Your driveway is a major part of your home’s curb appeal. Since it’s one of the first things people see, it should look intentional and match the rest of the property.
Beyond looks, it has to be one of the most durable surfaces on your property — it’s a heavily traveled extension of your home, right alongside the garage.
Planning a new driveway or replacing an old one? You’ve got real choices when it comes to materials for your concrete driveway — here are the four our customers ask for most, each with its own sub-options.
We put this list together with our own driveway installation team to help you find the finish that best fits your home before you ever get a quote.
4 Design Options Our Dallas Driveway Experts Recommend Most
These finishes are all available as part of a new driveway installation — the best way to see them in person is to walk through examples with your contractor before the pour.
1- Stamp
Stamping is the top choice for decorative concrete driveways. Stamped concrete offers eclectic, natural-looking designs, and it’s quick to install, strong, and affordable.
With concrete stamps, you can create different designs like:
● Brick designs: herringbone and European fan
● Natural stones: flagstones, cobbles, slates
● Wood plank pattern (highly sought after for modern homes!)
2-Stain
After stamping, scoring, or making random embossed patterns, staining concrete is the second best thing you can do to it.
People love a splash of color; a colored floor is a great way to tie a room’s theme together.
A stained concrete driveway is more durable than paint because the stain cures chemically on the surface and won’t flake off or break like some other colorings.
On top of that, you can use clear driveway concrete coatings to protect it even more.
3- Classic Texture
Some people might want something other than loud designs for their driveways but want to add textures.
You might be one of those who want a light touch. This will also make your driveway safer because it will be less slippery.
There are three most common options to add texture to your concrete:
Broom Finish
Broom finish is the most simple and subtle texture for your concrete since it only requires lightly brushing a broom consistently in a straight line.
Rock Salt Finish
It’s done by troweling rock salt on the surface of fresh concrete. After letting the concrete set, you must wash the salt away with a stream of water and then apply concrete driveway coatings.
Aggregates Finish, or “Salt And Pepper” Finish
This finish is created during the original pour: after placing fresh, coarse concrete, the surface is sandblasted and treated with a concrete retarder and sealer to expose the aggregate underneath. Aside from driveways, this finish is also a popular choice for pool decks.
4- Bricks
People used to make pavers from clay bricks, but now they use concrete pavers, blocks, or slabs. It costs less than clay bricks and lasts longer too.
Use concrete pavers or blocks if you have the money and want good quality.
Know What’s Best
The best way to know what’s right for your home is to talk through these options with a local decorative concrete expert before your driveway goes in — finish, color, and pattern are all easiest to adjust before the pour, not after.
If your current driveway has damage that’s driving the decision — cracking, tire marks, or an uneven surface — our team can also walk you through what’s actually causing it so you know whether a repair or a full replacement makes more sense.
