Asphalt or concrete
- Thread starter Jarvis
- Start date
In The Doghouse
Well-known member
Concrete. Asphalt will have to be covered again in a few years.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
DirtRoad
Well-known member
Asphalt
DirtRoad
Well-known member
Oh ya and get at least 3 quotes either way ya go.
JimVonBaden
Well-known member
If you can afford it, concrete is much more durable long term with less reoccurring costs.
Jim
Jim
crewchief888
Well-known member
depends on how long i planned on staying there,
and who was doing the work.
and who was doing the work.
ambenz
Well-known member
Concrete all the way...Asphalt is maintenance heavy and prone to rutting even when done right. Concrete will last 50 + exposed to the elements...asphalt...20 years tops?
I guess if you 70 years old, go with asphalt...it should out live you.
I guess if you 70 years old, go with asphalt...it should out live you.
MN BIANCHI
Well-known member
My vote is for concrete. Thats what we used.
My brother ripped out his asphalt driveway last year and replaced it with concrete.
My brother ripped out his asphalt driveway last year and replaced it with concrete.
readhead
Well-known member
Concrete, sealed and done. Asphalt comes with maintenance. The good thing about asphalt is it will melt snow quickly.
DirtRoad
Well-known member
I have an 800ft driveway to my house and a 500ft driveway to my shop, both gravel/dirt. I would kill for either concrete or asphalt.
All the houses in my area (rural) have asphalt driveways and they look great, some are 30 years old.
All the houses in my area (rural) have asphalt driveways and they look great, some are 30 years old.
pauls340
Well-known member
If you can afford it, go concrete with Vapor Lock 20/20 Water Vapor Reducing Admixture, waterproofs and vapor proofs the slab. Virtually eliminates dry shrinkage cracking, effloressence and dramatically reduces rerod corrosion and asr
I used Vapor Lock on my garage slab four years ago and I have zero moisture issues here in Michigan.
I used Vapor Lock on my garage slab four years ago and I have zero moisture issues here in Michigan.Cemoto
Well-known member
My 16'x125' asphalt driveway is 26 years old and still in great shape. Every couple of years I seal it. Last year was the first time I rented a hot crack seal machine because there was one crack and I didn't want any water getting in there.
Falcon67
Well-known member
Concrete. Driveways here all look great. The street - not so much. And it's all not that old, maybe mid 1990s~2000.
If your turning the wheels of your vehicle a lot in this area, go with concrete. In the hot summer, asphalt can tend to be soft and move under turning vehicle tires. Otherwise, asphalt is fine, but needs to be maintained. If you don't plan to maintain it, don't bother.
mtwaterguy
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2007
- Messages
- 3,518
In Oregon concrete added to your taxes, asphalt didn't. Here in Montana both improvements are taxed.
Squeeker
Well-known member
I think for that much difference I would go asphalt.
Yes you have to reseal it periodically but it will still cost less in the long run.
And there is no guarantee concrete won't crack no matter how well it is done.
In the end, it all comes down to site preparation and installation. If done right both will last a long time.
Yes you have to reseal it periodically but it will still cost less in the long run.
And there is no guarantee concrete won't crack no matter how well it is done.
In the end, it all comes down to site preparation and installation. If done right both will last a long time.
RVDan
Well-known member
If I had the money I would go concrete. Nice square edges, heavy stuff doesn't leave dents in it, oil spills or solvents don't erode it, it's flat and stays flat.
machineshop
Active member
Asphalt gets brittle when there dont drive cars over it constantly. I have asphalt in front of my 8 single car garages and its about 20 years old and desintegrates even though cars drive over it daily but it is not enough. Asphalt is good for roads with a lot of traffic but not the best solution for other areas
If i would do it again and if it had to last a long time without maintainance i would go concrete.
If i would do it again and if it had to last a long time without maintainance i would go concrete.
bigman68
Well-known member
Without question concrete, it stays hard longer...
mrpowderkeg
Well-known member
detached garage/shop or main garage? Here is what I am doing. My shop is in the back yard, one 16x10 foot door. This spring I will pour a 20'x20' concrete slab in front of the door. For parking on, washing cars etc... The rest of the driveway will be recycled (crushed) asphalt. It will stick together, and after a while firm up, like a rough asphalt road, and it is less dusty than gravel. If the recycled asphalt is real clean, no extra dirt added (many places do this when they sell it), you can get it to a almost a road like surface.
kyle@hcb
Well-known member
Concrete!
robs400
Well-known member
Would the driveway be flat? The house I moved into had a concrete driveway that was very steep. Here in New England with the winter weather it became an issue because I hated throwing salt or ice melt on it because it would eat at the surface. As previously mentioned the snow does not melt quick off it either.
I had the driveway completely redone taking a different slope down the hill and currently just have regrind asphalt on it.
If the driveway were to have been flat/flatter I think I would have really liked it. I had a full size dump trucks, septic trucks, etc. up that driveway many times and it never budged or cracked.
I have seen quite a few paved driveways hold up well tho, provided they get a base coat and a good finish coat. Concrete driveways really are not all that popular up this way tho...guessing its primarily due to the weather.
I had the driveway completely redone taking a different slope down the hill and currently just have regrind asphalt on it.
If the driveway were to have been flat/flatter I think I would have really liked it. I had a full size dump trucks, septic trucks, etc. up that driveway many times and it never budged or cracked.
I have seen quite a few paved driveways hold up well tho, provided they get a base coat and a good finish coat. Concrete driveways really are not all that popular up this way tho...guessing its primarily due to the weather.
Toomanytools?
Well-known member
What are the dimensions of the drive? Did the concrete quote breakdown the cost?
I would lean towards concrete I have 200' of asphalt drive and 50x70 area in front of garage that is asphalt. It has many cracks 1-2" settled in spots I have resealed twice in the 8 years I have been here. I'm guessing the drive was done about when house was built and that was 1977.
When I get some bucks we plan on replacing with concrete.
I bought a commercial property a few months ago I am in the process of fixing up to run as another shop (2 bay).
The lot is 106' x 53' and I had concrete quotes for $13,500 to $1500 for 4" concrete. I called one Asphalt Company, he told me $17,000...
I always heard Asphalt was cheaper, but not in my case. I still am going to get more asphalt quotes, but I was hoping to hear to be in the $9,000 range for asphalt, not 17k
The lot is 106' x 53' and I had concrete quotes for $13,500 to $1500 for 4" concrete. I called one Asphalt Company, he told me $17,000...
I always heard Asphalt was cheaper, but not in my case. I still am going to get more asphalt quotes, but I was hoping to hear to be in the $9,000 range for asphalt, not 17k
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
I ripped out a concrete drive to put in asphalt last year. All for the fact that if you get ice, packed snow, or snow on concrete, it takes way longer to ever melt off than asphalt. When my neighbors concrete is all iced up, my driveway is nice and clear. Each one, asphalt and concrete both have their pro's and cons. There was a big discussion on this a while back. You may want to do a search for Asphalt vs. concrete.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
I'm not for certain, but parking lot asphalt may be a different mix than what it is for driveways, plus it may be thicker. Does the lot currently have asphalt or would you need soil hauled out and stone hauled in and compacted to prep it for asphalt?
I do know that asphalt has went up some over the last few years. My driveway is probably 125' long and 14' wide with a wider area up towards the garage which adds another 14' by maybe 40'. At that time I already had stone down and compacted. It cost me $1400 to have it done. Last year I had the house drive done. They tore out the concrete but didn't have to haul it off. I took out a turn-around and just made a parking area instead. IIRC, it was something like 1275 sq.ft. and it cost me $2400. He had to haul stone in. But he knocked some off because I have sent him quite a bit of business. 3 people on our road alone. And the fact that he had a place to get rid of the concrete without having to haul it off to a contractors dump site.
$17,000 seems high to me, but location makes a big difference in price. Also the distance they have to haul it makes a difference in price too. I was lucky, as there is an asphalt plant maybe 20 minutes from me.
I would think asphalt would be about half of what concrete is. I'd also think the labor alone on concrete would be way higher than asphalt.
4 inches of concrete is insufficient for a surface which will see vehicular traffic. That's a sidewalk detail. 6 inches minimum, 8 inches is more better.
Delta74
Well-known member
Asphalt all the way, soon as its solid enough to walk on, use a heavy application of Powdered cement, ( not the pre mixed **** ) and a stiff bristled 2 or 3 foot push broom, brush it into the driveway well, time your done go back and use a heavy mist from the hose to soak the drive way ( it should still be warm) it will start to dry quickly, go back and gently sweep your driveway again, it will remove the last of the powder, and finish imbedding itself in the asphalt, mist it once more, go to garage, crack a beer, sit down, ***** about the hard work of dealing with concrete.
city a few years ago finally got around to adding a sewer line to the area, part of the project was a contractor on the town dime repairing driveways they had to cut up, they saw my concrete ( 20 years old at that point ) cringed, and asked if asphalt would be acceptable to replace it, or if I would demand concrete, I laughed told them what I had done, and they sighed in relief.
I will admit its not as hard as concrete but they had to work alot harder to break up my driveway then any of the others on the block, when the construction guys are impressed you know its good.
city a few years ago finally got around to adding a sewer line to the area, part of the project was a contractor on the town dime repairing driveways they had to cut up, they saw my concrete ( 20 years old at that point ) cringed, and asked if asphalt would be acceptable to replace it, or if I would demand concrete, I laughed told them what I had done, and they sighed in relief.
I will admit its not as hard as concrete but they had to work alot harder to break up my driveway then any of the others on the block, when the construction guys are impressed you know its good.
Last edited:
Delta74
Well-known member
oh yea, sorry, I should add, I have never re sealed the thing, had bobcats scrape it removing snow, dragged trailers around on it, done the 362 point U turn in the driveway more times then I care to count, am finally getting some depressions in the old section ( 25 years old ) but the 5 year old parts still look good. the old stuff still almost looks like concrete too, its just got a weird asphalt texture to it.. will try to snap some pics soon if I remember, and my cam gets back from warranty work.
Cemoto
Well-known member
OK, here you go -
Attachments
I'm a concrete contractor. At my shop with heavy vehicles, I only pour 5" concrete, anything more would be a waste of material IMO.......
Beytill
Well-known member
Same here, concrete is taxed, asphalt isn't.
Spudland_Dave
Well-known member
We have a paved driveway to detached garage which has stood the test of time & traffic EXCELLENT. Base prep is the KEY to having nice asphalt.
Buddy has a concrete driveway...while its a thing of beauty, salt eats it and its slicker then snot in the winter....while I would love the durability of 'crete, around here its not even a consideration. Asphalt.
6 of one and a half dozen of the other.
Concrete is taxed here too as it's considered permanent and asphalt isn't. The melting properties of asphalt would be nice but the all the idiots turning around makes me want to rip out half the drive and put in grass.
That being said, I think I'd want concrete, stained black. The county will think it's asphalt and it'll melt the snow in the winter yet there will be none of the typical asphalt issues.
Concrete is taxed here too as it's considered permanent and asphalt isn't. The melting properties of asphalt would be nice but the all the idiots turning around makes me want to rip out half the drive and put in grass.
That being said, I think I'd want concrete, stained black. The county will think it's asphalt and it'll melt the snow in the winter yet there will be none of the typical asphalt issues.