Why a Concrete Driveway is Better Than Gravel

If you are in need of a new driveway and are on a tight budget, you might think that a gravel driveway is the best option. After all, a gravel driveway won’t set you back quite as much as a concrete driveway. But before you make a final decision, there are a few things you need to know. While a gravel driveway might save you a little money up front, a concrete driveway of the correct thickness will save you money in the long run. In addition, there are several other reasons why a concrete driveway is a far better choice.

Driveway Materials

There are several driveway materials from which you can choose when repaving or building a driveway from scratch. The list of options is rather extensive, and each material comes with pros and cons; no driveway material is perfect. Ultimately, the material that you choose for your driveway will be based on cost, durability, maintenance, and eco-friendliness.

Paving stones are a good choice if you can afford them. They look marvelous, require very little maintenance, and will last as long as a century if properly installed. The biggest con to this material is the cost, and you are going to have to shell out a lot of money if you desire a driveway made from paving stones.

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Bricks are another option when considering driveway material. Bricks are surprisingly smooth when they are correctly installed, and the cost isn’t a huge factor. However, bricks do require regular maintenance to prevent them from peeling or flaking. So you can expect to spend money or take a weekend to pressure wash them once a year.

Asphalt is another popular material used for installing driveways. It is an inexpensive option and holds many of the same benefits and qualities as concrete. On the downside, An asphalt driveway will serve you well only for about 20 years, and it is far from eco-friendly. So let’s take a look at why concrete is a better choice than gravel for a driveway.

Snow Removal

Living in Northern Colorado, you probably cringe whenever it snows, knowing you are going to have to shovel the driveway. However, when the snow starts to fly, you will be glad that you chose concrete over gravel for a few reasons.

When you shovel gravel, there is no way to get around the fact that each scoop of snow is going to result in moving a bunch of gravel around. And any snow that is packed in the gravel will eventually turn to ice and become a slick surface. So no matter what you do, snow removal is going to be a nightmare.

If you have a concrete driveway, it is much less of a hassle clearing the snow. Not that shoveling is ever an easy task, but it is far easier to remove snow from concrete than it is to remove it from gravel.

Customizable and Attractive

Your driveway is one of the first things people see when they pull up to your home. As such, your driveway is a huge factor when it comes to curb appeal. Gravel might look great when it is in good order, but if you haven’t had a chance to even it out, it starts to look rather bad. On the other hand, your concrete driveway will look amazing a month, a year, even ten years after you have it installed.

Gravel is not really customizable beyond which type of gravel you choose. On the other hand, concrete is highly customizable, and your driveway will be one-of-a-kind. In addition to utilizing concrete stains, you can opt for stamped concrete, which will make your driveway unique and amazing. You can even choose a concrete hue that matches the landscaping or color of your home.

Durable and Affordable

As we mentioned earlier, the upfront cost of concrete is going to be more than gravel. However, in the long term, concrete will wind up saving you money. One reason why is that your concrete driveway will provide many years of dedicated service. You are going to spend time and money having to fill in holes and other gaps in your gravel driveway.

Even the simple act of driving across a gravel driveway will cause wear and tear. But that isn’t a concern when you have a concrete driveway installed. Concrete is quite durable, and driving a car or heavy truck is not going to cause any sort of damage to a concrete driveway.

If you would like to learn more about the pros and cons of a concrete driveway, we would love to hear from you. Simply give us a call or visit our website for additional information. In the end, we want what is best for you, and sometimes that means a material other than concrete is the right choice. So know that we will never try to sell you something that you don’t need.

NEXT: Do You Need a New Driveway This Winter?