Top Advantages and Disadvantages
of Concrete Driveways
Have you ever wondered why concrete driveways are so popular amongst people? Concrete is a common material for the construction industry and people use the concrete for different purposes. Concrete slabs are durable and long-lasting but can be vulnerable to cracks and other damage so the importance of Concrete Repair should not be ignored. You can use the concrete for driveways, pavements, patio, and other outdoor areas. Concrete is an incredibly appealing road construction material that offers varied design options. In this article, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the usage of concrete to build driveways of your home or other property.
Understanding the Basics of Concrete Driveways:
- Strength - Concrete is perceived as cement, while it is just one material in many components that make concrete. The major perk of concrete driveways is its strength that can catch your attention while selecting it as your building material. You can increase the strength of your concrete driveway by adding best quality cement and sand, and you can also use limestone for the same.
- Versatility - Another advantage of the driveway is the flexibility that makes it an excellent building material. The aggregated stones are available in various sizes and you can use them for the various uses of concrete. For example, you can use gravel-sized aggregated stones for sidewalks or driveways, and you can use sand-sized aggregated stones for smoother surfaces. Make sure, you must choose best quality material for your driveways because you have to manage heavy traffic for the same.
- Complete within a deadline - You have to complete the driveways within a deadline, and you can use the concrete slabs for the same. These slabs are available in various sizes and you can easily install them on your driveway. Else, you can use the metal bar or wire to prepare the base of your driveway and pour the concrete membrane on the frame. After ensuring the grooves in directed intervals on the wet surface, the real craftwork is floating that ensures the concrete to be a smoother and attractive surface.
Disadvantages of Concrete Driveways:
- Hardening of the concrete takes time - At first concrete is slurry that is poured in various forms and cured to shape it differently. Now, the hardening process takes time when the concrete cures.
- A job of precision - To build a concrete driveway, trees, vegetation, and woodlands around the area have to be cut down to give the concrete a solid ground.
- Difficulty in curing during winter - An excessive amount of floating can cause the surface to flake instead of being smoother, and a little number of floating means rough-looking commercial driveway. Next, the concrete undergoes a chemical transformation that makes it hard. In cold weather, the curing process takes more time.Plus, you need to apply the sealers frequently on your driveway to seal the cracks.
- Concrete is a porous material - Concrete is a porous material, and it can be affected by dust, moisture and dirt. You cannot clean their pores and you have to clean the driveway on a regular basis. Plus, concrete driveway can get affected by chemical and extreme weather. So, to maintain your driveway you have to pay little extra per year.
Finally, all we can say is that the advantage of concrete driveways wins out the disadvantages. You must hire the best concrete contractor for this task to ensure that driveways are made aptly leaving no scope for development of cracks or breakage.
But concrete driveways have various advantages. They can last for years and you can repair your driveway partially. To install the concrete driveway, you need to hire the best contractor. You can search them online for more details.