If you have a gravel driveway it is time that you considered having it paved over. Gravel can be very messy and even harmful to your car. When people walk through the gravel drive or cars drive over it, the small rocks get kicked around and misplaced. They can be drug in to your home or fly in to your windshield. Gravel can also be displaced and end up in your grass, which can make mowing your lawn very dangerous. Gravel is also difficult to maintain, especially during the winter months. You cannot drive a snow plow over gravel, or even use a snow blower without causing major displacement of the gravel. A gravel driveway also is not a very fun or very safe place for your kids to play. Now that you are considering having your gravel drive paved over, you have to make the decision between asphalt and concrete. Technically asphalt is a sub category of concrete. Concrete is considered any aggregate material combined with a binding material. Asphalt is aggregate material, such as small rocks, silica, and asphalt cement, that is bound with bitumen. Bitumen is what causes asphalt to be sticky when heated. There are many advantages to using asphalt instead of concrete, including but not limited to the reasons listed below.
1. Asphalt is flexible and adaptable
The bitumen in asphalt is what allows it to be so flexible and adaptable. Asphalt can flex under pressure from the elements, such as extreme heat or cold, unlike concrete which can crack and break up under the same pressure. Asphalt also has the ability to flex under pressure from heavy traffic, which is why it is most commonly used to pave the roads that we drive on.
Asphalt is the most recycled product in the world. If you have an asphalt paved driveway you can guarantee that recycled asphalt was used for that project. In addition to being flexible and adaptable under pressure from the weather and from heavy traffic, asphalt is also environmentally friendly.
3. Asphalt is durable and low maintenance
The durability of asphalt is due largely to the flexibility and adaptability of the material. This helps asphalt paving to last longer and require less maintenance. Concrete on the other hand, cracks and breaks up under pressure from traffic and the elements, which can require lots of maintenance or even entirely new paving.
4. Asphalt can be used for a variety of projects
Asphalt is a great option for paving a driveway, but it can also be used for many other things. Asphalt is most commonly used for paving roads, including county roads, as well as paving parking lots, playgrounds, and fire stations.
Now that you have been convinced to pave your driveway using asphalt instead of concrete, call your local asphalt paving contractor today to get an estimate. You may be surprised at how affordable asphalt paving can be. If you are thinking of paving asphalt over concrete, not to worry, that is always a possibility too!
Holland Hurst
5336 High Rd.
Evergreen, CO
(303) 674-7926
