10% OFF* Driveways
Driveway Paving & Design
A paved driveway adds value to any property. Earth Stick & Stone driveway designs range from simple and functional to complex and architecturally artistic, adding interest to the appearance of your home and property.
A well-designed driveway will consider both your home’s architectural style and the surrounding landscape. Additionally, the width and layout of your driveway will determine the practical accessibility of your home. There are a variety of layout options for residential driveways you can choose from to accommodate your needs.
Possessional Tip: Consider the pros and cons of the most popular material options for your driveway: concrete, gravel, pavers, asphalt, natural stone, and man-made products. The material selected must be durable, to resist tire marks, oil drips and de-icing chemicals.
Creating the Perfect Fusion of Driveway & Design
Your front yard curb appeal is very important because of its visual presence in your neighborhood. However, it also must be practical for both vehicles and foot traffic. In a cold Canadian climate, it must be built to resist the stresses of heavy snow, ice, and salt. In summer, it must endure occasional extreme heat and rain.
Earth Stick & Stone landscape designers help with design choices and decisions that respect both your budget and design goals. We also consider accessories that make your driveway safer and more appealing, such as gates and lighting.
Factors for a Driveway Design Project:
- Optional surfaces for driveways: interlocking brick, natural stone, stamped and colored concrete tar-and-chip, or pavement
- How your preferred design will influence or determine the materials you select for your driveway.
- The comparative installation costs vary for different driveway materials.
- Additional factors that may increase the cost of a driveway such as slopes, curves, drainage, grading or other complex designs
- Design ideas for gravel driveways, including the use of several gravel colors to create a pattern
- Decorative edging or borders to contain the gravel such as bands and aprons made of brick, flagstone, or pavers
- The best climate-appropriate and heat-resistant shrubs for the driveway border.
- Pedestrian and vehicle access considerations when selecting landscape plants for bordering a driveway
- Popular gate styles and materials for residential driveways.
- Options for lighting your driveway at night, along with suggestions for positioning light fixtures to optimize safety.
Asphalt Paving
Asphalt, a petroleum product, is heated until it becomes a liquid and is then mixed with aggregate. These two combined ingredients are then poured over a gravel base, creating a thick black drive. They are typically less expensive than either concrete or paving stones and longer lasting than concrete, especially in extreme temperature climates.
POSSESSIONAL TIP: Asphalt driveways are recommended, particularly in cold-weather climates or cold winter/hot summer environments. The black asphalt absorbs sunlight during the day which aids in melting snow and ice during the winter months.
The Right Asphalt Repair will Save you Money
Many property owners put off repairing their driveways due to the costs involved. However, when major damage hasn’t occurred, extensive repairs are not needed (such as asphalt removal and replacement).
The right pavement repair solution for you depends on your driveway’s condition. When minor imperfections and forms of damage have occurred, then asphalt driveway resurfacing and overlay is an effective, inexpensive service that can extend the life of your pavement, prevent damage, improve curb appeal, and make your driveway as good as new.
Asphalt Resurfacing
The best solution for your driveway that is affordable, effective, and extends your pavement’s lifespan is asphalt repair. For typical asphalt driveway projects, we apply professional resurfacing processes to ensure that resurfacing is done to industry standards.
Cleaning Existing Asphalt
After removing or repairing problem areas, we perform a deep cleaning of the existing asphalt on your driveway. Only after this cleaning, do we apply asphalt glue to the driveway surface to strengthen the bond between the older and new layer.
Paving a First Layer
Next, we pave the first layer of asphalt over your driveway. With this layer, we create a uniform, level surface that will ensure adequate water drainage, proper use, and even distribution of heavy weights.
Paving a Second Layer
Last, we apply a second layer of asphalt over your driveway. The second layer ensures a soft, smooth, clean surface that is a pleasure to drive and to walk on, while protecting the underlying layers from future damage. A new-looking driveway adds curb appeal and improves appearance.
Removing & Replacing Existing Asphalt
Resurfacing may not be adequate in cases of more extensive pavement wear or damage. In this case, some or all the existing pavement may need to be removed and replaced with new asphalt. Earth, Stick and Stone, ensures that highest quality work is performed and that local and/or provincial building codes are observed in this process.
