Whether building a new home or considering driveway paving for your existing home, you’re probably weighing the differences between concrete vs. asphalt driveways. Although these materials differ in many ways, they also share some similarities.
First, both concrete and asphalt driveways have a gravel base and are made with sand and crushed stones. However, regarding concrete vs. asphalt driveways, their main difference is their adhesive materials. Asphalt is petroleum-based, while concrete is made from cement.
Regarding driveway paving, both have pros and cons, but there are some significant advantages when choosing asphalt as a driveway material. As your local leader in asphalt driveway installation in Bergen County, NJ, Anything Asphalt has some excellent benefits to share regarding the choice of asphalt for your driveway paving project.
Visual Options
Regarding concrete vs. asphalt driveways, an asphalt driveway is usually dark gray to black, while a concrete driveway is light gray. However, the main visual difference between concrete and asphalt is that asphalt gives your property a neat and streamlined appearance that matches the street.
In addition, asphalt offers the opportunity to get creative with designs for your driveway. Along with curves and other geometric shapes, there are numerous color options available with asphalt paving. With asphalt, you have more creative freedom to install a driveway that matches your home’s exterior design.
Weather Conditions
Your local climate is a significant factor when considering concrete vs. asphalt driveways. Regarding winter weather, asphalt is much more durable than concrete for your driveway surface.
In colder climates where there’s snow and ice, asphalt isn’t affected by cold and snow and doesn’t deteriorate from salt use. Additionally, asphalt absorbs more sun than concrete and can melt snow and ice more quickly.
On the contrary, concrete can buckle, heave, or crack during cold winters. Moreover, road salt used to melt ice can stain, pit, or blotch concrete, leaving unsightly stains.
Repairs
When determining your driveway paving options, it’s vital to remember that asphalt is easier to repair than concrete. It’s easier to repair cracks and other damage in asphalt, and its repairs typically blend better with the rest of the driveway. Furthermore, asphalt driveways should last 20-30 years, so you can expect your driveway to last with routine maintenance.
Regarding concrete, repairs using patched spots are generally more obvious to see. So, unless you plan on repaving the entire driveway, it can leave an unattractive and blotchy appearance in front of your home.
Environmental Impact
Did you know that asphalt paving is considered a green technology? When it comes to concrete vs. asphalt driveways, asphalt can be recycled, so it’s an environmentally friendly alternative to concrete.
When asphalt pavement gets recycled, the old asphalt is ground up and reused for the future. By contrast, concrete must often be hauled away and disposed of in an environmentally approved facility.
Contact Us Today to Schedule a Free Estimate!
At Anything Asphalt, we specialize in high-quality residential and commercial paving projects. So whether you need to install a driveway for your home or business, our paving experts offer outstanding work at an affordable price.
With the help of our professional paving services, you can install a beautiful and durable driveway for your home or business. And, if you need residential driveway repair in Bergen County, NJ, we can restore your driveway to its original condition. So contact us today to schedule your free estimate!