Mid Century Modern Driveways

Increase your home’s curb appeal with an mcm driveway

Smooth concrete slabs with rocks between complement this mid century modern house. 

We have had the opportunity to see a wide-range of driveway styles in the many mid century neighborhoods in the Sacramento area. Asphalt, stamped (or textured), tinted, stenciled, pavers and exposed aggregate — all make an appearance.

The original driveways for Streng homes and carports were most likely exposed aggregate. The later Streng homes from the 1970 and 1980s often had textured driveways.

Landscaping and hardscape can contribute significantly to the value of your home as well as to its curb appeal.

Make sure your driveway fits with the mid century style of your home

This Eichler has smooth concrete slabs with grass between.

What are some of the considerations when replacing or repairing your driveway? We spoke to Matt Bowen of Prep Concrete for his expert opinion. Here are Matt’s thoughts.

The first consideration is for the style to fit the house. Think about the materials that you already have in your home. In mcm homes there is often a lot of exposed aggregate finish inside and outside the home.

While a solid, plain concrete driveway works well for mcm homes and is one of the more affordable options, selecting an exposed aggregate finish allows the driveway to be more complementary to the materials already present in your home. There are also numerous color options you can select from with an aggregate finish. A broomed or sand finish are also nice options.

This traditional aggregate driveway was very common with mid century houses when they were originally built. The rotted wood in the gaps can be replaced. 

Many of the original driveways often had wood between the slabs of concrete which are now in disrepair. We can replace the old wood with new wood or with gravel to give your existing driveway a new look.

Asphalt driveways aren’t a typical driveway you would find with an mcm home. These are also not very environmentally friendly and have to be sealed more often than concrete driveways. But they are economical and work well in areas that have extreme weather.

It can take up to a week to replace a driveway

Pavers create a pattern in this driveway. The gaps are filled with small stones. 

It takes about a week to install a concrete driveway. We need to first demo the existing driveway then grade the area, install a gravel base then install the rebar frame. We recommend waiting seven days to drive on the new driveway. And avoid the temptation to walk on it too early! Wait a couple of days.

To keep your driveway looking good pressure wash it annually or semi annually. We recommend waiting about 30 days if you want to seal the driveway. Sealing the driveway does help reduce the appearance of tire marks but if you do decide to seal the driveway then you need to commit to sealing it every couple of years.

A trend we are seeing is that customers are selecting a tinted concrete for their driveway and walkways. You can either pick the color before you pour so it is part of the concrete — called integral concrete — so that the color is throughout the concrete or a more popular choice is to pick a powdered color that we trowel in after we pour.

Price can have a wide range depending on the style you select but you can generally expect to pay between $18-20/foot for your new driveway.

Thanks Matt!

This driveway has a pattern stamped in the concrete and a smooth concrete border. 

Pressure wash your driveway at least once per year

So, have some fun with it — if you are considering replacing your driveway — drive around some of our great mcm neighborhoods for inspiration.