Last week we ended our week by talking about paver driveways. Today we are going to talk about another type of driveway and its pros and cons – the concrete driveway. Concrete, which is sometimes mistakenly referred to as cement, is a surface that’s made by blending water, sand, gravel aggregate, and Portland cement (powdered) and pouring it in-between forms while it’s wet, and letting it harden into a very durable paving surface. The installation’s very labor-intensive and requires a sub-layer to be created which is tightly packed, wooden forms to be created to hold the liquid, reinforcing it using wire mesh or rebar, and carefully smoothing and tooling the surface once it’s poured.

Even though it’s possible to do it on your own, it’s very difficult and the majority of people decide it’s better to do the pouring and finishing of the concrete driveway. A professional installation is going to cost anywhere from $4-$20/square foot, although site preparation and removal of old material can make this cost go up.

Even though concrete’s costlier than asphalt, it’s very cost-effective because the surface will last for decades. Concrete driveways can last anywhere from 25-50 years.

A concrete driveway will look great when it’s new. However, stains that come from things like mildew, tire marks, rust, oil, and grease will rob it of its luster. You can often remove the stains with pressure washing and using a product like Castrol SuperClean.

Below are the pros and cons of a concrete driveway,

Pros & Cons of Concrete Driveways

Pros

• Surface is very durable
• It can be colored or stamped to improve its appearance
• It’s great when snow needs to be removed

Cons

• Subject to water damage and cracking unless it’s sealed periodically
• Not good for DIYers. It’s recommended that you have it professionally installed
• Deicing salt can damage it.

These are some of the things that you want to know about a concrete driveway. Are you thinking about having a new driveway put in or maybe a new patio? We offer hardscaping services, and we are glad to give you a quote. Contact us here and we’ll get back to you.

One of the most popular driveway types is the paver driveway. These are best when you want visual appeal for your driveway. The term “pavers” includes different manmade concrete or clay and natural stone bricks. They’re used for sidewalk, patio, and driveway surfaces. The pavers used for driveways come in various designs and sizes, so you have a lot of choices that you can select from. Concrete pavers are very popular because they come in many geometric shapes. They can be set so that the joints are full of mortar. However, the option that is more modern is to set them so that the joints get packed with aggregate or fine sand. This allows its surface to drain a lot more efficiently.

When pavers are used for driveway surfaces, they’re very durable, although they might need regular maintenance, the cobblestone pavers are very known for being long-lasting. Even when they get dislodged or broken, it’s a simple repair. Since they’re individual units, unlike an asphalt or concrete surface, you can replace them individually. Therefore, you aren’t faced with repairing your whole driveway.  

That being said, removing snow from them can be harder, particular with the driveways made of natural cobblestones with rougher surface textures. Pavers also are higher in price. So that is something to consider. It can cost anywhere from $30-$40 sq ft, and even more if you require extensive preparation of the site. However, the pavers range from $3-$10 sq foot. So if you feel up to it, you can do the work yourself. Even though the work’s time-consuming and very physically demanding, it’s not complicated to do on your own.

Below are some pros and cons of paver driveways.

Pros & Cons of Paver Driveways

Pros

• Very stylish surface
• A lot of geometric styles you can choose from
• Simple to repair
• Adds value to your property

Cons

• Very expensive
• Can be hard to remove the snow from them
• It’s labor-intensive to do on your own
• It’s important to regularly maintain them to keep them looking good.

Are you interested in having a new paver driveway put in? if so, we are happy to give you a free no-obligation quote to do the work. Simply contact us here and let us know what you need and we’ll be happy to contact you back.