When it comes to the common material options to choose when building a new driveway, the question that remains to be answered – is whether you should pick asphalt or concrete driveways. Knowing the ideal material to be utilized for your driveway is essential in building a durable & long-lasting structure.
Thus, to help you decide properly between the above-mentioned two material options, we have formulated this comprehensive guide containing a detailed report on why aggregate concrete driveway are a better option than asphalt driveways.
Reasons Why Concrete Driveways Should Be Preferred Over Asphalt Driveways
- The Longevity
Once the concrete has been cured, you can expect the same to last for years, especially when compared to asphalt driveways. Generally, you can expect longevity of around 30 years from concrete driveways, provided you perform correct care & maintenance.
On the other hand, you need to reseal your asphalt driveway every year and the longevity will still be close to only half (15 years) of what concrete driveways can provide.
- The Maintenance
No one should overlook the maintenance costs when building a driveway – either via using asphalt or concrete. Asphalt driveways need to be cleaned at least twice per year. Then you have to reseal the surface each year so that you can prevent any breaking or crack while ensuring the surface remains water-resistant.
However, when it comes to concrete driveways, a concrete sealer will only be provided during the installation phase. Such sealer needs to be reapplied every three to five years, depending upon the wear & tear the driveway experiences.
Thus, if you add up the maintenance costs in each of the aforementioned options, you’ll easily notice that concrete driveways always come out on top of asphalt driveways.
- The Curb Appeal
One of the other advantages of installing a concrete driveway over an asphalt one is that – it will help in enhancing the curb appeal of your property. Thus, if you’re planning to sell your home recently, then you can expect to obtain a better return from your investment since home buyers always prefer having concrete driveways over asphalt ones.
Even if you’re not planning to sell your property, having an added curb appeal is always a good thing.
- The Customisation
Concrete driveways provide you with more customisation options than asphalt driveways. For example, you can opt for coloured concrete, stamped concrete, decorative finishes and so on. However, with asphalt driveways, you’re only limited to using asphalt and nothing else. And since asphalt is black, there will be close to zero colour options.
- The Summer Factor
If you live in an area where summers can get hot, then opting for asphalt driveways might be a bad option. This is because the direct sunlight falling on black asphalt will easily heat the surface to dangerous temperatures (black absorbs light). As a result, you cannot walk barefoot on asphalt driveways in the summer because your feet can get burnt.
But, when it comes to concrete driveways, you don’t have to worry about the same because concrete driveways are light coloured. As a result, most of the incoming sunlight will be reflected instead of getting absorbed. Thus, concrete driveways will be cooler than asphalt ones.
In case you want to learn more about concrete driveways, feel free to contact our experts today.
