Creating the most attractive asphalt Champaign, Mahomet, or Monticello, Illinois has to offer can be a tough task for many homeowners. Thankfully, it is possible to upgrade your driveway in a myriad of ways to make it more alluring and engaging. The following tips are some of the most successful and beneficial ways of enhancing your driveway’s look and making it meet your lofty standards.
Integrate Decorative Flowers
First of all, you can make a somewhat blank and potentially bland piece of asphalt look more attractive by adding some bits of flowers or vegetation to the side. These flowers help by bringing more color to your driveway. Try to create unique contrasts and complementary designs to ensure things look great. Beyond that, you should also try to find plants and flowers that go well with your home or your commercial building.
Typically, flowers of all kinds make a great selection here. However, some people may enjoy small and low shrubs, particularly as a way of dividing up parking lots. This step is a good one because it creates a consistent look that is both alluring and interesting to you and your visitors. Make sure to keep these shrubs pruned regularly to not only protect their health but to make them look more attractive and less wild and unkempt.
However, you need to make sure that the pavement is very strong and resistant to root damage. Though flowers and other plants don’t have the same kind of intensive roots as trees, they may still work their way into your pavement if you aren’t careful. A root barrier around this spot is a good idea because it can keep the plants and flowers from causing persistent and problematic damage to your driveway.
Do Some Repairs
While vegetation and various types of natural decorations enhance the look and style of your driveway, you need to make sure to do any repairs that may be necessary. For example, any large or unsightly cracks or potholes are not only unattractive but potentially dangerous. They will cause damage to cars and create a tripping danger that makes them too problematic to tolerate in any instance.
The most problematic element of this damage is the way that it spreads. A large crack will continue to grow across the surface of your pavement, particularly when winter and summer hits. As a result, it is essential to pay attention to these issues and to contact a professional to do high-quality repairs. These experts should have the skills necessary to repair your pavement at a reasonable price.
The best way to minimize the necessity of these repairs is maintenance. For example, sealcoating the surface helps to protect it against various types of damage and ensures that it remains active. You should also make sure to fix any minor cracks or breaks in the pavement surface as they appear. Fixes like these add years of life to asphalt and make it durable and resistant to many types of damage.
Improve Your Signs
The signage near a parking lot may not seem important, but it can be used to enhance the style of your asphalt in a variety of ways. For example, you can place attractive signs near your parking lot or driveway that have a similar or complementary color to your pavement. In this way, you can create an exciting contrast and style that is hard to develop in any other way. Just as importantly, you can give your guests vital information during their visit.
For example, some signs help showcase where a person can park when visiting a home or a business. These types of signs are more important for companies because they showcase where handicap drivers can park and help direct commercial traffic, such as delivery drivers. However, signs can also be used in homes to make a more fun environment around your parking lot.
For instance, you could add a “Best Friend Parking ONLY” sign where your friend likes to park when they visit. You can add similar signs for other members of the family but should avoid overdoing it, as always, to ensure that you create a light touch that is fun without being overbearing. In this way, you can make your driveway more attractive without coming across as gaudy or too cheeky.
Enhance Lighting
Lastly, lighting is an integral part of keeping your asphalt attractive and appealing to people near you. First of all, light helps to not only showcase your driveway and make it easier to see but also makes it safer. This step is particularly crucial if you are trying to upgrade a parking lot and want to make sure that your customers are safer whenever they visit. Thankfully, this step is relatively simple.
Examine the lighting options that you currently have around your driveway or parking lot. You should have at least a few lights nearby that can show off the asphalt during the night and on darker days. Parking lots likely have tall poles topped with lights that you can use. You may also want to add more lighting around the perimeter of your building near the driveway to enhance this effect.
Don’t overdo it by adding overpowered lights, however, as this can be a distraction. For example, excessively-bright lights may be against a neighborhood’s zoning commission and may result in fines or complaints. The same is true of commercial facilities – make sure to check with your lighting pollution rulings to make sure that you don’t add too strong of lights to your home or driveway.
Get the Help That You Need
So if you need high-quality help for your asphalt in Champaign, Mahomet, or Monticello, Illinois, please contact us at Elite Paving & Sealcoating to learn more about how we can help. Our professionals have years of experience working with people like you and will strive to create the best driveway or parking lot that you need.