Concrete, asphalt or pavers

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

I love pavers for walkways. Hope to do them in my backyard one of these days. I would never even consider them for a driveway. Too much to go wrong and repair.

Agreed.

Plus, if there are grand kids, asphalt is much friendlier to things like skates, skateboards, and knees.

 

[Creamer]

It sounds like you want a higher end look near the house but are concerned about the concrete or pavers getting munched by the snow plow. The dream would be adding heating under the parts of the 3000sf that need snow removal. The next would be special blade designed to prevent damage.
Pavers with the proper base will outlast concrete. I've had/seen spalling issues with concrete so that would be my third choice.

Choices in order-
Pavers with heater
Pavers with special plow blade
Asphalt
Concrete

Reading back through this thread I keep thinking about pavers and although I like the look with all the beveled edges they can be kind of an uneven surface to walk on as compared to a concrete or asphalt slab. Also, since you are in Idaho I would think you would have a freeze/thaw problem that goes deeper than the base under the pavers to cause uneveness.

 

[Creamer]

Agreed.

Plus, if there are grand kids, asphalt is much friendlier to things like skates, skateboards, and knees.

Size and location of the replacement? Front of garage or a mile long road?

Both in front of garage and about 1/8 mile of driveway.

 

[Creamer]

Agreed.

Plus, if there are grand kids, asphalt is much friendlier to things like skates, skateboards, and knees.

Size and location of the replacement? Front of garage or a mile long road?

Both in front of garage and about 1/8 mile of driveway.

Are you sure you have asphalt and not oil sand? I never heard of asphalt tracking, but oil sand does. It also falls apart fairly quickly.

You have never walked across warm asphalt barefoot and had blackfeet when you got across? In Southern California and Texas?

 

[lman]

It's been almost 5 years. Did you do anything with your driveway?

 

[mikester]

I like the idea of pavers(and its not my $$$) but I have experience with small (8" x 8") pavers on my walkway. One or two can tend to frost heave and at times I will catch my foot on one that's lifted slightly. They are well bedded in gravel then sand but still a couple can tend to heave slightly - I tend to shuffle at times too.

Translate this to your driveway and the only problem I can see is catching either your front blade or rear blade as you plow snow - if there were any frost heaving. I like the patterns you would be able to create with pavers, its easy to repair any that might become damaged and generally speaking they should last a lifetime.

If you use or are exposed to a lot of road salt pavers and concrete spall. I'm guessing you will have more heaving issues to on the pavers.

I find pavers more appealing and they allow drainage through your driveway.

 

[71bronco]

Been a bricklayer a long time and did a few driveways with pavers, All of them had 4 to 5''s of concrete under to pavers so double the price of either one. Sure did last a long time though.

Jeff

 

[OldMcDonald]

Been a bricklayer a long time and did a few driveways with pavers, All of them had 4 to 5''s of concrete under to pavers so double the price of either one. Sure did last a long time though.

Jeff

Somebody who knows what he is talking about.

My brother started what you would call a "paver" laying business about 40 years ago. He always refused a job if the client wanted to lay them on anything other than concrete. His son took over when Bill died 12 years ago and continues with the same principle.

Paving urban house driveways has been big business in the UK for decades. Anything other than concrete underneath is a waste of money. They all move. If you plough snow off in the winter I would guess that even on concrete there is going to be the odd corner sticks up and you then have a repair job - probably expensive too, as a tractor pushing/pulling a plough is going to move more than one block (paver).

 

[Creamer]

It's been almost 5 years. Did you do anything with your driveway?

I didn't even look at that = I cannot believe that it has been five years. I bought a manufacturing business and have been focused on turning that around which wasn't helped by Covid and here we are. No I haven't done anything yet but the driveway has not gotten any better either.

 

[Creamer]

Been a bricklayer a long time and did a few driveways with pavers, All of them had 4 to 5''s of concrete under to pavers so double the price of either one. Sure did last a long time though.

Jeff

When we moved into this house 30 years ago my wife and I saw a rustic stone walkway and stone patioin the Family Handyman magazine and she said that is what she wanted. So like a good husband i put it in. They were nice gray limestone I picked out of a quarry and hauled home. Even though it wasn't a big area it took a lot of work to dig it out put down a sand and portland cement mix and set all the stones and then fill in. And after all that my wife and I never liked walking on it because it wasn't that even. Furthermore it has gotten more uneven through the years. I think of this when I think of pavers. I have never heard of putting pavers on top of concrete but I could not imagine the paver surface staying flat without something like concrete underneath.

Do you need to put holes in the concrete for drainage? Water will go through sand between the pavers and heave when frozen.

As much as I like the look of pavers all I see is lots of maintenance.