Ideas for Parking Pads

Dimensions

• A parking pad should provide sufficient space for each of the vehicles that will use the pad. To get an accurate measurement for the parking pad, measure the width of each car with the doors open; this ensures that drivers can get in and out of the cars easily. Measure the length of the cars and add at least 2 feet to the longest car length to get the appropriate length of the parking pad. Add an extra two feet to the measurement on all sides to give passengers enough room to walk around the vehicles. It may also be helpful to back up each vehicle to determine the minimum curve needed for each vehicle to back out of the parking pad.

Location

• The location of the parking pad is entirely up to the homeowner, but it should ideally be located in a place that is easily accessible to the driveway. A portion of the front yard can be carved out for a parking pad. If you want the parking pad to be out of view, put it next to or behind the garage. If you would eventually like to add a second garage or shed, place the parking pad in the desired location and build onto it later.

Material

• Common materials for parking pads include poured concrete, asphalt, paving stones and gravel. The parking pad requires a stable foundation of about 4 inches of crushed rock or gravel. Concrete is poured into the parking area and then smoothed to a flat surface. The concrete can be stamped to look like tile or painted with a design. Concrete takes about one month to cure, but it should be usable in a few days to one week. Asphalt pads are poured and then paved smooth; it requires three curing days before use although it will continue to cure for a year. Paving stones and bricks can be laid to create a cobblestone look for the parking pad, but the stones should be rated for driveways. Gravel is a cheap alternative to other options; it can be poured and spread for use in as little as one hour.

Landscaping

• Landscaping around a new parking pad helps to tie the pad in with the rest of the home. If a portion of a hill in the yard had to be cut to create a level parking pad, install a retaining wall to help prevent erosion and define the area of the parking pad. Carve out a set of steps to lead from the parking area to the walkway on the upper level. Flat parking areas can be defined with landscaping timbers, a small flowerbed or shrubs. A hedge around the parking pad can help to conceal cars so that the landscape appears more natural. As an alternative to an entire flowerbed, you can line the pad with potted plants.