Asphalt, Concrete, and Brick Driveways: Pros and Cons

If you are thinking about installing a new driveway, one of the biggest decisions you will face is which material to use. While many options are available, concrete, asphalt, and brick are by far the most popular. Each choice comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, read below to learn all about them.

Concrete Driveways

    Pros:

• Longevity: Concrete lasts longer than any other driveway material (25-50 years). Cracks don’t occur for quite a while and the only up-keep is stain removal.

• Temperature control: Concretes light coloring allows the temperature to stay cool for the summer months.

• Color options: You have the option to stain the color of your driveway to complement the style of your home.

• Snow removal: The texture of concrete allows snow removal to be a breeze compared to other driveway material.

    Cons:

• Costly: $4 to $8 per square foot. If your driveway spans across a larger surface area, it is suggested to go with an asphalt driveway.

• Stains: Because of concrete’s light color, it is the most prone to stains and tire marks. Removing these marks usually requires a special stain remover.

• Repairing troubles: Unless installed correctly, concrete driveways are prone to cracks caused by changes in the weather. If this happens, you will have to replace the entire driveway instead of being able to fix a specific area.

Asphalt Driveways

    Pros:

• Inexpensive: An asphalt driveway will perform much like concrete, but at a lower cost. A basic asphalt driveway costs about $2 to $5 per square foot.

• Maintenance: If you keep up with maintenance, there is no need to spend money on a new driveway, unlike concrete.

• Color: Because of it’s dark color, asphalt won’t show stains as easily as concrete does.

    Cons:

• Maintenance: If homeowners don’t keep up with topcoats, layers of sealers, and power washing, asphalt driveways can deteriorate more rapidly. Plant growth can also occur without proper maintenance, which can lead to cracks.

• Low shelf-life: Asphalt typically lasts 10 years less than concrete driveways.

• Texture: Asphalts oily texture softens in heat and sunlight, and can also become very hot in the warmer months.

Brick Driveways

    Pros:

• Maintenance: Maintaining a brick driveway is as simple as washing and sealing twice per year.

• Long lasting color: The color of brick will not change over time, which is a huge plus in our book.

• Environmentally friendly: Bricks are made from renewable resources and are very durable, which means you rarely have to replace them.

    Cons:

• Costly: Brick driveways are more labor intensive, which in turn leads to it being a bit more expensive than other material. Brick driveways, on average, cost over $15 per square foot.

• Maintenance: Uneven surfaces from tree roots, erosion, and plant growth cause serious headaches for homeowners.

• Choice Diversity (or lack thereof): Bricks are only available in certain shapes and sizes and only come in certain colors.

If you want your new driveway installed correctly, don’t trust anyone but Roccie’s Asphalt to get the job done. For more than 60 years, we have been the most trusted paving contractor in Fairfield County, CT and Westchester County, NY. Call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.