All About Concrete Driveways

Looking for driveway ideas? Considering a new driveway? Which driveway surface is best when choosing between concrete, asphalt, concrete pavers and gravel? What are the benefits of a concrete driveway vs asphalt or concrete pavers? What type of ongoing maintenance does a concrete driveway require compared to an asphalt driveway, concrete paver driveway or gravel driveway? These are all things to consider when shopping for a new driveway.

Concrete Driveways

Whether you call them concrete driveways or cement driveways... they're the same!

The further South we travel in the United States, the more likely we see concrete and/or concrete paver driveways. The further North we travel in the United States, the more likely we see asphalt driveways. This is due to the limited amount of freeze and thaw cycles that occur in the warmer regions.

Unfortunately, concrete is not pliable like asphalt, therefore freeze and thaw cycles can crack and damage concrete fairly substantially over time if it's not maintained properly. Concrete is also prone to spalling from the use of salt and magnesium chloride deicers. (See a video in our FAQ's section about de-icers!) These deicing materials are also used by local governments for winter road maintenance. As a vehicle drives on the roads, ice and snow builds up on the undercarriage. Then when the vehicle pulls into the driveway or garage and it falls off of the carm and melts, it then damages the concrete surface resulting in spalling.

Depending on the size and scope of work involved, the construction of a new concrete driveway can be installed by an experienced concrete contractor generally over a 2 to 3 day period. Concrete driveway installation can be labor intensive and it also needs to cure for several days before being able to drive on it and use it, so you can expect the average concrete driveway to take as much as 7 to 10 days to install. Even more time may be required for patterned or stamped, stained or overlayed concrete driveways.

Cost Chart:

Concrete Paver Driveway - #1 - Most Expensive

Concrete Driveway - #2

Asphalt Driveway - #3

Gravel Driveway - #4 - Least Expensive

A concrete driveway is the second most expensive driveway when comparing it to the other hard surfaces.

Ongoing Maintenance Chart:

Gravel Driveway - #1 - Most Ongoing Maintenance

Asphalt Driveway - #2

Concrete Driveway - #3

Concrete Paver Driveway - #4 - Least Ongoing Maintenance

A concrete driveway requires the second least amount of ongoing maintenance, compared to the other hard surface driveways.

Life Expectancy Of A Concrete Driveway

A properly installed concrete driveway with regularly scheduled maintenance can last up to 20 or even 30 years! That variation in age can be determined by the stability of the sub-grade, the quality of the installation, the type and frequency of maintenance, and the climate you live in.

Types of ongoing maintenance services you can expect to perform on a concrete driveway?

Cleaning and Treating Oil Spots, Sealing cracks and Sealing the surface.

If you live in a snowy region and deicers are regularly used in your area, concrete and stamped concrete driveways should then be sealed every 2 to 3 years to protect from salt and magnesium chloride.. However, only a quality commercial grade concrete sealer is recommended and applied either by yourself or a reputable concrete sealing contractor. When cracks develop, they should be sealed as soon as they're noticed. Ultimately cracks should be sealed every year or as needed. Sealing the cracks will help to prevent further damage and failures like alligatoring and potholes.

Choosing The Right Driveway For Your Home

When choosing between a concrete driveway and the other three types of driveways, take into the consideration these things:

Budget - Curb Appeal - Climate - Amount Of Ongoing Maintenance

If the short term, up front cost is a deciding factor, gravel driveways or asphalt driveways are excellent, low cost options, depending on the size of your driveway. The long term trade off however, is more ongoing maintenance costs. If up front costs are not as much of an important factor and aesthetics are important, then concrete driveways or concrete paver driveways are great alternatives for a hard surface driveway. While initially the up front costs are higher, long term they require less maintenance costs unless you live in a snowy region.

Also take into consideration the effects of a concrete or stamped concrete driveway if it's not maintained properly or how it can look as it ages.

Concrete Driveways can be beautiful addition to your home. The wide variety of different colors and patterns to choose from can give your home a unique, one of a kind look. Stamped concrete driveways, patterned concrete driveways, colored concrete driveways, concrete overlays, concrete staining and dyes. See some different Colorful Design Ideas for Concrete Driveways for more examples!

If you're considering having a new concrete driveway installed, see our Concrete Driveway Installation FAQ's section for more information.

You can also learn more about the ongoing maintenance of a concrete driveway by visiting our Concrete Driveway Maintenance FAQ's section!

Before you hire a contractor to install or perform maintenance on your concrete driveway, be sure and review our video and eBook series, "The Most Common Ways Concrete Contractors Rip Us Off And How To Avoid Them" TM You'll learn everything you need to know to hire a reputable concrete contractor and get the job done right.

Or save time and take the guesswork out of hiring a concrete contractor to install or maintain your concrete driveway and Request an estimate from one of our Trusted Concrete Installation or Concrete Repair Contractors in your area!

Thanks for visiting AllAboutDriveways.com!