A driveway, in simple terms, can be defined as a private road for local access within the boundary of the accommodation access. It provides easy access within the building or small group of structures. Therefore, it is often owned and maintained by an individual. Nowadays, driveways are quite popular as they are not only functional but also boost the aesthetic appeal of the house.
When it comes to driveways, people have two choices, one is concrete and the other one is asphalt driveway. Both these paving materials have their pros and cons. But, which one is best for your residence? Let’s roll down to gander at the comparison between these two paving material made below:
Appearance and design options
Concrete has a plethora of decorative options and designing prospects compared to asphalt material. As the former one can be stained or tinted with a selection of colour schemes and patterns. Similarly, the concrete driveway can be stamped into any of available designs with ease. On top of that, the driveways Braintree installer can be given a stylish finish to a concrete driveway.
On the other side, unlike concrete, asphalt has virtually no decorative options; it only has that standard black colour. Since this paving material has to be rolled and compressed on the surface of driveway installation; therefore, it cannot be given any unique finish like the concrete driveway.
Weathering and Climate Compatibility
Which of these paving materials can withstand the extremes of weather? This is an important query to address, before moving any further.
In the hot summer days, concrete driveways are best suited for regions whether tends to touch 40 degrees in comparison to asphalt driveways. In fact, driveways constructed with asphalt tend to show up cracks and grooves, as the tar present in it softens easily during prolonged hot climatic condition.
In the colder climatic conditions, asphalt driveways are a better option compared to concrete driveways; since cracks are formed easily in driveways constructed with concrete paving material owing to frost heave. Similarly, salt commonly sprinkled on snowy layers on road to trigger the dissolving process of ice, also has a negative effect on concrete. While, on the other hand, asphalt remains unfazed to the sprinkling of salt. Furthermore, as asphalt comes in its standard black color, it can readily absorb heat from the sun, after a heavy snowy evening to promote faster melting of ice.
Potholes and root growth, compared to asphalt paving material, concrete are more resistant to root and potholes growth.
Changing climatic conditions, in those regions where the weather frequently changes, concrete can be a best robust choice compared to asphalt. The reason being, concrete driveways have edges that make them withstand frequent changing climate conditions.
Lastly, the maintenance cost of asphalt driveways Braintree is on the higher side since they need to be sealed after every 6 to 8 months. While concrete driveway once installed doesn’t call for much maintenance except for pressure washing once or twice a year to make it free from dirt and debris it has accumulated over time.
