Now that our latest construction project is done (the garages) and until we start the next one (the carriage house), we have fewer trucks, cars, and equipment wreaking havoc on our property, which made me stare at our regrind driveway with fresh eyes. I just reread the original article, from three years ago, debating all the driveway options and unsure if we made the right decision. We compared concrete (too expensive), gravel (would wash away in rain), chipseal (would also wash away with rain), asphalt (cheapest but very black and new-construction-esque/wrong vibe), and regrind (compacted recycled asphalt with a layer of loose gravel on top). We chose regrind, which was $2k more than asphalt (done by our asphalt contractor). I left that last post on a cliff hanger – did we make the right $40k decision???? Three years later, let’s see.
Before – 2019
As a reminder, here’s how busted it was before – SUPER BUSTED. And I wish I knew the exact square footage of our driveway, but I’d say it’s around 1/4 of a mile (at least it feels that way when we take the trash cans to the street – so freaking long).
While I had hoped to not invest in the driveway (boring way to spend money), we had to and belabored the decision of what to do. Read the article where I break down all our options, with the pros and cons of each.
First Year Of Our Regrind Driveway – 2022
As a reminder, we wanted something that felt older, appropriate to a 120-year-old farm. Listen, however fancy our house has turned out, it still has a casual vibe, and we were (and still are) afraid that asphalt would not be the right choice, style-wise. And as a reminder, gravel would have washed away because we are on a hill and we live in the Pacific Northwest, where God blesses us with months of rain every year.
Our initial reaction was “it’s fine,” then months later, “it’s actually GREAT”. And since then, it’s honestly not something we ever think about. It’s just our driveway and I give zero attention to it. Listen, I barely know which of our two cars I drive (not joking, I have what the kids call “car blindness” where I get into the closest black SUV), so we all have the things we care about, and driveways aren’t one of mine.
Now, Our Regrind Driveway in 2025…3 Years Later
It looks mostly the same but dirtier and looser in parts. I just asked Brian what he thought of it now, and he said, “I don’t know – I guess it’s fine?”. That’s kind of how I feel. I still prefer the charm of the gravel sound under my feet. I love that it’s more rustic and not a harsh dark new color (or broken concrete). You can really beat it up without leaving a trace. I do fear that had we done asphalt, we would have to have it redone already since we deal with so many trucks here, likely damaging it.
Over time, some areas have gotten a tiny bit “bald” of loose gravel, but the compacted asphalt underneath is still there. I didn’t even notice it, to be honest, until I forced myself to look. I think it’s mostly the same, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the top layer of loose gravel is shaken up a bit.
My Official Verdict – Regrind Or Asphalt?
Regrind is still the best choice for us, even if we aren’t vocal Regrind enthusiasts. It’s just great, appropriate, and works here really well. Listen, if we didn’t have an older, more rustic property AND have a sports court for biking/roller blading, then I think asphalt would probably have been our choice. If you have young kids and want a place for biking or blading (or playing basketball), then regrind isn’t the best for that. They are about the same cost, so like most things, this is a personal preference, and we are happy enough with what we chose. We have zero regrets, but really don’t think that asphalt is a bad choice, just stylistically not what we wanted. We don’t love dragging the trash cans down to the street (feels like 1/4 mile) on the regrind driveway, but it’s better than gravel. But the look and feel is worth it to us. Will give you an update in another 3 years 🙂
*Pretty Photos by Kaitlin Green
**Emily’s Outfit: Top | Shorts | Sandals