Asphalt vs. Concrete Driveways: How to Choose

If you are going to build a driveway for your house the biggest decision that you are going to have to make is what to build it with. You actually have several options but most people narrow it down to a choice between asphalt and concrete. There are a lot of factors that you are going to have to consider to make sure that you make the right choice to meet your needs.

The first thing that most people think about when they are trying to decide whether to go with a concrete or an asphalt driveway is the cost. Unfortunately this can be rather tricky to determine. The problem is that while an asphalt driveway will cost less to install initially the concrete driveway will last longer and require less maintenance. Therefore you are going to have to think about how long you plan to be in your house as well as the maintenance costs that are involved in your particular case, these vary depending on a number of factors.

In most cases you will find that the cost of asphalt is about thirty percent less than concrete, although this can vary, asphalt is a petroleum product so its price varies as oil prices change. However once the driveway is installed you will need to have a sealer applied to the drivewayabout six weeks after it has been poured and then every three years or so after that. Putting the sealer on is not all that difficult, you can do it yourself, and the cost is not that high but it is something that you will have to make sure that you remember to do.

With a concrete driveway you put the sealer on it as soon as the concrete has dried and that is about it as far as maintenance goes. You may have to clean up some oil or gas spots when you have a spill to keep them from staining the driveway but that is really all that you are going to have to do. In most cases you can expect that the concrete driveway will last at least twice as long as the asphalt one. Of course both of them should last for at least ten years so if you are not planning to be in your house for that long this probably won’t be a factor in your decision.

The climate where you live is another factor that you are going to have to consider when you are choosing what material to build your driveway with. In colder climates you will find that asphalt tends to stand up better. The cold temperatures can crack concrete and when this happens it can be very expensive to repair. With asphalt on the other hand it is much less likely to crack and much easier to repair if it does. In warmer climates the opposite is true, asphalt tends to melt when the temperature gets too high, this is not an issue with concrete.

One last consideration is the appearance of your driveway; some people will just prefer the look of one over the other. Concrete does offer the advantage of allowing for more choice in terms of appearance. You can alter the color concrete and you can stamp it so that it has texture added to it. Asphalt on the other hand will pretty much require that you have a black driveway.

Ultimately the biggest factors when it comes to choosing the right driveway material are going to be the weather where you live and how long you plan to live in the house. If you plan to be there for a long time you will want to go with concrete, it will be cheaper in the long run. On the other hand if you plan to move in the not to distance future you will find that the asphalt will last just fine until you have sold the house. It is a good idea to look at what your neighbors are doing as well, if everybody else in your neighborhood has a concrete driveway there is probably a reason for it.