The most popular driveways

Gary Dymski | Home Work

April 26, 2007

When John and Lynda Helenek renovated their 10-year-old Lake Grove Colonial almost a year ago, the last thing on their minds was their driveway.

There was a minor safety issue with the paving-stone pathway from the driveway to the front door. But that was just an afterthought. The impetus for remodeling was to create more bedroom space for the Heleneks' two young daughters.

"We knew we had to redo the walkway to the front door because it was a safety hazard," John Helenek says. "The paving stones had sunk to where it was almost a one-foot drop from the front porch."

Once the Heleneks' paving contractor, Dynamic Concrete of Centereach, inspected the walkway, the decision was made to virtually redesign the entire front yard.

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"I think it turned out great," says John, 45, an accountant. "It was a collaboration, of sorts, with the contractor, but it really gives the front entrance a fresh look."

The Heleneks' $15,000 remodeled driveway combines asphalt, also called blacktop - Long Island's most common residential paving material - paving stones and a circular stone inlay. (See photo at far right.) The design does more than offer parking space. It's the home's greeting card - a warm, folksy welcome for all visitors and passersby.

"Originally, John wanted the entire driveway, walkway and apron to be constructed of paving stones," Matt Carone, owner of Dynamic Concrete, says. "But I thought it would look a lot better if we used different materials to break it up a bit."

While Carone's simple design fits the home and blends with the neighborhood, combining different elements to achieve such a result often is tricky. Setauket landscape architect Michael Opisso warns that using too many materials can overemphasize the driveway, making it more of a focal point than necessary. A driveway should be mostly functional and less a design feature, he says.

"When done well, a driveway design will have a seamless transition from the driveway to the walkway to the front door," Opisso says. The driveway, he says, should blend with the landscape. "Let the materials be secondary. The driveway should direct visitors to the more important areas of the home, like the entrance."

The Heleneks believe they've done just that. The circular inlay, front-door walkway and driveway border, all constructed from the same earth-tone paving stones, send visitors toward the home's entrance and frame the driveway's primary material, blacktop. There's also a new curb of a rose-tinted belgian block, which is commonly used (at about $10 a linear foot) to border or frame driveways. Overall, there's a hint of individual distinction.

John Helenek says he got lucky, because Carone was easy to work with and affable. The different paving materials used in the driveway blend as easily as their personalities. But for every driveway like the Heleneks' there are dozens that serve simply as drab, uninviting parking spaces.

From a design standpoint, the Heleneks are proof that input from an experienced contractor or landscape architect can mean a more pleasing driveway.

The accompanying information on the most common driveway materials can help homeowners decide what fits their needs. From budget concerns to matters of durability, here's where your driveway begins.

Remember, however, that price per square foot can vary, depending on excavation obstacles such as trees, shrubs and old driveways.

And one more thing: Most driveway surfaces will stand up to the elements longer when they're installed over a properly prepared base and get a little maintenance.

ASPHALT

Price: About $2 to $3 a square foot for installations up to 1,000 square feet. The rate for larger surfaces can be slightly less.

What it's made from: A mixture of sand, stone and liquid asphalt components. The surface material is compacted to a thickness of about 1 1/2 inches and covers a crushed aggregate base, or foundation, of four to six inches. Larger contractors often recycle the old driveway on site in a special crushing machine and use it in the new base.

Pros: An inexpensive, durable surface with a 15- to 20-year life span. Asphalt, commonly called "blacktop," is among the most popular driveway surfaces on Long Island. One reason is its flexibility. "Because it's more flexible than concrete, it's good in this climate's freeze-thaw cycles," says Dennis Kellerman, co-owner of Pioneer Asphalt Paving in Kings Park. "It doesn't crack as easily as concrete."

Cons: Porous, sensitive to heat. Surfaces can almost melt under the hot summer sun. A bicycle kickstand, for example, will penetrate the surface. If a driveway does not have defined borders - landscape timbers or Belgian stone - deterioration at the edges can occur.