Are you going to spruce up your driveway, patio, or walkway? If so, you’ll probably consider two materials that are very different but very popular: pavers and concrete. Although they are the most common choices for renovations of this sort and have distinctive pros and cons worth considering. To find out if pavers or concrete are the best options for your driveway, walkway, or outdoor living room, use this guide.
-Concrete pavers are constructed of cement, sand, gravel, and pigments comprising a dry concrete mix.
-The pavers are made to high standards, ensuring a robust and uniform product that can potentially produce a better driveway than poured concrete.
Maintains:
In addition to aesthetics, with most exterior upgrades, the key concern for homeowners is the amount of ongoing maintenance involved. When you choose concrete, you will enjoy a low level of maintenance in general. Weeds going up through gaps in between the slabs are one problem that can occur, so the fewer slabs you have, the better.
Moreover, over time, cracks and stains can grow. Power washing can remove any stains and you may try to repair holes, but as your concrete ages, these kinds of minor eyesores are virtually unavoidable. To further mitigate problems with staining, you can add a protective sealant to concrete.
Compared with concrete, pavers are less susceptible to cracking from ground movement and changes in temperature. Impacts can potentially cause the formation of cracks, but individual pavers can be replaced when needed. Owing to the designs of the natural stone pavers that tend to conceal them, stains on pavers are less visible overall.
Durability:
The key problem with concrete content is that the slabs are significantly influenced by ground movement and major temperature changes. Both of these situations can cause the slabs to break and leave the concrete with an unsightly crack. They will not stay level if the slabs move too often and may encounter drainage problems.
Pavers are designed to withstand movement of the ground and variations in temperature. Furthermore, in water drainage, the joints between stones support. With their goods, many manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty, making it easy to get a free replacement if cracks in any of your pavers grow. The DIY installation of individual stones can be easily handled by most homeowners.
Installation:
Professionals should be able to install both concrete and pavers. DIY installation is not recommended for any of these products, because there are so many steps involved, and because minor mistakes can have significant repercussions. In contrast to pavers, concrete has a slightly less labor-intensive construction.
A more complicated process that makes the installation process longer than concrete is paving stones.
Cost Comparison:
As compared to paving stones, concrete has a substantially lower cost. In the meantime, pavers are extremely durable and individual stones can easily be replaced as necessary, so maintenance costs are lower over time and the stones can last much longer than the concrete surface.
Conclusion:
Choose stone pavers over concrete if you’re trying to add value to your house. Concrete does not add any curb appeal to a house or lift the overall value of its property. Pavers increase the attractiveness of curbs and attract future homebuyers, thereby adding substantial value to your investment.
