Installing a driveway is an important step in the direction to enhance the look and value of your property. These are of different types. You can go with the one that suits your home style and budget. Three main types include asphalt, concrete and block paving.
All of us keep on doing something different to improve the look of our property. Improvement can be in any form, it may be a simple decoration of rooms, installation of new furniture or any other. One of the best steps in the direction to make your property more exquisite and safe is to have a well-installed driveway.
Driveway installation being an important task needs to be carried out in a proper way. Taking professional help in this regard is a very good decision. There are many professional companies that are helping customers in this regard. These companies install different kinds of driveways for your property as per your wish.
Some of the major types include:
Asphalt
An asphalt driveway offers plenty of wonderful options to make an exterior of one’s property beautiful. It is one of the cheapest options preferred by a majority of individuals. The process of installing it is very easy. Moreover, it is extremely durable and attractive in nature. The only disadvantage is that the driveway requires a lot of attention and maintenance.
Concrete
A concrete driveway is another major type that is preferred for both residential and well as commercial sectors. It is better than asphalt in many ways. It does not develop bumps or potholes easily. Also, it requires very less maintenance. Resurfacing or resealing is not required in this case. Moreover, individuals have a wide variety of textures, patterns and colors to choose from. All these features make this driveway expensive as compared to the one made up of asphalt.
Block-paving
Block paving driveways are one of the most attractive among all. These can be installed with lot of ease and convenience. But the process of installation is time-consuming. The only disadvantage associated with them is their expensive nature. Easy maintenance, cleaning, durability, exquisiteness, long-lasting and weather-resistant nature are some of the major features of these driveways. These not only add beauty and value to your property, but also last much longer than any other types.
These are some of the most preferred forms of driveways used for a property. Depending on your property’s look and budget, you can choose the one that suits you best. For better results in installation, you can take assistance from a professional company. Such companies employ latest tools and equipment to execute the installation task in an appropriate way.
When it comes to driveways, making people go with either concrete or asphalt as their preferred paving material. They have their own merits and demerits and are very suitable for construction. But which is the best material to be used in building driveways? Let us discuss about the pros, cons and materialistic properties of each of these materials to find out about that.
Appearance and Design Options
Concrete has lots of decorative options and designing prospects compared to asphalt. It can be stained or tinted with various colors to form unique and colorful patterns. Similarly, it can also be stamped into different designs. On top of this, one can easily give different kinds of finishes to a concrete.
On the other hand, asphalt has no decorative options like concrete. It just comes in standard black color. As it has to be rolled and compressed to make the surface even, there is not any way to give it unique finishes like concrete.
Weathering and Climate Compatibility
Weather is an important factor in deciding whether to choose asphalt or concrete for your driveways.
In Hotter Climatic Regions: Concrete driveways are more suitable in the regions where the weather tends to be much hotter than asphalt driveways. Driveways constructed using asphalt, are prone to cracks and grooves because the tar softens in hot temperatures quite easily.
In Colder Climatic Regions: Asphalt driveways are more suitable in this type of weather than concrete driveways. Cracks are easily formed in driveways made from concrete due to frost heave. Similarly, the salt used on roads to combat ice and snow also affects concrete negatively while on the other hand, asphalt is resistant to salt. As asphalt is dark in color, it can readily absorb heat from the sun which makes the melting of ice even faster.
Potholes and Root Growth: Concrete are more resistant to potholes and roots compared to asphalt due to their rigidity and hardness.
Changing climates: In some regions where the weather is frequent changing, concrete can be a better option compared to asphalt for driveways. This is because the edges of concrete driveways can stand up against weathering better than that of asphalt driveways.
Maintenance and Repairing
Sealing: Asphalt driveways needs to be sealed after about 8 months of their installation because they will be still soft during that time. After the first sealing, it requires to be sealed again every 4 to 5 years. In the case of concrete driveways, if they are sealed once then they do not need to be sealed for about 50 years.
Stains: Stains in concrete driveways are easily visible because of their light coloring while asphalt does not get stained as easily as concrete. However, sealing can help in reducing staining too.
Cracks: Weathering and aging will infect crack on both concrete and asphalt driveways. However, cracks on asphalt are easier to mend than the cracks on concrete. On top of that, maintenance fee is quite minimal in asphalt than in concrete.
Lifespan
The lifespan of the driveway really depend on the climatic conditions of the place and the foundation structure of the driveway itself. However, generally speaking, concrete driveways can last for more years than that of asphalt if maintained properly.
Price
Constructing asphalt driveways is much more economical than constructing concrete driveways. Your average asphalt driveways usually costs about $3 to $4 per square foot while for concrete driveways can cost from $10 to $15 per square foot. However, the prices might vary a little from state to state.
It’s great that you mentioned a concrete driveway requires little maintenance and that it doesn’t develop bumps or potholes easily, unlike other driveway types. My parents are having a house built in the countryside, and they’re asking me what type of driveway would be best for their home. Since they’re getting old, I think it would be wise that they get a concrete driveway, so they don’t have to worry about maintaining it. Thanks for this!