Exposed aggregate is a favourite in Melbourne for good reason: it’s modern, durable and offers that textured, architectural look without shouting for attention. Yet even the best exposed aggregate concrete driveway can underperform if a few common pitfalls aren’t managed early. Here are the mistakes homeowners often make – and how to dodge them so your forecourt stays sharp for years.
1. Treating the Base Like an Afterthought
A great exposed aggregate driveway in Melbourne starts with solid groundwork. If you cut corners on digging depth, compaction, or the quality of the base layer, you will quickly see problems such as cracking, sinking, or puddles.
How To Avoid It: Ask your contractor to put the excavation depth, base material, and compaction method in writing. For most driveways, this means a well-compacted crushed-rock base with steel reinforcement suited to the weight of your vehicles. If your block is on a slope, make sure the base design and drainage plan get extra attention so rainwater flows away from your home rather than pooling.
2. Forgetting a Proper Drainage Strategy
Exposed aggregate is tough, but it’s not a substitute for stormwater engineering. Without graded falls and collection points, water will sit, stain and slowly degrade the surface at the garage threshold and low spots.
How to Avoid It: Confirm finished levels early. Ensure there’s a gentle fall away from the house, and specify strip or grated drains where the driveway meets the garage and along any long, low edges.
3. Chasing the Cheapest Mix (And Regretting the Look)
“Grey with some pebbles” is not a very inspiring design brief. Aggregate size, colour blend and cement matrix tone define the character of a modern exposed aggregate driveway. Choosing solely on price often yields a busy, speckled result that clashes with your façade or reads flat once sealed.
How to Avoid It: Review large, real samples (both when wet and dry) in natural light against your exterior materials. Cool greys with charcoal or blue-black stone lean contemporary; warmer blends with river pebbles can soften brick or render. Ask your driveway contractors in Melbourne for options and choose the mix that suits your home the best.
4. Underestimating Timing on the “Exposure”
Fun fact: the beautiful texture commonly associated with exposed aggregate actually relies on washing back the top cement paste at precisely the right moment. Too early and stones tear out; too late and the surface won’t reveal evenly. Inexperienced crews can leave you with blotchy panels and tyre-mark-prone patches.
How to Avoid It: Shortlist driveway contractors in Melbourne with a strong exposed aggregate portfolio. Ask how they stage pours for larger driveways, how they maintain consistency across panels, and what happens if weather forces a timing change. A crew that can talk sequencing, retarders and contingency plans is a safer bet.
5. Neglecting Control Joints
Cracking isn’t ideal, and often means that the control points were poorly planned or skipped altogether. Random cracks draw the eye and collect grime over time, making it something to be keenly avoided.
How to Avoid It: Request a joint layout before the pour. Clean, straight saw-cuts at sensible spacings relieve stress and add a subtle, modern grid to the surface. Around curves and transitions, joints should still feel deliberate rather than zig-zagging randomly.
6. Skipping the Cure (Or Sealer)
Concrete gets stronger over time, but only if it’s allowed to cure properly. Rush the process and you risk a weaker surface that dusts, stains and weathers unevenly. Likewise, leaving the driveway unsealed invites oil, leaf tannins and tyre scuffs to soak in and mar the surface.
How to Avoid It: Stick to the recommended cure time and traffic restrictions, even if it’s inconvenient. Then ensure your contractor applies a breathable, UV-stable sealer suited to exposed aggregate. This helps deepen colour, repels stains and makes cleaning easier. Plan for resealing at the intervals your contractor recommends, based on use and exposure.
7. Treating Maintenance as “Set and Forget”
Exposed aggregate is low-maintenance, not no-maintenance. Not properly clearing out leaves or spills will dull the finish and shorten the reseal cycle.
How to Avoid It: Sweep your driveway of leaves as needed and address oil promptly with a suitable degreaser. Avoid metal shovels and aggressive acids. A little routine care keeps the texture crisp and the colour even.
8. Overlooking the Wider Entry Design
From awkward path transitions to mismatched textures, even the most premium exposed aggregate driveway can still look underwhelming if it clashes with the rest of the front garden.
How to Avoid It: Repeat the aggregate mix on the front path or use matching steppers to link the kerb to the door. Consider a neat header band where the driveway meets the footpath. Add low, glare-free lighting to graze the texture at night and plant with clean, architectural forms to reinforce the contemporary lines.
9. Choosing on Quote, Not Credentials
Most driveway contractors in Melbourne are happy to strike up a deal. But if a quote looks too good to be true, something’s missing, ranging from time, reinforcement, base prep or sealing.
How to Avoid It: Compare like for like. Ask for recent local addresses to inspect, details of the mix, reinforcement, joint plan, drainage solution and sealing system. A specialist who lives and breathes exposed aggregate is far more likely to deliver a consistent, long-wearing result.
Make Your Driveway The Best On The Street
Get in touch with your local driveway contractor today for further information on how to proceed and what you need to do to keep your driveway looking good for years.