Concrete Driveways Better Than Asphalt Driveways?

800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}

Your Minnesota driveway is an important aspect of your home, especially here in the cold region of Minneapolis. As qualified concrete driveway contractors, one question people ask us a lot is "Should I have a concrete or asphalt driveway?” They both have advantages and disadvantages and we will take a look at some of the differences and compare them.

 

Cost:

 

• Concrete: Higher because of the level of durability. A concrete slab is poured thicker and is stronger and therefore it costs more.
• Asphalt: usually costs less than concrete, which is surprising as the material cost is dependant on oil prices and we all know how those have been rising. Sometimes the rising costs of oil raise the cost of an asphalt driveway to that of a concrete slab.

 

 

 

Durability and Maintenance:

 

• Concrete: Much more durable than asphalt as a concrete installation can last 2-3 times as long as an asphalt installation. Virtually maintenance free for many years as long as you keep extremely heavy traffic off of your Minnesota concrete driveway. Concrete slab repairs are more expensive than asphalt repairs and usually must be completed by a qualified Minneapolis concrete driveway contractor.
• Asphalt: Has a tendency to crack even without heavy traffic on it and must be sealed every 3-5 years. Repairs are cheaper than concrete slab repairs but they are more frequent as well. Only lasts about half as long as a concrete slab installation.

 

Finishes:

 

• Concrete: A concrete driveway can have finishes applied by a Minneapolis concrete driveway contractor and these finishes include broom swept, exposed aggregate, stained and stamped concrete for a variety of looks. When a Minneapolis concrete driveway contractor stamps concrete, it can have the look of brick, slate, flagstone or cobblestone.
• Asphalt: One plain finish, unable to have any of the concrete slab finishing techniques applied to it by a concrete driveway contractor. It can be mixed in different colors although the most common is black. You can go with an ivory color if you wish to have a lighter color.

 

 

 

Climate:

 

• Concrete: A concrete slab will hold up well against hot weather but is not as strong against extreme cold conditions.
• Asphalt: Handles extreme cold without cracking but in warmer weather it softens and turns sticky.

 

A concrete driveway contractor can work with you to ensure that your Minnesota driveway is suitable for the surrounding terrain. If the concrete driveway is going to be too steep the land can be graded by the Minneapolis concrete driveway contractor to make the driveway more suitable for driving and parking. You also should consider extreme weather conditions as a concrete slab will freeze and can become icy in the winter months. You don't want a driveway that is too steep, you might see these conditions frequent in the area you live in, especially if you have a long driveway. Minneapolis concrete driveway contractors can work with you to make sure your driveway ends up the best it can be with the land available.

 

If you decide to choose asphalt because of its advantage in cold weather then a contractor will work with you in that area as well. Asphalt can be applied over most existing material where concrete must be applied to a well-graded form with gravel under it. However, applying asphalt to an existing cracked driveway or concrete slab is only going to be a temporary fix as the asphalt will begin cracking later on.

 

Maintaining a concrete slab is much easier than asphalt. The concrete slab should be pressure washed whenever you notice dirt or fungus buildup and you don't even need a Minneapolis concrete driveway contractor to do this, you can do it yourself. Do this and you will have nice looking concrete driveway for years. Asphalt must be resealed every three years and you will most likely need to hire a contractor to do this work for you.

 

Our overall outlook on the differences between an asphalt and concrete driveway is that they both have advantages and disadvantages over each other, but that asphalt is more of a cheap quick fix, while the more durable concrete driveway is more of a long-term investment in quality.