How a Single-Story Garage Can Save Your Driveway
Do you use your home’s driveway for parking an extra vehicle? It’s true that the average American family owns about two light-duty vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans) according to recent statistical data, which means that your home’s attached garage should be able to accommodate your parking needs. But, it’s also true that many families use their home’s integrated garage space to store other items, or even as a living area, displacing the cars that were supposed to “live” there.
The point is, if you’re parking your car, truck, or even your boat or camper outside on your driveway, you’re doing a disservice to both your vehicle and the pavement (and your wallet, too)! It’s time to consider how you can save your driveway and your money over the long term. We’re here to tell you that a detached, single-story garage is a great solution. Let’s take a closer look.
A Garage Protects Your Driveway Surface
It may not seem like it, but your paved driveway does a lot of hard work on your property every day. It allows you to drive your vehicles right up to your home from your road or street with ease. It provides a place for your kids and grandkids to practice sports and play. And, if engineered properly, it channels rainwater away from your home and other buildings to protect your structures from damage.
You probably spend money to maintain your driveway, repairing cracks that form and/or investing in professional seal-coating treatments. You may have even upgraded your driveway from gravel or asphalt to one made from decorative paver stones, stamped concrete, or brick. Yet, by regularly parking a vehicle on your driveway, you’re actually subjecting the surface to several harmful factors.
Automotive Fluids
If the extra vehicle that you park on your driveway is older, there’s a good chance that it is currently leaking substances like motor oil, transmission fluid, and coolant, or has leaked in the past. These fluids create unsightly stains on your driveway, but they also do invisible damage, too. They can penetrate up to a quarter-inch deep into concrete surfaces and can soften asphalt if not carefully cleaned.
Improper Drying After Rain
Your driveway is designed to release moisture and dry quickly after rainstorms, but if your car is parked there, the surface cannot evenly dry. Moisture is held around tires and beneath the vehicle, which may eventually cause surface material deterioration.
Chipping and Surface Damage
Do you have a heavy truck that you regularly park outside on your driveway? Asphalt used in residential driveways isn’t made to handle the weight of larger trucks like roadway paving material is, which can lead to chipping and breakage along driveway edges where these vehicles are parked. And, decorative driveways, like those made from pavers or bricks, might develop sunken areas under your heavy parked vehicle’s wheels over time.
Luckily, you can avoid all of these potential problems by storing your vehicle inside a new, purpose-built garage. Keeping your vehicle inside a structure that’s created specifically to house it means you won’t have to worry about repairing unnecessary damage to your driveway.
A Garage Hides Your Extra Vehicle from View
Why treat your driveway like a utilitarian parking lot when it could be adding curb appeal to your home? If you have an extra vehicle always parked in your driveway, it’s possible that your family or your neighbors think of it as an eyesore, even if the car is in pristine condition! It’s a simple fact that not all people like to be able to see vehicles when they look out the windows of their home. And the car’s presence might lend a cluttered look to your property that you don’t appreciate either.
With a new garage, you can park your vehicle out of sight and allow your driveway to add aesthetic appeal to your property instead of detracting from it.
And speaking of aesthetic appeal, your new garage will definitely become a point of pride when you build with Backyard Unlimited. We offer an amazing array of style options, colors, and finishes that provide a superior appearance and can be customized to complement your home’s architecture. And, we offer multi-story configurations, as well!
A Garage Offers Other Savings Benefits, Too
As we’ve shown, garages can certainly save your driveway from damage and hide visually unappealing vehicles on your property, but these structures offer other ways to “save,” as well.
The most obvious savings a garage will provide is to your vehicle, giving it protection from the elements. Sun beating down can fade paint and interior fabrics. Storms can cause scratches, dents, or even catastrophic damage that can “total” your vehicle (imagine a large tree branch crashing onto your car’s roof). A garage will help you protect your investment, and will ultimately save you money on automotive costs. If it’s a valuable hobby/collector vehicle that you’re planning to store, the protection you get may actually be priceless.
Did you know that a garage may save money on your car insurance, as well? Some major insurers offer discounts for garage parking because they understand the strong protection a garage provides to vehicles vs. being parked outside. Plus, your new garage will likely deliver a great return on your investment in terms of property value enhancement, as we discussed in a previous blog post about multi-story garages. With all of the savings benefits a new, high-quality garage will provide, you can think about upgrading your driveway next! Here at Backyard Unlimited, we’re committed to providing our customers with excellent value for their hard-earned money, and like all of our structures, our garages are built to exceptional standards of craftsmanship and installed by knowledgeable professionals.
If you’re ready to save your driveway with a new single-story (or multi-story) garage in the San Francisco Bay Area or Sacramento, California, get in touch with us today for your customized quote.
