When homeowners are considering updating their homes, the driveway is one of the first things that should come to their minds. A brand new concrete driveway is one of the best ways to improve the exterior of your house. In addition to the aesthetics, a new concrete driveway will also provide the perfect surface for your vehicles, bikes, skateboards, and will provide a safe place for children to play. Of course, there are other considerations when thinking about installing a new driveway, asphalt and other materials have pros and cons, but there are several benefits in choosing concrete for your driveway material.
Long-Lasting
One of the benefits of an asphalt driveway is the upfront cost, which will be lower than a concrete driveway. While a low cost is a valid reason to choose asphalt over concrete, you must factor in longevity and maintenance costs for a clearer picture. The binder elements in asphalt are prone to cracking and disintegration, which is part of the reason why this type of driveway won’t last as long as a cement driveway.
With proper care and maintenance, your concrete driveway will last as long as 30 years or more. And all you need to do is wash it down with a hose and re-apply sealant to it every couple of years. Typically, you can expect an asphalt driveway to last around 20 years. An asphalt driveway should be cleaned and scrubbed with a stiff broom at least twice a year. In addition, the asphalt driveway should be seal-coated every couple of years. It is also essential to have any cracks or holes in the asphalt repaired as soon as possible before the damage spreads.
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Cool to the Touch
Because concrete is a light color, it doesn’t get as hot to the touch in the summer. Asphalt, however, is black and soaks up the sun’s heat; it will get hot enough to fry an egg. There will be times when it is just too hot and dangerous to be playing on an asphalt driveway because you could suffer burns.
Beauty
Concrete driveways are certainly not limited to the gray and flat finish you see all too often. There are several ways in which you can spruce up your concrete driveway to make it more beautiful and unique. Stamped concrete offers a large and varied stamp template that will give your driveway a whole new look. You can make your driveway look like tile, flagstone, brick, and even wood with stamped concrete. Once you have chosen your favorite pattern, you can then pick the colors. That’s right; you can have a colored driveway should you choose.
We would love to talk about all of the ways you can customize and beautify an asphalt driveway, but you can’t. However, there is an upside; if you are into a black and dull driveway, then asphalt is a good choice.
Load-Bearing Capacity
Because concrete is a no-flexible material, it can handle heavy weight far better than asphalt. While asphalt can handle the weight of a car or truck, heavy equipment can cause flexing, which will lead to deformed pavement layers. Should you need to place a dumpster in your driveway for a week or two while doing some renovations, your concrete driveway can handle the weight, and therefore it won’t suffer any damage.
Clean Surface
Asphalt driveways tend to evaporate the oils in the mixture, and they rise to the surface. Once at the surface, these oils stick to your shoes, and you could track them through your house and into your carpet. This gets worse in the summer when temperatures are high.
On the other hand, cement does not emit any oils, and you don’t have to worry about dragging these materials through your home.
Popularity
Suppose you were to ask your friends and neighbors which type of driveway material they would choose; the majority of them would say concrete. Hoes with concrete driveways tend to sell faster than homes with asphalt driveways because they are preferred. You also have a better chance of recouping some of your driveway expenses down the road when choosing a cement driveway.
While we are on the subject of selling your house, cement driveways offer a lot more curb appeal than asphalt driveways. Even if you don’t utilize stamped or colored concrete, a plain cement driveway just looks better than an asphalt driveway. And we are quite sure you agree.
Environmental Concerns
It takes a great deal of energy to heat hot mix asphalt to the required temperature. If you have ever seen crews pave a road, you know just how messy and dirty the process is. And since asphalt driveways don’t last as long as concrete driveways, you have to repeat the process every 20 years.
It takes a lot less energy to install a concrete driveway, making it a better solution for those with environmental concerns. And since your concrete driveway will last 30 years or longer, you don’t have to worry about repeating the installation process for a very long time.
As you can clearly see, a concrete driveway offers a wide range of benefits for homeowners. A concrete driveway is eye-pleasing, kid-friendly, eco-friendly, and will keep more money in your bank account in the long run. If you are in the market for a concrete driveway, Cesar’s Concrete is dedicated to quality work, great prices, and customer satisfaction. Concrete is our specialty, and we have a team of dedicated and expert workers ready to install the perfect driveway for your home. We encourage all potential customers to shop around in order to discover that we have the best deals in town. So reach out today; it’s the first step to a new concrete driveway.
