ASPHALT, CONCRETE OR PAVERS, WHICH IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOUR BAY AREA HOME?
If you’re considering hardscaping your property, whether it’s a new driveway, patio, pool surround or walkways, you have several choices in terms of materials. While each offers benefits, each also comes with some drawbacks as well.
When choosing a material for your hardscaping, you need to ask a few questions.
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Is it durable?
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Is it easy to maintain?
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Are repairs difficult?
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Is it a good value?
And finally…
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Does it fit into my budget?
When it comes to hardscaping, the top three choices are asphalt, concrete, and interlocking concrete pavers. Let take a look at the pros and cons of each.
CONCRETE SLAB CONSTRUCTION
Concrete was the material of choice for hardscaping for years. Today you have a few choices besides “traditional” gray. Concrete can be stamped with a pattern, colored through, stained or acid-washed. However, this takes away concrete’s primary benefit, it’s low cost. Treated concrete is significantly more costly than a traditional slab.
Stamped concrete can be a good choice for adding some dimension to your hardscaping, but it can be slippery, costs a bit more, and is still subject to cracking, like any concrete. Colored concrete looks nice, but it too is prone to cracking.
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Concrete does offer a couple of benefits. First, it’s affordable and needs relatively little maintenance. It’s easy to keep clean, simply sweep away debris. However, to keep it functioning at its best and to reduce staining, you’ll need to reseal your slab every couple of years.
While concrete is cheap and durable, it’s plain and will not do much to up your home’s value. Repairs are possible and expensive, but repaired concrete will never look as good as it did when installed.
ASPHALT: INEXPENSIVE, BUT YOU HAVE TO LIKE BLACK…
Asphalt is probably the least expensive option, but it pretty much only comes in black. You can get it in different colors, but it’s ridiculously expensive, and often colored asphalt takes the least expensive material and transforms it into one of the most expensive.
Basically, asphalt is not very pretty, especially after it has cracked or faded. It requires regular sealing and often patching or resurfacing to keep it from looking tired. However, it is fairly easy to clean and remove dirt and debris.
Asphalt is one of the cheapest options, but while it is a reasonable choice, it is durable, it cracks easily, doesn’t repair well and many homeowners don’t like its appearance.
INTERLOCKING PAVERS
Interlocking paver systems are another popular choice with homeowners. Pavers come in several materials including concrete, natural stone, and brick. Interlocking concrete pavers are an excellent and affordable choice for many homeowners. The pavers interlock and the joints are typically filled with sand. Paving systems are extremely strong and can hold up to four times the weight of a concrete slab.
They provide homeowners with numerous benefits, for example, pavers are available in a wide range of sizes, shapes, colors, textures, and patterns. They need almost no maintenance, but you may choose the seal them occasionally. Debris is easy to remove with the hose or a broom.
Pavers are durable. When properly installed paver hardscaping can literally last a lifetime. If a paver is stained or damaged, the repair is as easy as removing the damaged paver and replacing it with a new one. That’s it!
Pavers can be installed in various designs or patterns like houndstooth or basketweave to add a visual focal point to your hardscaping. And while pavers do cost a little more upfront, they last for decades and repairs are much less frequent, and much less costly than concrete or asphalt. This means, over the working life of your hardscaping, you’ll actually pay less than you will for either concrete or asphalt.
One of the key benefits of using interlocking pavers for your hardscaping is their aesthetically beautiful. Paver hardscaping, unlike concrete or asphalt, will increase your home’s curb appeal and value.
CALL BAYSIDE PAVERS FOR ALL OF YOUR GREATER SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA PAVING NEEDS!
Here at Bayside Pavers, we’ve been helping San Francisco Bay Area homeowners by providing paver driveways, patios, pool decks and more since 2009. Our professional crews are known for their highly skilled craftsmanship and top quality work. We’ve built our reputation by completing our projects on time and we warranty our work for a full 5-years.
Whether you’re looking to add curb appeal, value, or add pavers to your residence or business, we’re always happy to talk to you. We offer a free consultation to provide you with cost-effective solutions for achieving your creative vision, whether it’s a patio, courtyard, retaining wall, driveway, or any hardscaping project.
If you’d like to learn more, and you live in the greater San Francisco Bay area, visit one of two locations.
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Our Concord, CA location, at 2455 Bates Ave, Ste K, services East Bay and South Bay homeowners.
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Our Santa Rosa, CA is located at 1619 4th Street Ste 12 can help you with your North Bay hardscaping projects.
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Or just give one of our knowledgeable team members a call at (866) 287-2837, today!