Your Driveway paving is normally the first thing you see when entering your home, and as the saying goes, first impressions are lasting impressions. Your driveway is the entrance to your home and sets the ambiance, fashion and style from the get go. No matter whether it’s tarred or brick paving. Here’s a quick list of the three most popular driveway-paving materials and the plusses and minuses of each.
Brick is at home in any setting
Brick may be the aristocrat of composite paving materials, but when it comes to driveway applications, it’s no snob. Depending on the type and the pattern you choose, brick can be equally at home in a cottage setting or a grand estate. With its warm hues and inviting texture, brick harmonizes well with plants and with almost any other paving or building material. Its handy size and uniform shape make it relatively easy to design with and install, and it’s available almost anywhere. Bricks vary in their strength and resistance to the elements, so confirm that your choice is rated for use in paving. Along with stone, brick ranks among the costlier paving materials, but last forever and only get better with age, like a good red wine. Bricks are also easy to clean and can stand up to any cleaning material.
Concrete pavers won’t break the bank.
Once frowned upon by designers for their clumsy attempts at simulating brick or stone, moulded concrete pavers are now recognized for their high quality. Whether proudly proclaiming their true concrete nature with attractive aggregate and subtle pigments or masquerading slyly as stone or brick, precast concrete pavers can reward homeowners with more textural effects and colours, giving more creativity to your driveway and your specifications, than any other material. Pavers also come in many shapes and sizes that hold up well over time. To maintain well overtime it is recommended that you seal concrete pavers to brighten and hold the colours for longer.
Asphalt (tar) Paving
Asphalt is a great place to start when discussing driveway paving materials. It’s relatively inexpensive to pour, especially on larger jobs, plus it is easy to maintain. As long as you regularly seal your asphalt driveway, it should serve you well and look great for years to come. Asphalt also makes for an excellent choice if you live in an area that experiences extreme cold spells. It is much more weather-resistant than its main rival, concrete, because of its ability to expand and contract without damage. On the downside, asphalt doesn’t offer many design options. Black and flat are the extent of your choices there.
Talk to the Pros
When it comes to working with any of these driveway-paving materials, it’s best to leave installation to the experts. Your back and knees will thank you for it, and in the end you’ll have a better looking and longer lasting driveway by going with a professional. Give us a call to get your new driveway project underway.”
