Last Updated on January, 2025
Sometimes, steep driveways are just a matter of geography. They may be the only way for you to have a driveway, or they might be the cost of owning an elevated house with a majestic view.
Whatever the case, you need to take measures to make yours safer sooner rather than later. Don’t wait until wintertime when your car starts sliding down the driveway toward the street below. Yikes!
Concrete is one of the best solutions to fix a steep driveway; in this article, you will find out why! We’ll show you its different forms, tips to prep your site, and how to lay a concrete finish that adds security and curb appeal.
Let’s dive in!
Quick Summary
- There are multiple concrete options for steep driveways including plain concrete, colored concrete, concrete pavers, staining, exposed aggregate, and stenciled concrete. Each option has its own advantages, such as enhanced aesthetics, slip resistance, and long-term cost-effectiveness.
- Concrete is an ideal material for steep driveways due to its strength, durability, and ability to provide solid footing and traction, making it safer and more reliable than alternatives like gravel.
- Proper site preparation and finishing techniques are crucial when constructing a steep driveway with concrete. This includes considerations for drainage, the slope’s grade, and finishing methods like broom, salt, or stamped finishes to ensure safety and durability.
6 Concrete Ideas for Steep Driveways
Before we get to our six concrete ideas for steep driveways, you may ask why concrete? Why not gravel?
While affordable, gravel is far from the most reliable option. A steep slope may cause it to come loose and accumulate at the bottom of your driveway.
When dealing with a sloping driveway, you need something that provides solid footing, allows your vehicle to gain proper traction, and stands up to harsh weather conditions. A concrete surface ticks all these boxes and more.
Here are six ways you can implement it.
Use Plain Concrete
Plain concrete is an extremely popular material for homeowners looking to improve their driveways. It is strong, long-lasting, and has a clean, minimalistic look. Moreover, a plain surface’s simplicity allows quicker installation at a lower price, with less maintenance in the long run.
However, while plain concrete has high compressive strength, it also has low tensile strength. This means that prolonged stress can cause shrinkage and cracks in the surface.
Your contractor may recommend reinforcing the concrete with steel or welded wire mesh to increase its tensile strength.
Use Coloured Concrete
If you want your driveway to have more aesthetic appeal, you can opt for coloured concrete instead of a neutral grey look. Earth tones such as beige, brown, and muted green are recommended, as they will add curb appeal to almost any property.
Once you decide on a colour, your contractor will add iron oxide pigments to the concrete mix and create the desired tone. Ensure that they use a sealant to prevent water infiltration, which can cause the colour to fade over time.
Adding coloured concrete to your steep driveway will cost you 10-30% more than a plain concrete driveway.
Lay Concrete Pavers
Concrete pavers are an excellent choice for constructing a steep driveway. They are more durable, visually attractive, and provide better slip resistance than poured concrete. However, these advantages come at the cost of a longer installation time.
Paving on a slope presents various challenges. We recommend hiring a professional with the right tools and materials to complete the job.
A professional contractor will prepare the ground by creating a gravel base. They will then add the bedding before installing the pavers. Next, they may cut specific pavers with a diamond blade saw to ensure they fit on your driveway.
While more expensive to install, pavers are low-maintenance and cost-effective in the long term.
Add Staining
Staining is a great way to enhance the look of a steep driveway. Unlike pigments, which change the colour of the entire concrete mixture, stains only change the driveway’s surface.
A stained aesthetic is achieved using an acid-resistant roller or brush, and the substance needs to sit with the concrete for at least six hours. Once the reaction is complete and the acid residue has been cleaned, you can add a second coat of choice to create a unique gradient or pattern.
The texture of a stained surface can cause it to get slippery when wet, leading to injury. You can prevent this by adding an anti-slip sealer. Your contractor may also advise using an anti-slip additive with the sealer to create the necessary grip.
Exposed Aggregate
Exposed aggregate is one of the most popular solutions for steep slopes, and for good reason. It is durable, requires minimal maintenance, and has design options to match any house or property type. A true all-rounder!
This look is achieved with a concrete mixture containing aggregates such as crushed stones, sand, and pebbles. Once laid, the contractor applies a surface retarder, which allows them to sand back the top layer and reveal the aggregate texture.
The process involves multiple steps, including high-pressure washing, abrasive blasting, and acid-etching. Finally, a sealant is applied to protect against cracks and weather.
Exposed aggregate provides excellent slip resistance on steep driveways, allowing safe vehicle travel during wet conditions. Moreover, its smooth texture makes it comfortable on bare feet while removing the risk of slipping.
To learn more about Exposed aggregate concrete driveways, take a look at our service here.
Use Stencilled Concrete
If you want to focus specifically on the look of your driveway, a stencilled concrete construction may be the best option.
Building experts generally provide various samples, allowing you to create a custom design suitable for your property. The stencilling process combines concrete with tiles, stone, and brick.
The contractor will draw your desired pattern while the mixture hardens, creating a distinct surface for your driveway. You will avoid the plain look of regular concrete while still having its durable properties.
To learn more about Stencilled concrete driveways, take a look at our service here.
Other useful guides:
Site Preparation for Concrete Driveways
Site preparation is an integral part of building a concrete surface, especially in the case of a steep driveway.
While flat driveways are relatively straightforward, concreting a steep slope presents different challenges. Even small mistakes can cause severe issues, so it’s vital to get the planning phase right before work begins.
When laying concrete or asphalt, a major concern is the underside of your car making contact with the driveway. As such, you should factor in the grade of your slope during site preparation.
The size and weight of your vehicle will also influence construction. For example, people with trucks or SUVs will require stronger driveways than those with smaller vehicles.
Other considerations include the presence of caravans or trailers and whether small children will use the driveway.
Proper drainage is also vital on a steep slope. Concrete and asphalt driveways are especially susceptible to water runoff, and not addressing this issue can lead to damage and erosion. Additionally, excess water can accumulate and form potholes under your driveway.
An experienced contractor will consider strength, traction, and drainage before commencing work on the project.
Ways to Finish Concrete for a Steep Driveway
Now that we’ve explored some concrete ideas and how to prep your site, let’s look at ways to finish concrete on a steep slope.
Use a Screed and Trowel
Once the concrete is poured, you should ensure it is spread evenly across the length of your driveway. To do this, a professional builder will use a screed and trowel.
A screed is a flat tool often made of wood or metal. Contractors use them to displace excess concrete and level out the surface.
They will then smooth it out further with a trowel, a flat, pointed blade with a wooden handle.
Add a Broom Finish
This type of concrete finish involves brushing the concrete with a broom (or something similar) to create grooves. If the surface of your concrete driveway is too smooth, it can be a slip hazard in wet conditions. A broom finish will roughen the concrete and add friction.
Add a Salt Finish
Another way you can add grip to your steep driveway is with a salt finish. Use a trowel or roller to press rock salt to wet cement, then wash the salt off the surface. This finish will provide traction for vehicles and protect your driveway against rain and snow.
Rock salt also lends your driveway a spotted pattern, making it a cost-effective way of enhancing aesthetics.
Use Concrete Edgers
Concrete edgers round out the perimeter of your slab so that it doesn’t chip or crack when the forms are removed. This is done when the concrete has hardened to an extent but not completely cured.
Add a Stamped Finish
A Stamped finish involves pressing textured forms on wet concrete to emulate materials like brick or stone. You can also emulate the look of tiles without having to bear the heavy installation costs.
Overall, this is an excellent option if you don’t want to install pavers or dislike the look of plain concrete.
Here’s our Stamped concrete driveway service.
What Makes a Steep Driveway Unique, and When is a Driveway Considered Too Steep?
Having a steep driveway is unavoidable if your house is on a hill or a slope. Compared to flat driveways, these surfaces pose more significant risks and are more challenging to renovate.
While wet or cold weather can cause problems for most surfaces, these issues are exacerbated on steep driveways due to their angle and geography.
If an untreated driveway becomes frozen or covered in snow, vehicles may be unable to access it. Stone and gravel driveways must also be topped off more frequently during the winter.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall causes erosion and gravel displacement, increasing the risk of accidents on your driveway. The effects of gravity make erosion a greater threat, as water damage happens more quickly on a steep slope.
As such, wear and tear on concrete or asphalt surfaces becomes a more serious concern. They will need regular inspections and repairs.
Your contractor may also advise measures such as installing a ramp or speed bumps, which increases material and labour costs.
So, when is a sloping driveway considered too steep?
While there is no exact figure, a 15% grade or slope is generally considered a steep driveway. A 20% or higher grade is deemed dangerous and illegal in most places.
Conclusion
Concrete is one of the best remedies to fix a steep driveway. There are many types to choose from and many approaches you can take, but hopefully, our guidelines have made things a little easier.
You can use our ideas to build the ideal driveway according to your requirements, budget, and taste.
Best of luck!
