Driveways and walks are mainly functional. They usually are the quickest way to go from street to house or vice versa.
For economic reasons, both drives and walks need to cover only necessary distances. Eliminate extra curves, wide sweeps, and “islands” if you want to accent the functional.
If a lovely tree or a natural asset like a rock outcropping stands in the straightaway course, you are justified in curving the path to save the feature. But keep curves as slight as possible to avoid the natural outcome—shortcut paths worn by impatient feet.
For today’s fast pace, all much-traveled paths, such as front and back entrance walks, should be straight in line, firm, and smooth on the surface.
The width of front entrance paths should always be four feet to accommodate easily two people walking abreast.
A wide smooth entrance path is a boon in delivering heavy and bulky boxes and furniture, sparing the edging and adjoining lawn from damage.
In addition, smoothness aids in speedy snow removal and the safe passage of your high-heeled visitors.
Narrow Paths Look Inhospitable
One of the common mistakes in modern landscaping is making front paths too narrow. This is a needless error, probably fostered by a desire to reduce construction costs.
Often, the long narrow path from the street to the house can be eliminated and replaced by a shorter but wider one from the driveway, where most visitors will walk anyway.
The location of your path will depend on the traffic and whether people will arrive by car or by foot along a sidewalk. But surely, a narrow path looks inhospitable and skimpy, and it would always be a disappointment.
Suppose a short, four-foot path seems stubby and awkward or uses almost all the allotted space (leaving only 12” inches or so between the outer boundaries). In that case, a better effect may be obtained by enlarging the path into a small terrace.
This results in the space being filled comfortably rather than run through the middle by the path. A little experimenting with tapes and marking out trial paths will reveal the right solution. Of course, the time to work out the size and location of your path or terrace is before construction work begins.
Working it out on graph paper to scale is also helpful, for it is much easier to make changes with an eraser than a pickaxe. If it looks right on paper, chances are it will be right in the design.
Sometimes it is wise to have your plan checked over by a professional landscaper or an experienced construction man.
Gravel Presents Problems With Snow
Faced with a narrow existing path, you may sometimes widen it by neatly bordering each side with flagstones, bricks, or fairly symmetrical fieldstones.
Try to use a material that is close in feeling to the original stone, brick, or concrete. Again, time and nature will lessen the patched look.
Gravel paths can be excavated the desired extra width to a depth of 8” inches and then filled in with matching gravel.
Gravel does not make the best walk for heavy use. Moreover, it is difficult to walk upon and wretched to shovel in winter, as it is impossible to keep the gravel from being dumped with snow on the lawn.
It is used mainly because it is quick to lay and less expensive than mortar-laid brick, flagstone, or poured concrete.
Since “no house is a home until it is planted,” be sure to leave a strip of land next to the house for suitable planting. This is especially true when the path is long and runs parallel to the house.
The variations can come in the planting to relieve monotony and add charm and friendliness to the entrance year-round.
If Steps Are Needed
Place them all together—not scattered along at various points. Mark the change in footing with a planting, lamp post, jardiniere, or rail. With three or more steps, it is wise to set in a rail for extra security.
Steps should be at least one foot deep, five to seven inches high, and slope 14” inches outward to allow runoff of rain and melting ice water.
There must be adequate provision for good lighting all along the path, but especially at the steps. Light may be furnished by floodlights or an attractive lamp controlled by a double (indoor-outdoor) switch.
Whatever the material used, the construction of paths, being such a permanent addition to home building, must have drainage and a firm foundation.
Grades in paved paths must be considered to allow for quick runoff of surface water. The center of the path should be slightly higher than the sides, and the lengthwise slope should be at least one foot in 100 linear feet.
In Planning Drives
When considered from a cost angle, directness is even more important than paths. A wandering drive makes driving difficult, wears out more quickly, and is unnecessarily expensive to build.
A long drive, however (say, over 150’ feet long), may reasonably be gently curved for the sake of beauty. A straight drive would be best if the house is of very formal design.
Whether the drive is straight or curved, planting must never obscure the entrance or any part of the drive.
A one-lane driveway should have a minimum width of eight to nine feet on the straightaway and 12’ feet on circular portions. Where two cars pass, it increases to 16’ feet minimum.
A pass-court, where one car may be left near the front door, should be 30’ feet long by eight or nine feet added to the width of the drive, making that area at least 16’ feet wide.
A two-lane driveway should be at least 18’ feet on the straight and 20’ to 22’ feet on the curved portions.
Well-Planned Drive
A well-planned drive should be a little away from the house to avoid dust, noise, and glare, yet be close enough to service the front door and yard.
In addition, it should include adequate turning space, for it is no longer safe to back one’s car into street traffic.
Even of the least proportions, a turnaround is certainly more important than lawns, gardens, or trees. Usually, however, both drive and plantings can be included if planned for in advance.
Planting along the drive is highly desirable, especially shade trees with high branches. Plant ornamental shrubs from the drive to avoid scratching cars and obscuring the view.
An entrance planting may add distinction to the drive but must be kept low—2’ to 3’ feet is a maximum safe height.
44659 by Rhoda Specht Maxwell