It takes great creativity to transition from your driveway to the garage floor. Though the design of the driveway apron is usually a minor part of the home design process, you want a driveway that stands out. A driveway to garage floor transition doesn’t have to be expensive, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be beautiful to look at, functional, and give off a uniform aesthetic to your property. Here are some ideas you might want to try out during your next driveway to garage floor transition project.
1. Raise The Concrete
Concrete lifting is great for repairing a damaged slab. It should make it to the list of crucial features of your driveway to garage floor transition project. Lifting concrete for your driveway is cheaper than pouring a fresh concrete slab.
Also known as concrete leveling, concrete lifting works by raising a settled or sunken slab by underlying it with material. The material fills the voids in the slab, lifting the concrete before solidifying and drying out to form a stable, strong base. The different concrete leveling methods are mud jacking, polyurethane foam, and stone slurry grout concrete lifting.
The slab jacking, or lifting method, corrects the damaged slab and returns it to a level or even position. Concrete lifting is expensive, but it’s costlier to demolish the entire old slab and replace it. The slab jacking process is fast and can take two hours. Talk to concrete raising companies and compare them based on cost, reliability, and expertise before settling on one that can do the job.
A well-done slab is safe for your tenants or guests. At the same time, a damaged one increases the likelihood of injuries for those accessing your property, a potential injury compensation suit against you in the making. A raised concrete driveway is solid ground for those who use it and a safeguard against injury compensation suits.
2. Asphalt Paving
Asphalt is one of the popular choices for driveways, and for a good reason; it’s cost-effective, hence affordable for many homeowners. The material can pave roads, driveways, and playgrounds better and faster than other materials. It can also be maintained for a long time, which means you’ll ultimately save money.
Asphalt paving minimizes wear and tear on your vehicle, so it’s a great choice for a frequently-used driveway. Its high-skid resistance offers a solid surface for runways and taxiways. Asphalt offers great contact between your car’s tires and the road, enhancing vehicle handling and safe driving.
It’s strong enough to withstand de-icing chemicals on your driveway, hence a good option for your driveway to garage floor transition that will not affect its quality. Installing asphalt paving will take less energy than other paving materials and, hence, friendlier to the environment. The material is flexible and adaptable to nearly all terrains compared to cement. Besides, it takes up to 24 hours to install and use. Your driveway is ready for use in a day.
3. Crack Repair
Cracks can damage your entire driveway if not managed early. Crack sealing waterproofs your pavement against the elements. During winter, the thaw cycles can cause cracks to expand, leading to costly repair issues. To stop those potholes before they go too far, get an expert asphalt crack repair technician to seal them up.
A crack sealant that uses specialized materials is highly suitable for a driveway to garage floor transition. The materials bind the crack and block water from seeping into the crack. The sealant also adjusts to the expansion and contraction of the pavement, blocking any attempt by fluids to pass through.
Sealing takes several steps, starting with crack routing, a cutting that creates fresh edges that allow the sealant to adhere to a designed reservoir. Secondly, have a clean and dry crack channel, and remove any loose material. The crack sealant fails when it doesn’t adhere to the crack.
A professional contractor follows the manufacturer’s instructions regarding temperature range, moisture conditions, and heating to apply the sealant, which should be done steadily. The quantity of materials is important, as overheating or underheating can compromise the process. Ensure materials and equipment in use support the project.
4. Concrete Repair
If your driveway is mostly in good shape except for a few cracks, it’s only sensible and cheaper to repair rather than replace. A less than a quarter-inch crack is a prime candidate for simple resurfacing. Remove the debris by using a screwdriver to scrape it off. While this is a great DIY task, consider hiring a concrete repair service for a professional job.
Using a wire brush, clean up the area and blow it with a leaf blower. Next, wet the driveway with a pressure washer as a second step in your driveway to garage floor transition. Add chemicals to aid the cleaning, then give the surface an excellent wash. Next, mix the concrete resurfacer with water, carefully following instructions.
The patching material should have a consistent thickness for a satisfactory outcome. Once the mixture is ready, pour it into the cracks and push it deep inside using a flat-edged trowel. Allow it to dry overnight. The next day, get another resurfacer, preferably a thinner one this time. Spread it on the slab after wetting the concrete surface, then apply an even coat to smooth it over. Use the broom finish to give it some texture to prevent slipping when wet.
5. Use Concrete
A composite construction material, concrete combines cement, gravel, sand, and water. It may also include other admixtures in recommended proportions. Concrete driveways are usually very durable as the material is solid. Concrete also requires little to no maintenance, and it’s ideal for paving large areas, such as those between driveway to garage floor transition.
Though concrete is expensive to install compared to asphalt and gravel, it’s durable and less expensive than brick and cobblestone driveways. A reputable contractor advises their clients on how to make a unique, attractive concrete surface. Hire a reliable concrete services contractor to install your concrete driveway, as pouring concrete requires speed and precision. Concrete hardens quickly after it’s poured out, and only a professional can guarantee excellent results.
6. Seal The Driveway
Homeowners do driveway sealing to protect it from water, sun, and chemicals. By sealing it, you extend its life; if repairs are needed, these are minimal. Upon sealing the asphalt pavement, you block off the sun’s UV rays, which would otherwise quicken its deterioration and negatively affect its lifespan. Chemicals such as gas and vehicle oils also affect unsealed surfaces.
Water can damage asphalt upon seeping into the tiniest cracks. Once water seeps into these cracks, the pavement structure shifts, leading to further damage. When sealing your driveway, check the local weather to ensure temperatures suit the exercise. A warm environment helps sealcoating, which is crucial for your driveway to garage floor transition.
Avoid sealing your driveway while it’s still new. This is because it needs some time to cure. If you seal it too early, you’ll create a barrier, blocking the excess moisture from evaporating and causing the surface to crack or chip easily. Asphalt driveway sealing protects your surface against ice and water damage when combined with crack sealing. Here’s a crucial tip: repair all cracks before sealing them.
7. The Driveway Gate
A gate brings instant control over your property. It’s a statement of ownership that announces to everyone that permission to access your home is mandatory. In the same breath, it protects your loved ones from external intrusion.
Besides enhancing your home’s curb appeal, a gate must be functional. A professionally done driveway gate installation neatly integrates with a fence to effectively secure your property. For extended security, some driveway gates have features that enhance your driveway to garage floor transition, such as intercoms, coded keypads, and other smart innovations.
One can operate a smart gate remotely, so you may not need to leave your living room when you need to open it for someone or get out of your car in the middle of torrential rains to open it. Most of the automatic driveway gates operate at the push of a button.
A driveway gate boosts the value of your property, which is a good return on investment if you decide to put your house on the market. If you have young children and pets, a driveway gate combines with the fence to keep them safely inside your home. Besides, a fence that complements your driveway gate improves your home’s curb appeal, giving visitors a great first impression of your property.
Besides the aesthetics and curb appeal, a driveway gate comes with great peace of mind. It not only blocks visual access to your home, but it also restricts unauthorized access. It also safeguards your privacy by keeping peeping Toms at bay.
8. Foam Leveling
As you start your driveway to garage floor transition journey, consider foam leveling. This is a concrete leveling method that involves lifting settled concrete slabs. The process uses polyurethane foam, which is called ‘foam leveling.’ The technician will drill small holes into the slab and then insert foam.
The foam expands due to a chemical reaction within it before curing under the slab. It raises the concrete slab back into a level position due to the pressure from the expansion. In just half an hour, the foam hardens to provide a strong base for the slab. Foam leveling is ideal for hard-to-reach places that only require drilling a small hole to solve the repair puzzle sufficiently.
Foam leveling is a faster repair method than others, courtesy of how it’s administered. It can be transported easily using portable units, unlike limestone slurry. However, foam leveling is not cheap. It uses synthetic materials and chemicals that are more costly than their natural alternatives.
Foam is also unsuitable for filling spaces under a sunken concrete slab. It can spread out in a small area instead of filling the void, which leads to pancaking. In such a situation, the technicians must keep adding to the stack until the slab finally lifts. Pancaking can create other weak points in the slab, which could open the door to cracks wherever the slab is unsupported.
9. Use A Contractor
It can be tough looking for reputable construction professionals in your location and eventually settling on a local asphalt contractor who ticks all the crucial boxes. A professional contractor with relevant expertise and experience ensures a smooth driveway to garage floor transition. You’re assured of consistency, durability, and protection against wear and tear.
A professional will likely offer a warranty on their work besides promptly making corrections where mistakes occur. A professional is licensed to operate. They have the right certificates and a good track record, all critical assurances on the quality of their work.
A reputable contractor uses high-quality materials to make a driveway functional and aesthetically pleasing. A professional takes time to assemble materials, thoroughly preparing the surface before working on it. If you let a professional handle the task, you’ll save a lot of time you’d have spent trying to do it yourself.
A professional is efficient and fast as they use appropriate tools and materials. They work precisely and hardly need to repeat a process, especially when handling materials such as asphalt, where expertise is essential, saving you loads of cash in the long run. They are the perfect choice for a professional driveway to garage floor transition.
10. Aesthetics: Your Home’s Overall Appearance
You first need to decide how you want your driveway to garage floor transition to unfold. For an overall appearance, consider the general topography of your location, which includes the trees and landscapes around the driveway. The width of your driveway also matters as some homeowners prefer winding driveways or curved, instead of straight, ones.
11. The Drainage
Your home’s driveway must blend in with the surroundings. A driveway drainage system strengthens the paving and keeps water damage at bay. Drain your patios and walkways to keep the driveway to garage floor transition project on course. After properly grading your driveway, surface water runoff will enter the drainage system. Water can’t pool on its surface when the driveway is raised in the middle but lowered on the sides.
Your worn-out driveway may be one step closer to the end of its glorious days. However, with the right local asphalt repair contractor, you can make the transition between your driveway and garage seamless, giving it a much-needed lease of life. Investing in driveway paving may be costly at first, but it will significantly improve your curb appeal and the value of your home, which can only be good if you put it up for sale. Hopefully, this article has set you in the right direction.