Asphalt

Types of Driveways

Posted on by sandseal
Brick Pavers
25
Feb

We install 4 different types of driveways for residential clients in the HRM.

These include gravel, asphalt, concrete and brick/stone pavers. In this short article we will go over the pros and cons of each surface.

Gravel Drivewaysgravel driveway

Gravel is by far the most inespensive driveway you could have installed. It ranges from .50 cents to a dollar per sq foot depending on the preparation and grading requirements. A gravel driveway lasts a long time and requires minimal maintenance

Pros:

  • Inexpensive
  • Low cost of ownership

Cons:

  • Prone to potholes
  • Rough and not as ascetically pleasing

Asphalt Driveways

Asphalt is a beautiful and long lasting driveway when installed by a good contractor. Asphalt does need some regular maintenance every two years to extend its life. Cost to install asphalt ranges from $3-5 per sq foot.
asphalt driveway

Pros:

  • Long life 15-40 years depending on base and maintenance
  • Snow melts and is cleared easily
  • Attractive appearance

Cons:

  • Must be maintained to get full expected life

Concrete or Exposed Aggregate

Concrete or exposed aggregate is an extractive but rather expensive driveway choice. Concrete however can last over twice as long as an asphalt driveway and has little long term maintenance costs. Price ranges from $7-12 per sq foot.

Pros:

  • Attractive appearanceconcrete driveway
  • Long lasting
  • Increases property value
  • Low maintenance

Cons:

  • Double the cost of asphalt to install
  • Can be expensive to replace when it comes time to do so.

Brick Pavers

Brick pavers are not one of the most common driveways due to a few factors. Brick pavers are expensive to install $10-15 per sq foot, however they have an unlimited lifespan, and require very little maintenance. If a low spot or brick is broken it can easily be repaired by removing the small section and relaying the bricks.

Pros:

  • Low maintenance Brick paver
  • Practically unlimited lifespan
  • Wide variety of colour, shape, and texture options.

Cons:

  • Can be difficult to shovel/keep clear of snow and ice due to un-smooth surface
  • Can become bumpy or wavy if base isn’t compacted well enough.

 

sandseal