Driveways of distinction; More and more, unconventional materials are replacing common gray

Amanda Schoenberg Journal Staff Writer

When neighbors pull up in front of Sue Murphy's home, they are usually after one thing - a view of her driveway.

In her Santa Fe neighborhood, Murphy's home is known as "the one with the driveway" after she added stone porphyry, which looks similar to traditional cobblestones.

Murphy wanted something that would add traction on her steep gravel driveway while adding a little pizazz. She paid $75,000 for the stone, imported from Mexico by Santa Fe-based Milestone Inc.

"I believe it's worth every penny," Murphy says. "It's fabulous."

Murphy is one of many homeowners willing to pay more for creative driveway options. Plain gray concrete, asphalt and gravel are making way for stamped, stenciled and colored concrete, and new options like porphyry, porous concrete and lithocrete with chunks of recycled glass, marbles and even seashells.

Milestone general manager Robert Kean says porphyry is increasingly popular, adding up to 25 percent of company sales. Porphyry, which was often used to build Roman roads, is more durable than concrete or asphalt, Kean says.

The company has imported purple porphyry from Mexico since 1996 and began importing it from Argentina and China this year, providing new color options in gold, gray and brown.

"It's been around forever but America is just catching on," Kean says.

Although it isn't as popular as porphyry, Milestone also offers Brazilian Quartzite for a unique driveway option. For about the same price as porphyry, quartzite has lighter, iridescent tones in shades of red and gold.

Stained and stamped concrete, designed to simulate the look of brick and stone, is another popular driveway trend.

According to Mark Donaldson, who runs www. concreteideas.com in Austin, Texas, decorative concrete use has surged in the past 10 years.

Cheaper than stone or brick, decorative concrete offers a creative touch absent from gray concrete or asphalt. Donaldson has even spotted concrete driveway designs ranging from compass roses to horses. Despite a dismal housing market, decorative concrete is an easy way to add curb appeal in a buyer's market, he says.

At Floor Coatings Unlimited LLC in Albuquerque, part-owner Jeff Tipton says most New Mexicans opt for beige and brown stained concrete, but some customers think outside the box with two-tone driveways and red concrete overlays with brick patterns.

Most people opt for "micro topping" - repairing existing concrete and then adding a thin surface to existing concrete - to extend the life of a driveway.

Another option is to resurface driveways with stamped overlays that look like rock or stone. Both options look like new driveways, Tipton says.

For a driveway in poor condition, Tipton says concrete overlays cost $4.50 per square foot including labor. If a driveway is in good shape, it will cost a dollar less per square foot. For $2 per square foot, Tipton will also add acrylic paint designs on driveways in good condition. That means spending about $1,000 for a 500-square-foot driveway.

At Deco-Crete of New Mexico, the most popular and cost-efficient option is to resurface existing driveways with a micro-topping and color stain, according to owner Michael Sanchez.

Options include red, brown and gold earth-tone stains, as well as turquoise and green. The company also offers stamped concrete that gives the look of cobblestone, brick, river rock or flagstone. The "sky is the limit" as far as color and design, Sanchez says.

Creative Concrete TM of New Mexico has specialized in decorative concrete for 18 years and started to offer new porous paving options last year.

According to owner Mary Jo Arrell, porous concrete lets rain and snow pass through the material to replenish groundwater supplies.

At one Albuquerque home, workers added colored concrete to the porous material for an adobecolored driveway. It is a distinctive look that Arrell calls "colored Rice Krispies" because of its bumpy texture.

The porous material costs $6.50 per square foot while stained concrete costs $3.50 per square foot, Arrell says.

Arrell also offers a new product called lithocrete, which combines concrete with aggregate materials like recycled glass, shells and granite. Although she hasn't installed lithocrete for driveways, she is working on a sidewalk using aqua, turquoise and light green recycled glass.

In her Albuquerque showroom, Arrell points out lithocrete with chunks of shiny glass and mosaic tiles. She predicts it will be the next wave for driveways. Although it costs more, lithocrete absorbs heat and requires less maintenance than concrete, which must be resealed every few years.