Are you looking for ways to make your driveway wider without breaking the bank? If you answered yes, then this article is for you! In this post, we’ll cover some of the best and most cost-effective ways to widen your driveway. We’ll also look at different materials and methods so that you can pick a solution that works for your budget.
So read more as we’ll tackle all these things in this post entitled How to widen a driveway cheaply.
Preparation
Before you start widening your driveway, it’s important to take some time to plan out the project. You’ll want to consider things such as how much space you need, what type of material you’d like to use, and how much work will be involved. Additionally, think about whether or not any permits or other permissions are needed before beginning construction.
Expanding An Existing Driveway
If your existing driveway is in good condition but needs to be widened, there are a few options available:
- Asphalt Patching – Asphalt patching involves using mesh fabric and hot asphalt mix to fill in cracks and imperfections in your existing surface. This solution is both affordable and quick, making it ideal if you don’t have much time or money to spare. Keep in mind that once asphalt has been patched it cannot easily be removed or replaced – so be sure that the repair will provide enough space for the job.
- Pavers – Pavers offer an easy way to quickly widen any driveways and walkways. They’re available in a variety of shapes and sizes so they can easily fit within almost any area. Pavers are also relatively inexpensive when compared with other options such as concrete or asphalt.
- Gravel/Stone – If your driveway only needs minor widening, then gravel may be the perfect option for you. It’s relatively inexpensive when compared with other materials like concrete pavers or asphalt patches – plus it’s easy to install too! When using gravel for a driveway surface, just be sure that it’s compacted properly so that it won’t shift over time due to weather conditions or excessive weight from vehicles driving over it.
Installing New Driveway Material
When installing new material on top of an existing one (such as concrete on dirt), there are still plenty of affordable options available – including concrete pavers, gravel/stones, recycled asphalt pothole patches and stamped asphalt rolls:
- Concrete Pavers – Installing concrete pavers is an attractive way of widening or resurfacing a driveway on a budget – plus they come in several shapes and sizes so they can easily fill in any gaps while adding aesthetic value too. The downside is that this type of material isn’t as flexible as some other materials – meaning it won’t move when exposed to heavy rain or freezing temperatures like pavement would do – this could result in cracking if not done correctly during installation.
Also keep in mind that these types of projects usually require professional help; however hiring contractors can save money since they often have access to discounted materials which makes them more economical than buying supplies separately from retail stores. Contact the experts from Premier Asphalt in Naperville to get started with the installation.
- Gravel/Stones – Using stones (or pebbles) is another excellent low-budget option for resurfacing driveways – though it does require quite a bit of labor if done manually by hand rather than with specialized machinery (like a soil compactor).
Stones come in various sizes so finding one that fits into tight spaces should not be difficult–just remember not to use round stones because they won’t lock together well enough without additional adhesive/bonding agent being used during installation which adds more cost onto the project overall.
- Recycled Asphalt Pothole Patches – For homeowners who don’t want (or can’t afford) colored pavement surfaces, recycled asphalt patches are a great alternative. These patches are easy (and cheap!) To install since all you need is some shovels and rakes – plus no professional help required here either.
Just make sure not to go overboard when filling up each area as doing so could cause them sink eventually due water pooling underneath instead of draining away quickly once installed correctly under pressure from vehicles moving across them regularly throughout their lifetime until needing replacement again after many years going forward depending entirely upon each individual situation alone unfortunately.
- Stamped Asphalt Rolls – Last but certainly not least comes stamped asphalt rolls. These pre-made rolls come pre-stamped with designs such as bricks or cobblestones – giving off the same effect without having actually invested heavily into expensive molds & dies tools required for creating those specific textures choices desired by most homeowners today instead.
Stamped asphalt rolls are relatively inexpensive considering all materials included, but installation costs can vary greatly between companies so it’s always advisable to shop around first before committing even if tempted otherwise after seeing advertisements online etc.
Conclusion
No matter what type of driveway material you decide to use for your home, there are plenty of options available that can provide years of use at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional asphalt or concrete solutions. Just make sure that whatever option you choose is installed properly and suited for its intended purpose so it will last as long as possible without needing costly repairs or replacements in the future.
As long as you invest time into researching the right material for your particular project, you should have no problem finding something that meets both your budget and aesthetic requirements.
