2021 Fall Home

2021 Fall Home Improvement LINCOLN DAILY NEWS Sept. 23, 2021 Page 13 gravel can oftentimes bring out the beauty of your exterior landscape more so than many other materials.” One downside to choosing a gravel driveway surface comes from dealing with snow and ice removal. It can take a lot of salt or sand to deal with frozen gravel. A report by Daniel Bortz in the Washington Post suggests that “At the end of a long winter, you may find you need to replace a good amount of your gravel.” Gravel driveways are also prone to developing ruts after constant use. Ruts need to be filled to maintain both a decent appearance, and safety for those walking over it. Finally, a gravel driveway can cause a lot of dust, debris and dirt to escape and fill the air in the summer months. This may cause a mess for the rest of the home, as well as create minor hazards for other drivers. Like gravel, asphalt is another economical driveway choice, even if prices may vary from week to week, since it’s an oil-based product. Asphalt driveways typically cost more than gravel to install, but still less than other options. Asphalt also comes with the advantage of a longer potential lifespan. According to Mrugacz, “with proper maintenance, an asphalt driveway will last anywhere from 12 – 35 years depending on installation, climate, usage and other factors.” However, asphalt comes with aesthetic limitations. This means that if your house clashes with the driveway visually, it may be an eyesore. GRAVEL DRIVEWAY ASPHALT DRIVEWAY CONTINUED u