Mixing it up Mixing it up (February 20, 2004)

New driveway materials offer much more than 'basic black'

By Dana Green

When Bill Preston of Palo Alto remodeled his driveway in 1992, he wanted to add to his front lawn, not tear it out.

"We wanted to put in something green that didn't look like a driveway," he said.

He chose open concrete pavers that allow fescue grass to grow through. From the street, the driveway looks like a beautiful green lawn. He also erected an arbor covered in trumpet vine that camouflages the garage and complements the charming, cottage-like home.

"We've only seeded it a couple of times," Preston said of his distinctive driveway. "It's pretty tough."

Green. Flowing. Beautiful. Few people associate these words with driveways, but homeowners are beginning to realize their driveway can be as attractive as the rest of their home's exterior. By experimenting with vegetation, design, color and texture, local contractors are creating interesting driveways that are not only functional and cost-effective, but eye-catching as well.

With so many new options available, homeowners shopping for a new driveway must strike a careful balance between cost, function and beauty. A good-looking driveway should also be practical, able to withstand the rigors of tire traffic and heavy vehicles.

The most economical option for driveway materials is basic black: asphalt, that is. Asphalt is used by city governments everywhere for a reason: It's durable and cheap. But, well, it's boring. Many people don't find asphalt very exciting. Asphalt will also quickly begin to show its age, especially if there are nearby tree roots.

The most widely used material for driveways, concrete, is the Jimmy Stewart of the driveway world -- dull but dependable. A concrete driveway is inexpensive, costing about $6-$8 per square foot. On the other hand, few people will go home from your cocktail party raving about the plain concrete driveway you just had installed.

Recently, however, concrete has gone in for a makeover. New designs and patterns can help concrete blend with landscaping and add street appeal. Fred Nurisso, who has owned paving company Green Again Landscaping of Redwood City for 15 years, uses stamping, acid and color to dress up ordinary concrete. Stamping involves using a patterned rubber mat to texturize the damp concrete, creating the look and feel of flagstone, brick, Spanish tile or slate. Acid gives concrete a polished, shiny appearance.

"With concrete, you can have the same aesthetic appeal of brick or slate at one-third of the cost," Nurisso said.

The primary problem with concrete, as with asphalt, is cracking. As clay soil shrinks and expands due to moisture, "heaving" can occur. "People have told me their driveways will lift six inches in winter and sink again in spring," Nurisso said.

To combat driveway cracks, paving contractors introduce "scour joints," or lines, every eight to 10 feet to absorb cracks. Brick intersections can serve as joints while adding aesthetic interest, blending with a brick pathway or chimney.

Nurisso has also used a recent innovation, Petromat, to prevent cracking. The polypropylene textile is placed over the dirt before the driveway is laid down, preventing the soil from moving. It can be used under almost any driveway material.

Interlocking concrete pavers are also a hot trend in the paving industry. The concrete is compressed into a mold and laid in an interlocking pattern that helps prevent cracking caused by shifting soil. When Geoffrey and Ann Ziman's driveway on Pitman Avenue in Palo Alto had to be replaced due to heavy cracking, they chose a weave pattern of triangle pavers for both the driveway and the path to their front door.

"If the tree roots push up, it's easier to fix a few pavers than to fix the whole thing," Geoffrey Ziman said. "We also think pavers look a lot prettier," he added.

Of course, concrete and asphalt aren't the only material choices. Exposed aggregate, pebbles imbedded in concrete, offers an attractive alternative to plain concrete. Screet rock, or gravel, blends well with French or Mediterranean homes, lending them an earthy appeal. Brick gives a home a more formal appearance. Flagstone offers the beauty, strength and character of natural stone.

The cost of high-end materials like brick, slate or stone can be prohibitive. A brick driveway, with mortar, sand and labor costs, can average $25 per square foot. "There's a lot of labor involved," according to Dino Turchet, co-owner of Peninsula Concrete, Redwood City. "But some people are willing to pay the money. ...They want that natural look and feel."

Materials also vary in wear and tear and maintenance requirements. Brick will often get mossy in wetter climates and requires cleaning (unless the mossy look is what you're after). The lighter peach color of flagstone can show tire marks more quickly than darker materials.

One option is to use expensive materials sparingly. Brick, stone or slate can be used as a border around a concrete driveway, blending with the existing landscaping at a fraction of the cost. Another alternative is to set brick or slate in two parallel lines to serve as a driveway while keeping a greenway in between.

Not only are these designs less expensive, but they also add an opportunity to plant lush, attention-grabbing greenery in the open space. Like the Prestons' grass driveway, low-lying plants, mosses and grasses in the driveway design can bring the driveway into the home's landscaping scheme.

As with any contractor, it is vital to make sure a prospective paving company is qualified to do the job. One local resident learned this the hard way. She had been having drainage problems with her circular pebble driveway. When a contractor knocked on her door and offered to pave it, she offered him the job. Two days later, two fountains of water were coming up through the concrete.

She had to call the plumber, who had to tunnel underneath the driveway to save the new pavers. The process taught her a hard lesson: It is the responsibility of the owner to make sure water and gas lines don't run under the driveway. In older houses, the lines can be only a foot or two under the surface.

Homeowners seeking a paving contractor should check for a State Contractors Board license, a certificate of insurance (not a photocopy), and an active business license within the city where they will be working. They should also ask for and check references.

Nurisso warns that there are many unqualified contractors out there doing driveways.

"You've paid them $3,000, they've destroyed your yard, and you've learned a valuable lesson," he said.

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