This One Was Special
We finished up a project in Lakewood Ranch a few weeks ago that I've been wanting to tell y'all about. The homeowner - really great couple, just moved down from Ohio - wanted a circular driveway with a stamped concrete border. Not just a plain rectangle, something with some character.
Now I love when people want something a little different. My crew does too. Gets us out of the routine and we get to be creative with it.
The Design
The main driveway is standard broom-finish concrete - clean, classic, does the job. But the borders, about 18 inches on each side, we did in an ashlar slate stamp with a dark charcoal release color. It frames the whole driveway and gives it that high-end look without stamping the ENTIRE thing which would've added a lot to the cost.
The circular part wraps around a big oak tree in their front yard. We had to be real careful with the roots. You can't just pour concrete over tree roots - it'll kill the tree and eventually the roots will crack the concrete anyway. So we worked with their landscaper to figure out the right distance and used some flexible forming to get a nice curve around it.
The HOA Situation
If you live in Lakewood Ranch you know about the HOA requirements. And look, I get it, HOAs keep neighborhoods looking nice. But man they can slow things down. We had to submit our plans, color samples, and a site drawing BEFORE we could start. Took about three weeks to get approval.
My advice if you're in an HOA neighborhood - start that approval process EARLY. Don't wait until you've already scheduled the pour. I've had jobs in Country Club East and Greenfield Plantation where the HOA took a month to approve. Just plan for it.
The Pour
This was a two-day pour. First day we did the main slab - about 1,800 square feet of concrete. Second day was the stamped borders which take more time because of the stamping and coloring process. Had five guys on the crew for this one and everybody earned their paycheck I'll tell you that.
Weather cooperated too which in November around here is about as good as it gets. Low 80s, low humidity, no rain. Perfect curing conditions.
The Result
The homeowners were thrilled. Their neighbors have already asked for our number which is always the best compliment. The circular layout gives them so much more parking for when they have guests and the stamped border really sets their home apart from the other houses on the street.
Total project took about a week from demo of the old driveway to final cleanup. If you're in Lakewood Ranch or anywhere in Sarasota County and thinking about a custom driveway, give us a call. We love these kinds of projects.