A nice-looking residential paving is always a source of pride for the homeowner. One way to add to the beauty, charm and character of your new driveway is to integrate patterns into it. When planning to embark on a pattern paving job, the type of pattern you decide on can only be restricted by the scope of your creativity. But there are a number of key things you will have to carefully think through to make sure the job is completed well. Here are a few you should know about.

Paving material

First things first, you will need to determine the type of material you are going to use in constructing your driveway. It might be concrete blocks, fired-clay blocks, natural stones or some other type of material that can be built to achieve the desired pattern. Before reaching a final decision, make sure to keenly evaluate the pros and cons of the various material choices available.

For example, while the upfront cost of laying concrete blocks may be cheaper than that of natural stones, the concrete blocks will fade quickly, thus losing their attractiveness much sooner than the natural stone alternative. Therefore, if you are looking forward to installing a patterned driveway that will maintain its beauty for years and years to come, you had better spend extra on natural stone.

Shape of the pavers

Another thing worthy of consideration is the shape that your pavers will take. Although rectangular and square pavers are a standard because they are easy to install, there is a wide selection of other geometric shapes you can choose from. But if you want to integrate a little bit of twists and turns into your driveway (and landscape), you can opt for non-conventional styles, like the W- and the S-shaped blocks common in commercial applications. Just make sure that your pavers are of uniform size and they can compactly fit side by side when arranged into the preferred laying pattern.

Paving colours

Colour selection also matters a great deal when it comes to laying a pattern driveway. Modern pavers do not just come in their original colours. Rather, they take on a broad range of colours so they can improve the visual impact of virtually any type of landscape. Make sure to choose pavers that will resonate well with the features in your exterior environment.

Paving finishes

Just like the furniture in your home, your driveway too needs a good finish. You can choose to have the surface of your patterned paving stamped, etched, embossed or moulded to bring out that exquisite look you have wanted.