Replacing Your Driveway: Different Concrete Options For You

Posted on: 12 November 2015

When you find that the time has come to replace your current driveway, you may find yourself wondering what you should do to ensure that you install a driveway that you like and that will last you for as long as possible. If you have already decided on concrete over asphalt, your decision-making process is not quite over yet. There are actually several different types of concrete that you can choose from when you are installing your new replacement driveway. Get to know some of the different types of concrete driveways so that you can chose the concrete option that is best for you and your driveway replacement project.

Concrete Pavers

One of the more unique concrete driveway options that you can consider for your driveway replacement project is the use of concrete pavers rather than poured concrete for your driveway. Concrete pavers come in smaller, already formed slabs that are laid side-by-side to form your driveway.

The best part about concrete pavers is all of the design options that you have when using them. You can piece together pavers in a specific pattern, make your driveway look almost like brick or cobblestone, create borders and mix and match colors and textures. The design options are endless.

Another major benefit of concrete pavers over poured concrete options is repair-related. Concrete pavers are easy to replace and repair in comparison to solid concrete slabs. When a paver gets damaged you can simply replace that small individual piece of your driveway rather than a large area or replace the entire driveway.

Pervious Concrete

Pervious concrete is another interesting option for paving your driveway. Sometimes also referred to as porous concrete, this paving material is a more environmentally friendly paving option than many others available to homeowners.

This type of concrete gets its name from the microscopic composition of the concrete itself. It is less dense than standard concrete (on a microscopic level invisible to the human eye). What this means is there are tiny spaces between the particles that will allow water to soak through the concrete into the ground below.

The water absorption of pervious concrete has numerous benefits. It nourishes the ground underneath the driveway that would otherwise be stripped of nutrients with standard paving materials, for example. When the soil underneath your driveway is deprived of needed moisture, the ground can shift and crack in the process.

This is not only an environmental problem, but can cause your driveway to sustain more damage and erode more quickly. Pervious concrete also prevents water runoff. Water runoff from driveways and other paved surface can contaminate the water with chemicals and other substances on the surface of the pavement that water runs over. Runoff can also cause flooding in populated areas as sewer systems can get overwhelmed with all of the water from paved surfaces. Pervious concrete helps to reduce these negative effects.

Now that you know of a few of the different concrete options available to you for your new driveway, you can make your choice and get started as soon as possible. You will have your new driveway before you know it. For more information, contact companies like Island Ready-Mix Concrete. 

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