Your driveway, along with the front of your property, is a very prominent part
of your landscape. It is very visual from the street. It is an entry to your
home. In addition, it is the main thing people look for when coming to your
home. There are a few important things to think about when undertaking a
driveway design.
1.Easy access to your garage (or parking area) is
necessary. If you need to make a turn to get to your garage or parking area,
create a proper turning radius so that it is not too tight of a turn. An arc
with a ten to fifteen feet radius works well. The depth from your garage doors
to the driveway edge as you back out should be a minimum of thirty feet.
2.Driveways should function well for guests who come to your front door.
Create a walkway from the driveway to your front door entry which is wide and
inviting. The walkway design should be wide enough for two people to walk side
by side. Four feet is the minimum for comfort. However, wider walkways can be
even nicer, whether they are curved or straight.
3.Many people disregard
extra parking or turn around areas. As you pull out of your garage or parking
area, try to create space to back into so that you may drive forward towards the
street. This space can also serve as extra parking. If you are designing a
circular driveway, make it wide enough near the front door so that one car can
pass while a car is parked there. The entire width of the circle does not have
to be this wide. However, the outside circle diameter should be seventy feet
wide. You are probably thinking that this is too wide, but I assure you, it is
not.
4.If your property lends itself to a parking court at your front
door area, make sure the dimensions are right. Many people do not realize how
wide this actually must be for the courtyard to function properly. Parking
courts are usually square. Fifty five feet in width and depth are good
dimensions to use.
5.How wide should a driveway be? I prefer driveways
that are more narrow, anywhere from nine to eleven feet in width. Why create
more hardscape than is necessary? Although a driveway can be designed nicely,
the driveway paving takes away from plantings and other garden amenities. In
addition, driveways create runoff in the environment, so the less hardscape
square footage the better. However, if your garage is in the front of your house
and not a long distance, the width of your driveway may have to accommodate two
cars.
6.Think about driveway entry landscaping ideas. A nicely landscaped
entry is welcoming. The planting design should blend with the rest of your
landscape. If your property is informal, the entry can be somewhat different on
either side, but balanced. On the other hand if your home and landscape is more
formal, you might want to create the same type of design at the driveway entry,
such as an allee of trees.
7.You can also dress up your driveway entry by
using a more decorative paving material there. For example, a pretty tumbled
paver entry can look nice with the balance of the driveway being constructed of
asphalt or loose stone. The paver entry can be fifteen to twenty feet long and
as wide as the driveway itself. The paver area can have a soldier course as a
defined edging.
I hope I have given you some things to think about which
will be helpful when thinking about driveway designs. I have written about this
and other driveway elements, such as paving types, edgings and the driveway
landscape at my website page below.
Susan Schlenger is a Landscape
Designer with a degree in Landscape Architecture. She has over ten years
experience in both landscape design and project management. She practices in
Virginia, but also travels to provide her services. http://www.landscape-design-advice.com/driveway-designs.html
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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