Driveway paving can take many forms including concrete, gravel, asphalt, and interlocking pavers. It would be nice if everyone who does driveway paving for a living did the job right the first time but sadly that is not always the case. Still, it can be difficult to tell when you got your money’s worth and when someone simply took the money and ran. In this post we’ll try to provide you with some things to look for before you hand over the final payment to the contractor.

Proper Driveway Paving Means Proper Base Preparation

When it comes to good vs. bad driveway paving it almost always comes down to making sure your chosen material is laid down on a proper base. It’s the base that provides stability and drainage and the base where unscrupulous contractors will try to save money; typically by avoiding it altogether.

• Concrete – Concrete driveway paving has long been the economical choice for homeowners nationwide. If done right a poured concrete driveway will last for many years. But how do you know the contractor did the job properly? A good indicator that you might have problems down the road is if the contractor used sand or dirt as a base for the concrete. These materials will absorb moisture and push up and down during freeze/thaw cycles creating cracks.
• Gravel – Installing a gravel driveway requires more than dumping the gravel out of the back of a truck and spreading it out nice and even. There is actually quite a bit of prep work that comes first. A well built gravel driveway will have a sub-base of large, crushed stones with another layer of somewhat finer material above that, then a layer of landscaping fabric and then the gravel. This combination allows for maximum stability and proper drainage.
• Asphalt – Asphalt is prized for its smooth, easy-to-shovel, easy-to-maintain surface but it must be laid according to well established methods. If it’s not, you’ll have problems. The base and sub-base layers are key with asphalt just as they are with other forms of paving. If there is no course sub-base or macadam base over that your asphalt will be left to the mercies of the bare earth and that’s not good.
• Interlocking Pavers – Interlocking pavers create maybe the most beautiful, durable driveways you’ll find anywhere. They come in a variety of colors, shapes and textures and can be mixed, matched and arranged to create compelling, one-of-a-kind looks. If properly installed pavers last for generations. A proper sub-base is crucial to the longevity of an interlocking driveway, as is proper edging. Cut corners on either and your interlocking driveway will lose integrity.

Any one of these paving materials will look great right after installation, even if the contractor has bypassed the base. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months or more before you to begin to see problems. Because of this it’s important that you make the installation of a proper base part of the paving contract. It’s also key that you enlist a reliable, well respected contractor to do the work for you.

M.E. Contracting have paved scores of driveways for homeowners across the Greater Toronto Area. We never cut corners, use cheap materials or rush the job just to make a few dollars more. On the contrary we sweat the details and make sure your new driveway paving job is one that will provide you years of dependable, trouble-free use. Whether you’re in the market for a concrete, asphalt, gravel or interlocking driveway, we can create one for you that will stand the test of time.

As it is typically the first thing people see from the street the driveway sets the visual tone for the entire property. Should the driveway be in disrepair it will drag down the impression of everything else, including the house itself, no matter how dazzling it might be. Should your driveway have fallen on hard times you should not hesitate to arrange for it to be repaved. But beware, the new driveway will only be as good as the driveway paving company that does the work.

The Importance of Selecting the Right Driveway Paving Company

The driveway plays an important role in determining ‘curb appeal’ and by extension the market value of your home. It does so in a variety of ways and in this post we’ll go over the how’s and whys of driveway dynamics.

• Driveway vs. no driveway – The very existence of a driveway will enhance the value of your home because it allows you to remove your car from the public road where it may be susceptible to accidental damage, vandalism or theft. Even if the driveway is in generally poor repair or doesn’t lead to a garage your house will still be more valuable for having it than if it did not have it.
• Increased market value – So your house is more valuable with a driveway than without one. But how much more valuable? The answer depends on the type of paving, the quality of the paving job and the state of the pavement. If you have a gravel driveway in need of resurfacing any increase in value will be small. But if your driveway is newly finished with interlocking pavers done by real professionals the bump in home value can be significant.
• Types of paving – When you decide to pave your Toronto driveway you’re faced with an array of choices. Which one you choose will be a matter of budget and taste.
• Concrete slab – Functional but prone to cracking.
• Brick – Durable but must be matched to the right style of house.
• Stamped concrete – Beautiful and functional but prone to cracking.
• Asphalt – Easy to install and relatively affordable but prone to cracking.
• Gravel – Cheap and quick to install, drains well but don’t try to shovel snow from it.
• Interlocking pavers – Beautiful, durable, low maintenance, easy to shovel, high ROI.
• Intangibles – If you install interlocking pavers with an eye toward selling and use a highly experienced driveway paving company like M.E. Landscaping the boost in curb appeal alone may be enough to elicit offers you otherwise wouldn’t have received. So if the newly paved driveway is responsible for selling the home then what is the real ROI? Even if you don’t have plans to sell your home the new driveway will make it more attractive and easier to maintain.
• The right paving company – It’s in your interest to avoid fly-by-night operations to repave your driveway. If you choose an unproven company offering you a substantial discount to install interlocking pavers, for instance, they’ll likely cut corners on the underlying layers that are essential to the long term stability of the interlocking system. Problems may not become noticeable until after the check has cleared and then it will be too late.

M.E. Landscaping is one of the Toronto area’s most experienced driveway paving companies. We’re able to handle any type of driveway surface you have in mind and specialize in the design and installation of interlocking pavers. If you are unsure which type of driveway paving system is right for your home give us a call on 416 455 9296 and speak to one of our paving pros.