Concrete is the most chosen and favoured material for driveways. It is so because slabs that are made out of concrete are very strong and long lasting but also demand very small maintenance. Large areas of paving can have a rather nice value fairly because of combined strength and durability. On the other hand, concrete driveway is more expensive than gravel or asphalt driveway, although it is comparatively cheaper than a driveway formed with brick, cobblestone, or concrete pavers, and it also outlive any of this. Here is a list why it’s important to choose concrete driveway :
- Lifecycle budget
For some people, expense and budgets are the main consideration that supports their decision making. Gravel and asphalt driveway is cheaper which can be the primary benefit of choosing one or the other. Let’s see from the service life. Concrete driveway definitely has longer life, on average. The upfront cost of asphalt driveway might be less, but it gets higher, along with how high the maintenance is needed since it is prone to cracking, disintegrating and distorting caused by UV radiation, sun exposure, oxidation, water and chemicals. Concrete driveways ideally remain functional for 25 up to 50 years ahead, of course depends on how they are built and maintained. Its installation can cost double more than asphalt, however, the less maintenance expense is needed.
- Reaction to heat and light
Concrete pavements or driveways absorb less UV radiation from sun exposure rather than asphalt driveways, that makes them cooler and is a benefit during summer time. Although in the winter time, asphalt UV absorption is beneficial to keep the driveway hotter. Asphalt absorbs so much light that needs more lighting than standard concrete. Having a concrete driveway, energy savings multiply for a long time down the road.
- Maintenance Expense
Concrete maintenance costs can be reduced by using the contraction joints and penetrating sealers to protect driveways against de-icers and moisture absorption and isolate cracking when the concrete shrinks. Occasional periodic sealcoating is needed for asphalt driveway since the binder dries out but does not usually last as long as concrete driveways.
- Environmental attention
Concrete driveways demand lower embodied energy costs and less energy to overall both produce and place concrete which makes them environmentally friendly paving solution. Unlike concrete pavements, asphalt pavements is required to heat hot mix asphalt up to 200-250 degrees F. The need of sealcoating an asphalt driveway is more often and consumes more petroleum products even though the life expectancy is way less than concrete driveways.
Although driveways can continue for decades, you will need to change it ultimately. The driveway is one of the first things that people notice when they approach your home. And the driveways are the most used surface too. Concrete is a very versatile material and there are a number of design opportunities in terms of color, texture and finishing you can opt for.
How do you install a concrete driveways?
Installing a concrete driveway is to be done by a contractor so you definitely should select the right contractor. Mas Concrete is a leading company for installing concrete driveways both in industrial as well as residential in Sydney area. We are highly skilled and have more than 20 years of experience in the business and provide nothing less than excellent services to our customers. You can keep your trust in us without any doubts. We keep in touch with homeowners and contractors to understand their requirements, which we will be glad to hear. Call us on 02 9555 9690 or email us through this form and we will promptly get in touch with you for any inquiries about our services.