A driveway is a big part of your home’s curb appeal. Making your driveway smooth is practical, makes your house look better, and increases home value. When deciding which material is the best, choosing between concrete and asphalt driveways becomes essential.
This blog is about carefully planning and pouring the concrete mix, resulting in a firm surface that can withstand cars driving over it. It also provides many ways to customize the design with detailed stamping patterns or decorative finishes that improve the appearance of your property.
What Is a Concrete Driveway?
A concrete driveway is an evident part of your house’s outer appearance, providing strength, utility, and eye appeal. The construction starts with carefully preparing the site and ensuring a firm base for the concrete.
After being put up, the concrete mixture should be carefully poured out and smoothed; therefore, it has to remain firm until ready. By pouring down the concrete, the pavement becomes a perfectly flat surface capable of supporting a car’s weight without deformations.
What Is an Asphalt Driveway?
Asphalt driveways offer a durable, inexpensive surface choice for your home exterior. They are an exact blend of stones, sand, and asphalt cement. The builders carefully follow the construction process to ensure longevity and effective performance.
We begin the process by ensuring the site is well-prepared. We level the ground and press it down to create a strong foundation for the asphalt mixture. Once we finish preparing, we warm up the mix until it becomes hot enough and carefully put it on top of where cars will drive.
Critical Differences Between Asphalt and Concrete Driveways
To understand your new driveway better, let’s look at what separates asphalt driveways from concrete ones.
Cost Difference and Installation Process
Installing an asphalt driveway costs less than a concrete one. Additionally, you can quickly lay down asphalt in just one day, but concrete often needs more days to dry completely. It is essential to mention that asphalt may save money at the beginning, but over time, concrete driveways usually cost less,
Maintenance and Repairs
Asphalt driveways regularly receive such treatment after sealing and repair when there are cracks or potholes. Concrete driveways are more robust but will have a hard time getting cracked. These can often fixed with little trouble.
Lifespan and Durability
If they are maintained well, concrete driveways last longer than asphalt driveways. Concrete naturally resists weather damage and can effectively handle hot or cold temperatures. Asphalt driveways display more flexibility, making them a better option for areas that often experience freezing and thawing.
Aesthetic and Design
Concrete driveways come with many design choices, like stamped designs and ornamental finishes, so homeowners can make their driveways look the way they want. Asphalt driveways have fewer customization options but give a smooth and consistent look that is attractive to many homeowners.
Climate and Weather Considerations
The weather is essential for how well asphalt and concrete driveways work. When it’s hot, the asphalt can become soft and might change shape, but concrete usually stays strong even when it gets hot. On the other hand, asphalt can get cracks because of the freezing and thawing cycles, but concrete usually does not get damaged that much by this.
Conclusion
Choosing between asphalt and concrete driveways requires considering different things, like the price, how long it lasts, keeping it in good condition, how it looks, and whether it’s right for the weather. Asphalt is cheaper at first and can be put in place faster, but concrete driveways usually have better value over time because they don’t need as much upkeep and last longer.
Rocking S Concrete is a good option for homeowners who need trustworthy concrete workers. Get in touch with us today to share your vision, and allow us to transform it into reality using our expertise and unwavering commitment to superior craftsmanship.
