Blacktop or Concrete driveway?

[Egon]

[/Qthe new ones due to the quality of the finish, which takes time not like the pour 300ft of side walk in the morning and strike once with a screed and once with a course broom and your finishedUOTE]

Check out the Portland Cement Association recommendations for finishing!

 

[MikeD74T]

scoutcub, One option not previously mentioned is concrete where you will park vehicles & asphalt for the rest. Parking on hot top in the heat of summer & when the soil is wet underneath will form dips under the tires over time if you park in the same place frequently. Personally I'd do all concrete if the price was within my budget, but site prep is essential for either to hold up for a long time. MikeD74T

 

[Pops15]

No salt, needs to be cleaned, easily damaged, no sun melt, more expensive.... I'm missing it..... what makes a concrete drive better?

You can use salt on concrete. It's just not a good idea to use it on new concrete or to use excessive amounts. I routinely salt my Mom's drive and it hasn't hurt it.

Why would you need to clean concrete more than asphalt?

Easily damaged? Just about anything that will damage concrete will damage asphalt worse.

Sun does melt snow or ice on concrete. It has allot of mass to retain the heat from the sun.

Yes, concrete is more expensive.

So what makes it better? A quality concrete drive will outlast and carry heavier loads, and require less maintenance than a quality asphalt drive.

Many of the issues with concrete AND asphalt are directly related to less than a top quality job to start with.

Like I said, I have asphalt but I recommend concrete.

 

[JB4310]

The drive was sealed when it was installed and they recommended sealing it every few years. I need to figure out how to power wash it before I seal it again. I don't have 700' of hose laying around to supply water.

They have mobile washing equipment where it has it's own water tank, don't know if you could rent one yourself or have to hire a company. There is a special floor cleaning attachment for large areas like that, your not gonna wash 700 ft of drive with a hand held wand!

There's a tool that rolls along and cleans a wide area, you don't need super high pressure for this, just remove surface dirt. let it dry good and I'd recommend Siloxane to seal/waterproof it. It's the best stuff out there, we use it with great results on vertical surfaces, lasts over 5-7 years, probably not as long on Horizontal surfaces though.

JB.

 

[arrabil]

A quality concrete drive will outlast and carry heavier loads, and require less maintenance than a quality asphalt drive.

I don't know anything about carrying heavier loads (though its completely irrelevant to 99% of residential drives) but I definitely haven't heard a single thing that says concrete requires less maintenance. In fact, from the same people who own a concrete driveway I've heard that it requires more. Call me unconvinced.

 

[FlaDon]

Reason for not sealing streets, ever hear of open-coat paving. It is designed to let the water in so that it can drain off. Lower layer is closed-coat to prevent water penetration. Sealing open-coat would make it closed-coat. Old way of paving a concrete highway was concrete them cover with asphault when worn. Now you see blacktop put down and then concrete for the final surface.

Every house in our developement in Ohio has a concrete driveway. Streets are blacktop. State highway 7 is 6" thick blacktop.

 

[Zick]

I don't know anything about carrying heavier loads (though its completely irrelevant to 99% of residential drives) but I definitely haven't heard a single thing that says concrete requires less maintenance. In fact, from the same people who own a concrete driveway I've heard that it requires more. Call me unconvinced.

That is just the opposite of what I know about concrete & blacktop. What exactly have people said to you that concrete requires more maint?
Blacktop requires sealing/coating perodically, can't get oil/gas on it, and leaving heavy loads on it in the heat is a big no no.
Concrete......just don't salt it the first year and that's about it. Sure you can seal it if you want it to look nicer for a while.

I'm in WI and there are a lot more people with concrete driveways than blacktop I'd say.
We have to put in a new driveway hopefully this year after tax returns and it will probably be concrete unless blacktop is way less but I'd still be hard press to give up concrete.

 

[Pops15]

I don't know anything about carrying heavier loads (though its completely irrelevant to 99% of residential drives) but I definitely haven't heard a single thing that says concrete requires less maintenance. In fact, from the same people who own a concrete driveway I've heard that it requires more. Call me unconvinced.

Concrete doesn't require any maintenance once the initial sealer is applied (although some recommend subsequent applications which in many cases is overkill). In fact allot concrete drives never get sealed. Compare that to asphalt that needs to be sealed periodically (some recommend doing it annually but I think thats overkill too).
What kind of maintenance do the owners of that concrete drive have to do?

I'd guess a good number of people on this site carry heavier loads than the average person living in a subdivision. Lots of the folks on here have trucks and trailers to haul dirt, stone, building materials, and tractors....thus the need for a drive to handle heavier loads.

 

[arrabil]

My only point is that there is nothing "better" about concrete. Its equally good and equally bad as asphalt in differing ways.

To suggest it requires less maintenance overlooks my completely unmaintained 25 year old drive way that looks better than a number of younger concrete driveways I can point to.
To suggest you can't get oil and gas on asphalt overlooks the nasty stains you get on concrete.
To suggest it holds up better to weight overlooks that asphalt can stretch to withstand changing ground conditions much better.
To suggest it can be salted and sanded for winter better overlooks that asphalt melts snow under the sun better.
Etc....

You have to choose which qualities are important to you but neither is the clear winner in which is better.

 

[Zick]

My only point is that there is nothing "better" about concrete. Its equally good and equally bad as asphalt in differing ways.

To suggest it requires less maintenance overlooks my completely unmaintained 25 year old drive way that looks better than a number of younger concrete driveways I can point to.
That really depends on the installer and how well the base was done. And are you comparing apples to apples (how thick is your BT vs their concrete)
To suggest you can't get oil and gas on asphalt overlooks the nasty stains you get on concrete.
Yes but nasty stains are only stains and can possible be removed, oil and gas will eat holes in BT
To suggest it holds up better to weight overlooks that asphalt can stretch to withstand changing ground conditions much better.
All depends on the base and how well it was installed. Try leaving a heavy truck or trailer jack on BT in a hot summer day once, you won't be happy.
To suggest it can be salted and sanded for winter better overlooks that asphalt melts snow under the sun better.
Etc....
Doesn't have to be salted or sanded at all in the winter, depends on the drive (flat or very steep). My neighbor has a concrete drive and never has salted or sanded yet it is usually 99% clear of ice or snow.

You have to choose which qualities are important to you but neither is the clear winner in which is better.

Your right that one isn't truely better than the other, it all comes down to personal preference.
Me, I'd rather spend a little more up front and not worry about maintainance each year or whether or not by buddies truck is leaking on my drive that could cause me problems.