Don’t Know What Driveway Color To Pick? Read These 5 Tips

A driveway can make a major difference in a property. It'll help to keep dirt and dust at a minimum, and if it's properly installed, it'll give a home or business added curb appeal. Driveways may help to prevent soil erosion, and they provide places to park vehicles out of the mud and off the grass. Of course, several considerations come into play when having a driveway installed. Its width, the path it takes, and the material it's made of will all factor into its usefulness, appearance, and longevity.

Choosing the Best Color for a Driveway

Color also makes a difference. These days, several driveway color options are available to property owners. From using stained concrete to applying beautiful and protective Driveway Paint, the choices are endless. With so many possibilities at your disposal, though, choosing the right color for a driveway can be a bit difficult. Keep the following five points in mind to make it simpler.

Local Climate

One of the most basic factors to consider when choosing a driveway color is the local climate and weather patterns. Darker colors absorb heat whereas lighter hues reflect it. Dark driveway colors will get hotter when the weather is warm and sunny, and they'll hold heat for longer. That could be a problem during the hotter months, but it'll also help melt snow and ice and make them less likely to refreeze in the winter. Though snow and ice will accumulate better on lighter surfaces and be more likely to refreeze at night, lighter shades won't radiate as much heat in warm weather.

Size and Space

Another aspect to keep in mind is the size of your property, the driveway itself, and the home or business it leads to. Lighter driveway colors can make properties look and feel larger while darker colors tend to make them seem smaller. If you have a small driveway and home, you may want to choose a lighter color, like beige, pink, or light gray. For larger driveways and buildings, dark gray, black, or brown may be a better option.

Exterior Colors

Additionally, the exterior colors of your home or business will help determine the best color for the driveway. It's not always possible to find an exact match for the color of a home or business, but you can certainly find a hue for the driveway that's close. Use the colors of your siding, roofing, trim work, and other architectural features to help decide which driveway hue would match best.

You could choose a shade that closely matches some of the exterior accents for a nice contrast. On the other hand, you could pick a driveway color that meshes with the most dominant color of the home or business for a more uniform color scheme. Either one will add aesthetic appeal.

Landscaping and Hardscapes

Consider the landscaping and hardscapes you have in place when choosing your driveway color as well. You could choose a color that's a close match to those of your fence, retaining walls, flower beds, and other features. Alternatively, you could choose one that's a complete contrast to make both the driveway and those features stand out. Keep in mind, though, that if you choose a contrasting color, it's best not to venture too far outside the box. Choosing colors that transcend contrast to clash with one another could draw attention to your property for all the wrong reasons.

Maintenance

Finally, think about the amount of maintenance different driveway colors may need. Regardless of what color you choose, you’ll likely still need to get in touch with a company such as Springfield Striping and Sealing to maintain the driveway from time to time. However, it’s worth remembering that light colors show stains and dirt more easily, so they're likely to require cleaning and refinishing more often. In contrast, darker colors don't show stains quite as easily, but they may fade more quickly. If so, they'll still require frequent touch-ups to keep them looking nice.

Finding Your Perfect Driveway Color

Numerous driveway colors are now available. They extend well beyond the basic grays and blacks of the past. When deciding which driveway color would work best for your property, several factors come into play.

Consider typical local weather patterns to decide whether a lighter or darker hue would be most suitable. From there, think about the size of the property and the driveway. Take into account the exterior colors of the home or business and any hardscapes and landscaping features on the property. Maintenance is also a factor to keep in mind. All these aspects can help you determine the perfect color for your driveway.

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