrade your landscape, but the upkeep can be pretty Intense. From constant watering to checks for weeds and pests, growing a yard full of traditional flowers can take up a lot of your time. If you are looking for a better and more natural alternative, why not skip the nursery and head into the woods around your home? A landscape filled with wildflowers is a lower maintenance alternative to a traditional flower is a lower maintenance alternative to a traditional flower garden, one that will take up far less of your time.
Exposed aggregate concrete is one of the most stunning features you can add to your home or business. Not only is it beautiful, it is highly functional. if beauty and originality are qualities you seek for your concrete surfaces, exposed aggregate concrete is the way to go.
How It’s Made
Exposed aggregate concrete is made by pouring the concrete and removing the top “skin” to reveal the texture underneath, either the natural texture (rocks and stones) or a decorative texture you added during the mixing stage. This has become a very popular method for driveways, sidewalks, decorative retaining walls and Interior floors as well. Aggregate concrete can be highly polished or left in its natural state, depending on the look you are after. Done properly, there is nothing more stunning than an exposed aggregate driveway leading up to a beautifully kept home.
Multiple Uses
Aggregate concrete is not just known for its good looks. The term “aggregate” simply means there is additive in the concrete to make it stronger, more flexible, more durable and requires less maintenance. Most of our city roadways and highways are made from some type of aggregate concrete and/or asphalt. It isn’t as glamorous as decorative exposed aggregate, but it is certainly very reliable when it comes to constructing roadways.
Decorative Versatility
Often, concrete manufacturers will offer a wide selection when it comes to choosing a concrete feature of your home or business. There is a wide range of color pigments, for example. There is also polished concrete, which is used in driveways, decorative retaining and privacy walls, and interior decorating as well. There are so many different concrete options available to consumers right now; it may seem overwhelming when It comes time to choose. Your concrete supplier offers all of these choices and more, especially the exposed aggregate concrete, and will assist you in choosing the right one for your property.
Unique Flooring Option
Exposed aggregate is growing in popularity with builders, architects and home owners. It is a beautiful alternative to the traditional grey poured concrete drive; it is also gorgeous when used as a non-slip finish to patios, pool decks, and entryways, and of course driveways Treated concrete flooring done properly won’t even resemble concrete at all! Concrete is also affordable, whereas materials like marble or granite may be out of your price range altogether.
Upgrade
Whether you are building a new home or improving an existing property, consider exposed aggregate concrete for the surfaces where most people use boring, grey concrete. Exposed aggregate concrete can add considerable curb appeal to your home or business property, thus increasing its value exponentially.
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