When you are installing a driveway or parking area, it’s common to ask which surface is the best. Since each option has advantages and disadvantages, knowing a bit about them can help you make a decision.

Most people want to know how much each surface will cost them to have installed, how durable and long-lasting they are, and how much maintenance will be required. Beyond that, individual factors will come into play, such as personal preference, the appearance of the property, and location issues such as weather, soil type, and terrain. The four main types of surfaces for a driveway are asphalt, concrete, gravel, and pavers or bricks.

Asphalt

Asphalt is most recognizable as the material most roads are made of. Asphalt is a mixture made of tar or oil and solid material such as gravel. This mixture is usually spread over the area while it’s hot and then compacted into a solid surface and left to harden. Asphalt costs up to $6 a square foot and takes a few days for installation.

Durable and Low Maintenance

Asphalt is a very durable material, ideal for use in the north but also durable and popular in the south, as this Orlando paving company shows. Asphalt is also flexible, which makes it less likely to crack and become deformed than more rigid options. Asphalt required no maintenance other than an occasional coating when it becomes too weathered and repairs if it’s cracking.

Cheap, Quick Installation

Asphalt is the cheapest solid driveway option, second only to gravel. Because asphalt is so cheap and can be used soon after installation, it is the driveway of choice for many people. In addition, asphalt installation can be much faster to install than concrete or pavers. And after concrete is poured, it still needs several days to a week to cure.

Sustainable

Asphalt is a very sustainable material. Even though it contains a small amount of petroleum-based products, it’s highly recyclable, and nearly all asphalt is now reused. In addition, asphalt can be repaired when it cracks, and it will go on to be used for many more years.

Attractive

Asphalt looks attractive and stylish. It’s dark, which can look more sophisticated than white driveways, and stays looking nice for a long time if it’s regularly resealed. It is also one of the quietest driveway materials and is quieter than its closest competitor, concrete.

Concrete

Concrete is a mixture made of cement and an aggregate such as gravel. It is mixed with water when it’s time to pour it. The cement is the substance that binds the aggregate together and hardens, and the aggregate forms the strength and bulk of the material. Concrete structures also contain iron bars which provide reinforcement for the structure and make it resistant to cracking and breaking. Concrete driveways cost up to $12 a square foot and take a few days for installation, and another week or so before it is cured enough for vehicle traffic.

Long-Lasting

While concrete is more expensive than asphalt, it also lasts longer. Concrete can last 50 years or longer, while asphalt is old at 20 years. Even after concrete has cracked, it can often go on to be used for years.

Maintenance Free

Concrete is relatively maintenance-free. It should be cleaned regularly, like any surface. It will also extend the life of the driveway and help it maintain its attractive appearance if it is regularly sealed.

Cooler

Concrete is much cooler than asphalt during the summer. Because of its light color, concrete doesn’t absorb as much of the sun’s rays. Asphalt can get very hot in the sun because it is black.

Customizable

Concrete can be customized in ways that asphalt cannot. Concrete can be stamped into patterns that resemble rocks, bricks, and pavers. It can be stamped into designs. It can also be colored and stained to match the house, to look like rocks, or any other design.

Pavers or Brick

Pavers and bricks are materials similar to or made of concrete, but instead of being poured and cured onsite they are formed in a factory and shipped in their hardened state. They are then placed in a pattern on a bed of prepared gravel or sand, and the cracks are filled with sand. Pavers and bricks can take longer to install, due to the process of laying each paver individually, and cost up to $50 a square foot.

Attractive

Driveways made of pavers and brick are exceptionally beautiful and stylish. They can be styled in any number of patterns and designs and come in a variety of color options. Like concrete, pavers are much cooler than asphalt.

Flexible

Pavers and bricks are flexible by nature since they don’t form a solid surface. The adjustments of the soil and temperature fluctuations will cause the tiles to shift slightly but they won’t crack like concrete or asphalt. They also allow water to run off easily, so they’re less likely to be damaged by standing water or poor drainage. Any area with heavy rainfall can benefit from a permeable surface such as pavers.

Low Maintenance

Once pavers or bricks have been set in place and properly installed, they require very little maintenance. The cracks need to be swept to keep them clear of debris and leaves, which could water from running through them.

Gravel

Gravel driveways are the cheapest option for your surface. They are used mostly in rural areas where there are long driveways and, often, gravel roads as well. Gravel driveway installation involves more than just spreading gravel over your grass, and should be done professionally. Dirt work and preparation must be done, and then layers of certain sizes of gravel are spread to provide a longer-lasting surface. Gravel driveways cost around $1-2 a square foot.

Cheapest

Gravel is the cheapest of all driveway materials, which is why it’s often used on long driveways. It also has the shortest lifespan and has to be maintained more frequently. The maintenance the driveway needs may not be able to be done without heavy equipment, meaning a tractor or grader may need to redo the driveway a few times a year to remove ruts and spread the gravel. New gravel will also have to be periodically applied.

Drains Well

Gravel driveways have excellent drainage since they have no solid surface. However, they drain so well that the dirt underneath can become waterlogged and ruts may form in areas with long stretches of wet weather.

Easily Repairable

Gravel driveways are the easiest of all surfaces to repair, since they usually only need the addition of more gravel or to be scraped and re-leveled with a grader of some kind.