3 Reasons Asphalt Paving is Best for Your Driveway
When you’re faced with the prospect of installing a new driveway, you’ll probably need to decide between concrete and asphalt. While concrete does have some advantages, asphalt also has some pretty compelling advantages which you should seriously consider. Ultimately, it will depend on what’s most important to you as a homeowner, but the benefits provided by a new asphalt driveway can be hard to beat. Continue reading below to find out why asphalt is usually a better choice than concrete or any other paving material.
Less expensive
If you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for your new driveway, asphalt is definitely the way to go. It is far less expensive than concrete and it will be available to you much sooner than a concrete driveway would. Concrete has to set for a number of days before it can be used, and asphalt is basically ready for use right after it’s been installed, although you may not want to put that notion to the test. Asphalt is also much cheaper to repair than concrete would be, so it will continue to save you money years after it has been installed.
Smooth appearance
It’s hard to beat the smooth, black appearance of an asphalt driveway, especially if it’s properly maintained with sealcoating every couple years. This will actually make your driveway look attractive, and it will provide additional curb appeal to your home. If you think you might be selling your home anytime in the next several years, having a new-looking dark black asphalt driveway can be a definite selling point.
Your driveway color will provide an excellent contrast to the green of your lawn and your shrubbery, adding to the overall appeal of your home. There are also some unique tints and finishes which can be applied to your asphalt driveway, some of which include mineral aggregates that provide excellent traction for vehicles. Your driveway can easily maintain its sleek appearance if you make a point of promptly addressing any cracks or holes which may develop through weathering or normal use.
Ease of repairs
This is an important consideration, because at some point in time, virtually all driveways will require some kind of repair work. The mere changing of the seasons can cause expansion and contraction in the materials your driveway is made of, and this allows for the formation of cracks, chips, and even holes in the surface. When repairs are necessary for an asphalt driveway, it’s usually only the top layer which needs to be addressed, since the base layer as well as the middle layer are basically permanent after installation. Many repairs are so easy to carry out that a homeowner can do them, after obtaining whatever materials and tools are necessary for the work.
Concrete repairs are much more difficult to address, and they often require the expertise of a skilled contractor. If there are too many cracks in a concrete driveway, or if some major crack has developed, it’s likely that the entire driveway will need to be replaced, and the original cost of the driveway would have to be paid again. While it’s true that there is generally less maintenance required on concrete driveways, when work does become necessary, it’s almost always much more difficult to perform.
With proper care and regular maintenance, a good asphalt driveway can last as long as 30 years, which is probably longer than most homeowners will occupy a given residence. If these three major benefits provided by asphalt are important to you, then you would be well-advised to choose an asphalt driveway over any other type, and you will probably be happy with the results for a number of years to come.