Deciding on a specific front walkway material can be intimidating; without a clear understanding of what your new front walkway will look like, you might be wasting money when creating a landscape sight unseen. Using the iScape App to design and test front walkway “looks” can help enable a homeowner or landscaper with hardscaping and landscaping.
Front paths and walkways are critical to safety as well as to a home’s design image. Ultimately, material used for your outdoor walkway, particularly your front entrance walkway, can have a strong impact on your landscape and curb appeal. Whether you are interested in a traditional, cottage, or contemporary front walkway design, it is smart if you can create the design digitally first before doing the installation.
Below is a list of walkway materials to consider. Safety for neighbors, postal carriers, and visitors to the home should be the first consideration. Design and curb appeal is also important. Most people create narrow walkways, yet wide walkways are safer and can offer a more beautiful approach to the home, particularly when surrounded by gorgeous landscaping plants and mulch. What is the BEST material to use? All the materials listed below are great long-term investments in the landscape because they do not easily rot or disintegrate with weather abuse.
List of Best Walkway Materials
- Brick – Bricks are a classic contribution to a pathway, can be laid dry without cement, can be placed in unique patterns, are a long-term solution, and are easy to replace if there is a crack or damage.
- Gravel or aggregate stone – An inexpensive solution, gravel is often chosen by homeowners because it is easy to lay in place. Edging to hold the gravel in is required, but gravel comes in a variety of colors. A more stable substitute for gravel is grit.
- Natural stone – Laid much like brick, natural stone could be granite, marble, limestone, slate, or travertine. Most natural stone is more expensive than brick and comes in square or rectangular shapes that can vary from 6” wide up to 24” wide, making natural stone a good fit in most any situation.
- Concrete – Poured concrete is perfect should you want an even and smooth surface. Patterns can be stamped in the material should the homeowner be interested. Concrete pavers are an inexpensive tile substitute as they do not need mortar or grout and can come in various shapes and sizes.
- Grit – Very similar to gravel in the fashion that it is laid in the pathway; usually with an underlayment of construction material. Grit can be more secure because it can be tamped down. Grit can be limestone screenings or crushed granite and several other materials which are finely ground. Gravel is looser and more moveable, making it less stable.
Download iScape now and create fabulous landscape designs that help bring curb appeal and financial value to homes and businesses. Easy to use. iScape it!
