What is the best time to pave a driveway?

When it comes to asphalt paving, the optimum time of year is during the warmer seasons since the ideal temperature for hot paving is often 70 degrees Fahrenheit or more. At 50 degrees, it is conceivable to install asphalt, but it is unlikely to produce the most excellent results imaginable. Weather conditions like wind and precipitation are also essential factors to consider. Heavy gusts might cause the asphalt to cool as it is laid down. Ambient temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit can cause serious issues.

What is the cheapest way to pave a driveway?

In terms of driveway materials, gravel is the most affordable. If you're looking at the most affordable gravel solutions, crushed concrete, recycled asphalt, slate chips, crushed shells, and crusher run are among them. These varieties of gravel can be purchased in large amounts from quarries for roughly $15 to $30 per yard.

What measures do you take to prevent damage to the yard or landscaping?

Watching your landscape and flowers being damaged or dramatically altered due to the new driveway is one of the most anxiety-inducing events you can experience. There may be damage to your flowers or plants if they have started growing over the supposed driveway or are close, so be careful. Most of the time, your lawn and landscaping will be unaffected by our work. We provide formal assurance that your landscaping or yard will not be damaged to be safe. If there will be any damage, you should know it well in advance. The Victoria Concrete & Paving staff are always exceedingly conscientious about your property.

Driveway Paving

In terms of cost and aesthetics, asphalt and concrete driveways are both viable options for residential driveway paving. Several variables should be considered before deciding which one to use in your home. Concrete driveway paving, for example, survives longer than asphalt driveways. They are, however, more expensive to build. In addition, while concrete holds up well in warm temperatures, it is susceptible to fracture in the winter. Choosing between asphalt and concrete is a challenging task.

Benefits of Using Concrete or Asphalt

for Driveway Paving

Choosing between concrete or asphalt residential driveway paving can be a tough choice. As one of the leading concrete and paving companies in Victoria, B.C., Victoria Concrete & Paving is here to help you make the decision easier.

We will discuss the benefits of both concrete and asphalt residential paving so that you can have an informed choice on which is best for your property. So, once you’ve decided which way to go, and you start to ask yourself if there are any “paving contractors near me,” know that we are here to give you our full attention and work on your driveway paving needs.

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Differences Between Asphalt and Concrete

Before we discuss the advantages of both concrete and asphalt, let's talk about what they are essentially made from.

Asphalt

Asphalt concrete, or simply asphalt, is a composite material extensively used to pave roadways, parking facilities, airports, and embankment dam cores. For most of the first half of the twentieth century, asphalts have been utilized to construct new roads. Mineral aggregate is bonded with asphalt and laid in layers before compacting.

A bituminous mixture, asphalt asphaltic concrete and bituminous asphalt are terminologies typically used only in construction and engineering documentation. These terms specify concrete as any composite material comprised of mineral aggregate attached with a binder. AC refers to asphalt concrete, but it can also stand for asphalt cement or asphalt concrete, which refers to the liquid asphalt element of the composites.

Concrete

Concrete is a composite material formed by combining binding materials such as cement or lime with aggregates such as gravel, sand, water, and other ingredients in precise ratios. The mixing proportions determine the quality and strength of the mixture.

Concrete is an essential building material. A hardened mass is formed when the cement and water react with each other to form a hardened mass when they are mixed.

Now that you have learned about what makes concrete and asphalt. let's now learn about the benefits of using them in your driveway paving.

Advantages of Using Asphalt Driveway Paving

Whether you're planning to setup a new driveway or replace an existing one, asphalt is typically always considered. An adequately laid asphalt driveway will operate similarly to concrete with the added benefit of being more durable but at a far lesser cost. Compared to concrete, asphalt requires regular sealing to maintain it properly, whereas asphalt is practically maintenance-free.

On the other hand, asphalt is more flexible and less vulnerable to cracking than concrete since it is derived from petroleum. In the summer, asphalt can become extremely hot. Consider these and other variables when determining whether asphalt is a smart choice for your driveway.

Here are other advantages of an asphalt driveway that might help you decide:

A typical asphalt driveway can be installed in one to two days, based on the scale of the project. Compared to concrete, concrete needs twice the time to put and significantly longer to cure. In some cases, asphalt driveways might be ready for use as soon as two days after construction is completed, whereas concrete driveways can take up to 5 to 7 days to cure.

Another good characteristic of asphalt is that it can last for a very long time. Compared to other paving materials, asphalt is considerably more flexible and can expand and contract with temperature changes. It's also more suited to carrying bulky items on occasion. Asphalt, unlike other types of pavements, requires very little maintenance. To ensure the longevity out of your asphalt, it's good to contact a professional paver such as Victoria Concrete & Paving for seal coating services every few years.

Asphalt pavement is visually appealing, but it also provides a pleasant ride for pedestrians and drivers alike. It's also budget-friendly! When compared to concrete, asphalt is substantially affordable. These cost reductions might quickly mount up if you are working on a large project. Because asphalt is faster to complete than concrete or other materials, labour costs are also much lower. Furthermore, more minor bumps on the road can reduce vehicle wear and tear, potentially lowering vehicle running expenses.

Asphalt is a reusable material that can be reused multiple times and has an infinite life cycle. When demolished, asphalt roads can be reused for other projects. This is why asphalt has become such a popular modern material. The more we use asphalt, the more we keep our natural resources safe by reusing the same thing repeatedly.

This also helps alleviate our trash problem by reducing the amount of material transformed into waste and dumped into landfills. Our streams won't be polluted when the asphalt is spilt since asphalt immediately hardens into a solid mass.

Advantages of Using Concrete Driveway Paving

For a good reason, concrete is a popular option for commercial and residential paving. Concrete slabs are incredibly sturdy and long-lasting, and they demand very little upkeep. Concrete is a relatively reasonable value for vast paving sections because of its strength and endurance. While concrete prices are significantly higher than asphalt as a driveway pavement, it is considerably cheaper than a cobblestone or a brick driveway.

Although plain concrete can have a pretty dreary appearance, concrete can be coloured and stamped to produce a distinctive and attractive surface. Additionally, listed below are more advantages of using concrete for your driveway paving.

1

Easy Maintenance

While many homeowners think of concrete driveways as low-maintenance, keeping them clean and sealed to preserve their lifespan is essential. You can use a water jet or pressured water and a rigid brush to clean your driveway paving. On the other hand, a concrete sealer can provide an additional layer of defence for your concrete surface. Applying a concrete sealant to your driveway pavement only needs to be done once a year.

Applying a transparent concrete sealant to the surface of your driveway minimizes the absorption of water and moisture. As a bonus, it protects surfaces from de-icing chemicals, which can otherwise cause harm to the concrete. It is always a wise option to seal your concrete driveway pavement in the fall to be ready for the winter. This ensures that the concrete pavement will withstand the brutal winter weather and road salts.

2 Design Versatility

As some individuals may believe, concrete driveways are confined to a smooth finish and a grey slab. If you want to give your driveway paving a unique look, you can stain it using a choice of colourful concrete stains. Additionally, you also have various options to have your driveway in different textures. In this case, get in touch with us at Victoria Concrete & Paving, and we will be able to show you all of our design templates for various types of driveways and walkways. You can pick a design from their selection and receive an estimate from their firm.

3 Better Resale Value

Do you have any plan on putting your house on the market soon? If that's the case, try putting yourself in the position of a potential buyer for a moment. Is it more important that your home has an asphalt or concrete driveway? If you decide to sell your house in the future, you may be able to recoup some of the cost of installing a concrete driveway.

You should be aware that the majority of potential buyers prefer concrete driveways. As a result, some purchasers may be willing to buy your property at your desired price.

Knowing the advantages of each material, we hope we were able to help make you decide which type of driveway paving you would install on your property.

FAQS

Here are answers to some common questions.

What is the best time to pave a driveway?

When it comes to asphalt paving, the optimum time of year is during the warmer seasons since the ideal temperature for hot paving is often 70 degrees Fahrenheit or more. At 50 degrees, it is conceivable to install asphalt, but it is unlikely to produce the most excellent results imaginable.
Weather conditions like wind and precipitation are also essential factors to consider. Heavy gusts might cause the asphalt to cool as it is laid down. Ambient temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit can cause serious issues.
What is the cheapest way to pave a driveway?

In terms of driveway materials, gravel is the most affordable. If you're looking at the most affordable gravel solutions, crushed concrete, recycled asphalt, slate chips, crushed shells, and crusher run are among them. These varieties of gravel can be purchased in large amounts from quarries for roughly $15 to $30 per yard.
What measures do you take to prevent damage to the yard or landscaping?

Watching your landscape and flowers being damaged or dramatically altered due to the new driveway is one of the most anxiety-inducing events you can experience. There may be damage to your flowers or plants if they have started growing over the supposed driveway or are close, so be careful.
Most of the time, your lawn and landscaping will be unaffected by our work. We provide formal assurance that your landscaping or yard will not be damaged to be safe. If there will be any damage, you should know it well in advance. The Victoria Concrete & Paving staff are always exceedingly conscientious about your property.

Talk to us today!

We keep doing beautiful Concrete and Pavements across Victoria and its surrounding cities...

Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt, View Royal, Oak Bay, Sidney, Sooke, and Duncan