Building a Business Brick by Brick

What Options Do Construction Firms Offer For Driveways?

If you would like to create a dramatic and sweeping driveway from the road to the front of your property, then there are certainly a number of different options that your builder can offer you. Dirt tracks often do a practical-enough job once the earth you are driving on has become sufficiently compacted; however, in wet weather, you can find that you lose traction and that mud splatters up your car. Conversely, in hot summer conditions, they tend to kick up lots of unpleasant dust. Therefore, a proper driveway with a tough surface is highly desirable. What options should you be asking your builder about?

Asphalt

Asphalt driveways are a very professional option that not all general contractors are skilled enough to build. Because they are miniature roads, in effect, they need to be made by contractors who are used to constructing roadways. Asphalt is a highly durable material which offers good grip – the main reasons it is used for most public roads. It is ideal if your driveway needs to go over steep sections of ground or when twists and turns will need to be constructed. Because it is strong, you can expect it to last a very long time, so its overall cost is not that bad given how little you need to spend maintaining it.

Concrete

When you opt for a concrete driveway, you can produce a relatively long section of private roadway for a reasonable budget. Concrete must be laid in sections because it expands and contracts depending on the sun, which means you don't get as smooth a ride as with other options. However, concrete can be ribbed as it sets, which means you will be able to enjoy high levels of grip. That said, the material tends to crack under pressure, which means you need to deal with patch repairs if you notice any sections of it that are breaking up.

Gravel

One of the best things about gravel is that when you drive over it, you get a very pleasing crunching sound. This is very pleasing as you pull off the road, as it signals you are getting home. Your builder will need to compact the earth for a gravel driveway – it is not just a simple job of emptying out bags of the material. However, because it is loose, gravel is not good on hilly sites where it will eventually flow into dips on the driveway. In terms of maintenance, there is little to do other than to sweep any loose stones back into empty patched of the drive to keep them where they ought to be.


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