The two most common driveway types in the Tri-state area are blacktop and concrete. These are plain driveways. If you want a great looking, customized driveway, try a tar and chip driveway.

To build a tar and chip driveway, you apply a layer of liquid asphalt on the driveway base. This is sprayed on to the driveway about 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. Into that hot tar, dump gravel chips. They can be brown, gray or any other gravel color that is available. Do not put too much tar down or the tar will seep up through the gravel.

Under the top layer of loose stones, the bottom layer of gravel is firmly embedded in the tar. Looks a lot like a standard blacktop driveway. This type drive provides excellent traction in the winter time. If you want to plow the snow off the driveway, just keep that snowplow blade about an inch off the ground.

If you want a tar and chip driveway, start in your yellow pages under blacktop contractors. You might find one that knows how to install tap and chip driveways.