Sealcoating tips for asphalt driveway pavement in Houston, TX

Are you about to have a new driveway constructed, or are you repaving an existing one that was installed a while back and is now crumbling? Whatever the case may be, you have choices, and far more than one. Are you interested in learning about the benefits of an asphalt driveway? Asphalt is one material choice that you have, and there are key reasons why many people go with it over concrete or another alternative material.

As you can imagine, there are both pros and cons. You will want to know both sides as you get to looking at the answer more closely. Let's start with a con so that you know the truth about asphalt vs concrete when it comes to sealcoating driveways. Asphalt does have to be resealed at least every three years, give or take. That's not the case with concrete.

Of course, concrete can crack, and so it's not necessarily as maintenance free as some experts claim it to be. Yet concrete is supposed to be maintenance free for the most part. That's a check mark in the corner of concrete, but there are two sides to the story of course. You might be still wanting to with asphalt by the time you get done reading.

You see, asphalt is cheaper. That means that you can get that driveway in place for less money. It's a personal preference as to which one looks best, asphalt or concrete. That decision is yours to make, but it certainly makes sense that both of them look nice. A friend of mine who manages a paving company in Houston, Texas also suggested that you find out rates for asphalt delivery and have someone come out and install it. This can save you the mark-up for materials.

It was mentioned that concrete can crack. Asphalt can, too, but for the most part, you don't have to worry about that because of the flexibility of the material. One thing you might also want to know about a concrete driveway is that you aren't supposed to drive on it for 7 days. That might seem like a minor inconvenience, but it still deserves a mention.

You can drive on an asphalt driveway much sooner, the same day in fact. With asphalt being cheaper, you might think that the driveway might not last as long. It does need to be resealed every 3 years or so as mentioned, but that helps it stay in good shape. You can actually count on the asphalt holding up for up to 20 years. The low estimate is 12 years, but that's still good.

You might be wondering about the actual costs, too. You know that asphalt is cheaper now, but what are the costs specifically? Per square foot, you are looking at a charge anywhere from $2 on up to about $5. As you can see, that's quite a price range, so it matters whom you choose to do the installation.

Naturally, it can have to do with the quality of the materials used, too. So keep that in mind if you are looking to have a new driveway installed. And if you need one repaved, you might have been wondering if you want to go with asphalt or concrete. Now hopefully you can make a well-informed decision for the driveway you have at your home.

Jerry lives in Indiana and loves writing about all things home improvement. Currently working in the landscaping industry.