A Guide to Concrete Driveways

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.