Blacktop or Concrete driveway?

[arrabil]

I have a 25 year old drive that has never had any maintenance on it so saying that you'd rather not worry about maintaining something that doesn't need maintaining in the first place....

And I personally spill oil and gas on the drive way every year at least twice. It eats off the top layer and nothing else. Except for the "light" spot nothing changes. BUT I can put cat litter on it and get it all up quickly while the cat litter never does anything of value on the concrete floor in the garage. In fact, given the choice, I would rather spill something nasty on the driveway than on the garage floor. After a few rains I can't see anything on the driveway, the garage floor never gets cleaner.

Either way, you seem to have convinced yourself that asphalt requires a lot more maintenance and is a lot more fragile than reality dictates. And with that in mind you've determined that concrete is better. I would reconsider the original assumptions.

 

[Zick]

To each his own but you've also conviced yourself that just because your 25 year old driveway has held up with no maintenance that all blacktop does not require maintenance.
You obviously had a very good installer who knew what he was doing when he put it in.

 

[arrabil]

Which is EXACTLY what everyone else is saying is the only important part of the whole debate.

So given both are installed correctly, neither requires any more maintenance than the other....

 

[JB4310]

Like I said I have nothing against concrete, I love it, it is a far superior product compared to asphalt in almost all applications. It's the foundation (literally) of all the infrastructure around us. But even if I could afford the extra expense or even if the cost was equal, I would be very leery about laying it down for a driveway in a northern climate. It's not like the end of the world, gonna fail for sure, but it is taking somewhat of a chance that there would be no problems.

Are there really that many concrete driveways up North? Cause I don't see them. I live in CT which has one of the highest per capita incomes in the country. Not me, I live in a very blue collar town, but I'm a contractor and work in some very wealthy areas. Almost no one has a concrete driveway and these people have live in servants! So it's definitely not even the cost that's keeping them from installing concrete.

There is no other choice for a shop or garage floor, in those apps it is a forever maintenance free material. It's great for walks, even patios, just not IMO the best choice for driveways in the very cold localities, where there are freezing temps and that little 9% expansion of wet materials that goes along with it.

Water expands aprx 9% when frozen, I love it, wreaks havoc on certain building materials and provides me a decent living.

JB.

 

[DarrylH20]

Like I said I have nothing against concrete, I love it, it is a far superior product compared to asphalt in almost all applications. It's the foundation (literally) of all the infrastructure around us. But even if I could afford the extra expense or even if the cost was equal, I would be very leery about laying it down for a driveway in a northern climate. It's not like the end of the world, gonna fail for sure, but it is taking somewhat of a chance that there would be no problems.

Are there really that many concrete driveways up North? Cause I don't see them. I live in CT which has one of the highest per capita incomes in the country. Not me, I live in a very blue collar town, but I'm a contractor and work in some very wealthy areas. Almost no one has a concrete driveway and these people have live in servants! So it's definitely not even the cost that's keeping them from installing concrete.

There is no other choice for a shop or garage floor, in those apps it is a forever maintenance free material. It's great for walks, even patios, just not IMO the best choice for driveways in the very cold localities, where there are freezing temps and that little 9% expansion of wet materials that goes along with it.

Water expands aprx 9% when frozen, I love it, wreaks havoc on certain building materials and provides me a decent living.

JB.

I was born and raised in Windham CT and come to think of it I never seen any concrete drives. Funny I have seen a couple up here in NH:confused2:

 

[Egon]

After a few rains I can't see anything on the driveway, the garage floor never gets cleaner.

Means the roof don't leak!

Concrete paver's may be the way to go. Easy to fix up base problems. Get em in black so the ice melts. :thumbsup:

And if you don't like them they can be picked up and resold!

In another province at another house we had paver's for the driveway. About 30 pallets worth. Worked well. No problems in winter and it did get cold at times.

 

[radioman]

When I first visited my in-laws in cleveland area, I noticed nearly all driveways was concrete and have alot of concrete roads. I told them good luck since in few years they will replace it soon due to freeze and thaw. Basically they laughed and said it been around for years. more then 15 years has passed, and it looked the same as it did when I first visited them. It must be something in the soil that is more stable and weather. Here in new yrk, I see alot of concrete cracking, shifting, potholes. I always see better pours in ohio then I did here in NY.

My first house in NY has a concrete driveway for 9 years and it was uneven. I hated it with my snowblower. I finally had blacktop added on top and it was nice to clear the driveway and an added bonus, the black clor literally helps to melt alot of snow off the driveway and NO ice. I always had ice on my concrete driveway. When I visit my inlaws, thier concrete driveway have little ice, I think it's because of how smooth it is. They use no salt. GO figure!

So, I personally prefer blacktop to aid in clearing the snow. It seems easier to make it like new by adding a new sealer every other year. Not sure If I can do that with concrete. However with concrete, I don't have to worry about floor jack making dents on surface in summer.

 

[scoutcub]

Whoa, Hey, relax guys......didn't mean to start a war! I'll give you a little more background.....
I currently live in the burbs of Detroit, in a subdivision.....everyone has concrete driveways. My house (and driveway) was built in 2000. My driveway is full of cracks now, with some pads settling/sinking, and wide cracks allowing water in. Gonna need some attention before I move. My neighbor had a pad settle so bad he had to have a company come in and raise the pad to level.
I do park my 4+ ton F-350 outside on it, at least for the last 4 years...probably not helping.
The place I bought is in Ohio, south of Canton. We are planning on living there for a few years while we build the retirement house on our property there. The driveway is probably around 100-150' from the road, up a fairly steep incline. Rises about 30-40 feet, from what I can recall....
Sooo, from what I'm reading is I like the fact that blacktop might help in the winter, clear the ice which is a big issue with me, with the wife and 2 young'uns. And, it's probably not as expensive.
I'm also taking away that proper base prep is the key, and I would add proper drainage also, that will definitely ruin any surface quickly.

Thanks for all the input....let the debate continue....!

 

[JB4310]

I currently live in the burbs of Detroit, in a subdivision.....everyone has concrete driveways. My house (and driveway) was built in 2000. My driveway is full of cracks now, with some pads settling/sinking, and wide cracks allowing water in. Gonna need some attention before I move. My neighbor had a pad settle so bad he had to have a company come in and raise the pad to level.
I do park my 4+ ton F-350 outside on it, at least for the last 4 years...probably not helping.

The problems you are describing are more just due to very poor construction, especially the sinking/settling. Concrete would be the better choice for parking heavy truck on.

JB.

 

[Pops15]

Scout, The problems with your drive are because of poor prep. It sounds like they poured on top of uncompacted and/or the wrong type of fill. Asphalt wouldn't hold up in those circumstances either.

JB, I'd say very nearly all (well over 90%)of houses built in the past 20+ years in this area have concrete drives. The exceptions are usually houses in the country that have gravel drives. There are lots of asphalt drives but they are almost exclusively at older homes.