Driveway Installation: Asphalt or Concrete?
Your driveway creates one of the first impressions for your home or place of business. As the focal point for passersby and visitors, an attractive driveway with curb appeal adds value to your investment. By far the two most popular driveway materials in the U.S. are concrete and asphalt. When deciding to install a new driveway, homeowners often wonder what the differences are. Many times, the choice comes down to three main concerns: climate, maintenance, and cost.
Climate Affects
In the hot summers, St. Louis driveways made of asphalt will be much hotter to the touch than concrete, due to the dark color of the material. Asphalt can also become soft in the high heat of summer and can become tacky and even deform in some cases. Concrete does have the tendency to crack and suffer from frost heaving in cold and freezing winters. And salt used for ice melting can create pits in concrete leaving blotches across the driveway. Both options react to climates in their own way, but with Missouri typically having a true winter season of only 3 months out of the year, concrete is the more viable choice for driveway installation in Missouri.
Maintenance Required
Asphalt and concrete driveways can both be repaired when cracks occur. Asphalt is more inexpensively resurfaced to address cracks, whereas concrete isn't as easy or as seamless. For asphalt driveways though, you typically need to have them resealed about every 3-5 years, and potential resurfaced even more often than that, after installation to extend the life of the driveway. Concrete driveways don't necessarily need to be sealed to last, however sealing can preserve the look and finish.
Asphalt driveways are less expensive to install than concrete driveways. However, they tend to need more maintenance, and don’t last as long as a concrete driveway. In fact, when properly installed and maintained, a concrete driveway can last up to 40-50 years, whereas an asphalt driveway typically only lasts for around 20-30 years. In order to get 30 years out of an asphalt driveway, you'll have to do costly maintenance to keep up with it and to fix softened spots. By having a concrete driveway installed you can save in expenses involved in continual maintenance. And since concrete driveways typically last almost twice as long as asphalt driveways you'll eliminate the need for a new driveway installation anytime soon!
We feel there are many good reasons to choose a concrete driveway in St. Louis. But, regardless of the material used, it’s even more important that you hire a qualified construction company who will meet every professional installation standard. You also want to make sure that the contractor you hire plans the driveway out properly, so that you don’t run into problems down the road due to poor drainage or lack of proper reinforcement.
Your driveway plays a huge role in the presentation of your home. It is one of the first things that people will see when arriving at your property. If you want to preserve the aesthetics of your home, and at the same time make a great investment in its future value, then allow Benz & Associates to create a beautiful driveway just for you!
Climate Affects
In the hot summers, St. Louis driveways made of asphalt will be much hotter to the touch than concrete, due to the dark color of the material. Asphalt can also become soft in the high heat of summer and can become tacky and even deform in some cases. Concrete does have the tendency to crack and suffer from frost heaving in cold and freezing winters. And salt used for ice melting can create pits in concrete leaving blotches across the driveway. Both options react to climates in their own way, but with Missouri typically having a true winter season of only 3 months out of the year, concrete is the more viable choice for driveway installation in Missouri.
Maintenance Required
Asphalt and concrete driveways can both be repaired when cracks occur. Asphalt is more inexpensively resurfaced to address cracks, whereas concrete isn't as easy or as seamless. For asphalt driveways though, you typically need to have them resealed about every 3-5 years, and potential resurfaced even more often than that, after installation to extend the life of the driveway. Concrete driveways don't necessarily need to be sealed to last, however sealing can preserve the look and finish.
Cost Effective
Asphalt driveways are less expensive to install than concrete driveways. However, they tend to need more maintenance, and don’t last as long as a concrete driveway. In fact, when properly installed and maintained, a concrete driveway can last up to 40-50 years, whereas an asphalt driveway typically only lasts for around 20-30 years. In order to get 30 years out of an asphalt driveway, you'll have to do costly maintenance to keep up with it and to fix softened spots. By having a concrete driveway installed you can save in expenses involved in continual maintenance. And since concrete driveways typically last almost twice as long as asphalt driveways you'll eliminate the need for a new driveway installation anytime soon! We feel there are many good reasons to choose a concrete driveway in St. Louis. But, regardless of the material used, it’s even more important that you hire a qualified construction company who will meet every professional installation standard. You also want to make sure that the contractor you hire plans the driveway out properly, so that you don’t run into problems down the road due to poor drainage or lack of proper reinforcement.
Your driveway plays a huge role in the presentation of your home. It is one of the first things that people will see when arriving at your property. If you want to preserve the aesthetics of your home, and at the same time make a great investment in its future value, then allow Benz & Associates to create a beautiful driveway just for you!
Benz & Associates, LLC is Your St. Louis Trusted Concrete Company!
Benz & Associates, LLC
12804 Weber Hill Road
Saint Louis, MO 63127
www.BenzAndAssociates.com
Phone: (314) 393-8813
Fax: (314) 843-6427
12804 Weber Hill Road
Saint Louis, MO 63127
www.BenzAndAssociates.com
Phone: (314) 393-8813
Fax: (314) 843-6427
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