How To Choose The Best Concrete Driveway

Concrete driveways are excellent surfaces for your home or business. However, there are many other options for driveways. They have benefits and unique considerations. When facing the decision of which surface type to install on your property, there are multiple factors you’ll want to take into account before reaching a final verdict.

Besides a concrete driveway, you can see that a paved driveway is commonly used by so many people. It is natural to get confused about which option to choose. If you’re reading this article, it likely means that you’ve narrowed down your two surface options to a paved or a concrete driveway. Both offer advantages that will benefit your property in various ways. You must decide which one best suit your requirements and personal tastes.

Below are the top tips to help you choose between a paved driveway and a concrete driveway in order of importance:

1. Estimate your costs

When calculating the price to install a new driveway, there are several elements to take into account. However, the two main factors depend on the surface type you decide to go with, that might be concrete or paved. With a concrete driveway, the average price for installation ranges from $3 to $10 per square foot. On the other hand, a paving driveway averages $2 to $8 per square foot.

Concrete driveways, on the other hand, may require a seal coat every 5 to 10 years, costing $0.50 to $1 per square foot. These numbers will help you get a basic idea of the cost of each surface type. But one factor you need to understand is that you have to choose the better quality and not the cost. And concrete driveways are long-lasting, resulting in a low maintenance cost and reducing the total cost.

2. Check the environment

The environment where the surface will be installed is a huge factor when deciding between a concrete and paving driveway. There are three main environmental factors, and those are UV exposure, freeze or thaw cycles, and soil type.

UV exposure is the amount of ultraviolet light shining on the surface. Paving driveways, on average, are subjected to more UV exposure than concrete. This is because concrete is a more dense material, whereas asphalt is much less dense. Therefore, concrete is less susceptible to UV degradation.

The number of times a year that the driveway is exposed to below-freezing temperatures and above-freezing temperatures is known as the number of freeze or thaw cycles. Concrete is less susceptible to freeze or thaw cycles than paving materials. An asphalt driveway will be more susceptible to these cycles because it has a lower freezing temperature than concrete. So, here also, concrete driveway results in having much more strength than other types.

3. Think about maintenance

Deciding between a concrete and paving driveway, you must consider how much maintenance the surface will require. A concrete driveway requires less maintenance than a paving driveway. The only required maintenance is minimal sweeping and the occasional seal coat application. On the other hand, a paving driveway requires sweeping, sealing, and crack filling. However, concrete and paving driveways have different maintenance requirements depending on the type of concrete and paving material used.

Conclusion

Your driveway may seem like an afterthought when you consider building or renovating a home, but as the entrance to your home it requires special consideration not only from an aesthetic point of view but also for home safety and reliability.

The decision between a concrete driveway and a paving driveway is as easy as that because you can see the differences clearly. A concrete driveway is much more accepted by people nowadays because of its robustness and resistance power. It is a hard surface that can bear a lot of weight at a time, and you don’t have to take many headaches for its maintenance too.

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Tags: Driveway, Home Improvement, Construction, Guest Post