10 Amazing Benefits of Concrete Driveway
Benefits of Concrete Driveway
The 10 amazing benefits of concrete driveway are
- High Durability
- High Load Bearing Capacity
- Low Maintenance
- Weather Resistance
- Easier to Drive On
- Radiant Heating Option Possible
- Easier Snow & Ice Removal
- Can be Customized
- Can be Resurfaced
- Increases Home Value
A concrete driveway has very few disadvantages. For the record they are:
- High Initial Cost – Concrete driveway costs more than Asphalt and a lot more than Gravel, but works out cheaper in the long run.
- Boring Industrial Look – Asphalt and Gravel Driveways are not great to look at either. In its defense, concrete looks can be enhanced or altered by stamping, staining or painting.
- Cracking – Concrete slabs do crack but with correct construction techniques the cracks can be minimized and controlled.
- Absorbs Oil Stains – Concrete is porous and will absorb oil spills and grease stains. Regular sealing of the concrete surface will prevent this though.
Now, let me explain the top 10 benefits of concrete driveway in some more detail.
1. High durability
A well prepared concrete driveway will last 25 to 30 years on an average. With regular maintenance and occasional repairs, the life can even be extended to 50 years.
Concrete and steel are the most used building materials in the world, especially when it comes to megastructures demanding both strength and durability. The Hoover Dam is a great example. Constructed using 4.36 million cubic yards of concrete, it has stood the test of time for almost a century.
Of course, for a concrete driveway to last 25 to 30 years, it must be well prepared. Concrete is an extremely strong material, but the driveway rests on a soil support system consisting of subgrade, sub-base and base. Needless to say it needs to be strong and stable too!
2. High Load Bearing Capacity
Durability and strength are two sides of the same coin. They generally go hand-in-hand. The load bearing capacity of a driveway is an important attribute to consider. It determines the type of vehicle you can drive on it.
A welded wire mesh reinforced 4” thick concrete driveway is favored by many homeowners. It has enough load bearing capacity for regular passenger cars. However, if you plan to use heavier vehicles such as RVs for camper vans, now or in the future, you may want to go for a 6” concrete driveway with rebars.
There are five important factors that affect load bearing capacity of a concrete driveway
- Concrete Driveway Thickness
- Compressive Strength (psi) of Concrete
- Concrete Reinforcement (wire mesh or rebar)
- Soil Support System (subgrade, sub-base & base)
- Concrete Curing Conditions
3. Low Maintenance
A concrete driveway is quite hardy and requires very little maintenance. It will still be functional and look pretty good, even after months of neglect. However, some basic maintenance will increase the durability of your concrete driveway further.
Concrete has high strength but is also porous. It absorbs water unless adequately sealed. Porosity is concrete’s Achilles Heel and water its arch enemy. Water permeation can damage a concrete slab from within, in more ways than you can imagine!
The entire focus, therefore, of concrete driveway maintenance has to be on preventing water penetration. Do this by following 6 very simple, yet effective maintenance tips:
- Clean the concrete driveway frequently with soap water using a pressure washer on a low pressure setting
- Repaired cracks and fill them up with flexible PU crack filler as soon as possible
- Similarly, fill up potholes and sunken areas caused by ground movement
- Keep adjoining gutters and drains free of debris to prevent water overflow onto the concrete driveway
- Reseal the concrete driveway surface every year with a good quality penetrating sealer
- Do not use salt-based deicers on the concrete driveway
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
The Best Sealers for Your Concrete Driveway or Patio
A topical sealer is essential for protecting concrete surfaces from water permeation that can damage the concrete from within and compromise its lifespan.
I highly recommend Foundation Armor Concrete Sealers. Pick the one that best meets your aesthetic and application preference.
4. Weather Resistance
Concrete driveways are quite weather resistant and can handle both summer and winter conditions equally well. The caveat here is that the driveway surface should be well sealed and water should not be able to ingress into the concrete substrate.
Water permeation is extremely damaging to the concrete driveway, especially in winter, as freeze thaw cycles can result in widening and growth of structural cracks.
Concrete in its natural state is light gray in color. It reflects most of the summer sunlight. A concrete driveway will stay cooler than a black asphalt driveway.
5. Easier to Drive On
The light color of a concrete driveway makes it stand out against the darker green color of the landscape. Visibility of a concrete driveway is higher than a black asphalt driveway, even when the ambient light is low.
A long black colored asphalt driveway would need more lighting than a light gray colored concrete driveway. Good visibility, especially at night or when the sky is overcast is very important for safety.
It is also relatively easy to embed solar powered lights along a concrete driveway edge. For additional safety use reflective road paint to mark the edges and the centerline of the long concrete driveway.
6. Possibility of Radiant Heating
You can embed radiant heating within the concrete surface at the time of pouring the driveway. A radiant heating system can either be pipes through which hot water can flow or electric resistant elements that can heat up when switched on.
When you live in a climatic zone where it snows heavily and for several weeks at a stretch clearing snow from the driveway can be back breaking. If not cleared regularly, snow solidifies into ice making your driveway a safety hazard zone.
Radiant heating embedded within the concrete driveway slab is a great way to heat up the driveway, on demand, to melt the ice and snow. Driving to work in the mornings will no longer be stressful and challenging.
7. Easier Snow & Ice Removal
Not every concrete driveway has radiant heating. The good news is that it is easier to clear snow off a concrete driveway than any other type of driveway. Compared to a gravel or paved driveway, a concrete driveway has a smooth surface.
When the snow on the concrete driveway is light, you can use a leaf blower to blow it off. If you must use a shovel make sure to use plastic and not metal ones. Plastic shovels are just as effective but do not damage the concrete surface.
Do not use salt or chemical deicers to melt the ice. Water penetration in the concrete driveway is damaging enough. Penetration of salt water is a lot worse.
Salt water corrodes both the steel reinforcement and the concrete substrate itself very aggressively.
8. Can be Customized
Concrete mix is a pliable slurry when poured. It is therefore easy to give your concrete driveway the shape or form you desire. When the concrete cures it will become rock hard.
It is therefore possible to give a texture to the concrete driveway surface. Trowel it to an absolutely smooth finish or run a stiff brush over the soft concrete to get a slip resistant broom finish.
A great option is to stamp the concrete. You can make your concrete driveway to resemble terra-cotta brick or granite cobblestone street. A stamped concrete driveway turns a mundane gray colored concrete driveway into a work of art.
Another option to beautify a concrete driveway is to stain it. Stains penetrate deep into the concrete surface. Stains are fade-resistant and will not flake off or peel away.
You can also bring some color to the concrete driveway by applying a couple of coats of polyurethane. The bonus is that PU will also seal the concrete.
Add a touch of class, if you like, by using natural stone pavers as concrete driveway edging.
9. Can be Resurfaced
If your concrete driveway is looking a bit jaded after a few years of service, you can liven it up quite easily by resurfacing it with cementitious self leveling skim coat.
Resurfacing involves removing the thin top layer of the jaded or slightly damaged concrete driveway and replacing it with a thin cement layer that is fortified with special additives.
The resurfacer has self leveling properties to give a smooth surface. The special additives have strong bonding properties to ensure excellent adhesion to old concrete.
Resurfacing lets you spruce up an old, slightly damaged concrete driveway at a very affordable price. The end result can be quite stunning as it will make your old concrete driveway look as good as new or better!
10. Increases Home Value
Installing a concrete driveway will certainly increase the value of your home. A prospective buyer will appreciate the fact that the house has a beautiful, strong and durable concrete driveway.
They could, if they want, give the concrete driveway a facelift without spending a fortune. They just need to resurface an existing concrete driveway.
It is a known fact that homes with a concrete driveway, sell faster and often fetch a higher price than those with asphalt or gravel driveways.
Thank you very much for reading this post. I do hope you found it informative and helpful.
