Construction & Contractors Blog
Concrete driveways are among the most common surfacing solutions for both homes and businesses. Property owners may wonder whether concrete is appropriate for the conditions at their locations. Look at how concrete driveways stack up and why people prefer them for particular applications.
The Competition
Presuming you're looking for a solid surface, there is only one major competitor. That is asphalt. Notably, concrete driveway services providers can almost always deliver solutions that work as well or better than asphalt.
Without using asphalt or concrete, you're stuck dealing with less-solid options, such as compacted gravel, sand, or similar aggregates. Concrete will easily outperform these competitors on everything but upfront cost.
Price
Concrete driveways usually run between $4 and $15 per square foot. However, most projects come in on the lower end around $6 per square foot. A typical job will run about $3,000. However, you can go much higher if you are dealing with a large area or wish to have a contractor do extensive decorative work. Asphalt projects don't significantly outperform concrete on price, clocking in between $7 and $13 per foot if you need to do everything from installing a base to surfacing.
Local Conditions
One argument against concrete is when a property is located in a very dry area. Concrete needs time to cure, and it's best for it to maintain a high moisture level for a couple of days. In regions where heat and evaporation dry surfaces out quickly, a concrete driveway services company may need to invest extra effort to ensure the concrete stays moist enough to cure.
Conversely, concrete is an excellent choice in regions where moisture levels and humidity are high. If anything, the added moisture will allow for a longer curing time. That should result in a stronger surface.
Aggressive Compaction
One major advantage of using concrete is the ability to tailor the mixture and compaction process. A dry mixture that is aggressively compacted can support more weight. If you're planning to install a driveway where you might park heavier vehicles, such as super duty trucks, concrete will hold up much better than any of the alternatives. Bear in mind that the added engineering and efforts that go into compacting a surface will add costs.
Reinforcement
Another strong argument for using concrete is that there are reinforcement options. Particularly, a contractor can use rebar. This can make a major difference in regions that are geologically active or have wide temperature swings and reduce the risk of heaves and cracks.
Reach out to a professional to talk about getting a concrete driveway for your space.
Share23 December 2020
My name is Debbie Greenberg. I’m a single woman who owns her home, and like most homeowners I dread home repairs. I’m not very handy with do-it-yourself projects around the house. I can do a few minor repairs when necessary, but for the most part I have to call in a professional. Last year I had a leak in my roof. When it rained, water would leak into my kitchen. What appeared to be a simple fix turned out to be anything but simple. It took over four months to finally identify the problem, and double the money I was initially quoted to fix it. The problem ended up being that the flat part of my roof didn't have shingles, but a sheeting material. I learned a bit about home roofs along the way, and that is what I want to share with you.
