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 wi...