Examining the Benefits of Having Your Driveway Paved by a General or Concrete Contractor

Exploring the Benefits of Paved Driveways

If you're like us, you love the sight of a freshly paved driveway. When a concrete contractor goes through the process of turning a rough, unpaved driveway into a handsome and flawlessly smooth paved driveway, they've added both form and function to your property. From appearance to durability, the addition of a paved driveway to your property can add value to your home.



Even though your driveway is among the first things that visitors see and experience when they arrive, the focus quickly shifts to the house's architecture or the layout or some other salient detail. Perhaps this is because people naturally look up, but the driveway rarely gets the attention that it deserves.

What Are Issues Involved With Unpaved Driveways?

Unpaved driveways can be hard to maintain and even hazardous when the ground gets to be too uneven. Even a driveway that had been paved but then suffered many years of neglect can cause damage to both vehicles and people. When properties are inspected for sale, inspectors will include any cracking or crumbling concrete that appears in the driveway. The way they see it, it's a turned ankle waiting to happen.

Concrete contractors know that unpaved driveways must be regraded at least once a year to maintain proper conditions, depending on use and climate, and come with a host of other issues:

• Vehicles wear the dirt and dust
• Tires can warp on uneven ground in some temperatures
• A vehicle's suspension can suffer
• In snowy climates, plowing is more difficult and can cause damage
• Dirt and dust will be tracked into the house

Who Needs a Paved Driveway?

There are more than 75 million driveways in America and about 90% are concrete or asphalt. Those that are not are much more prone to disrepair. Whether it's gravel, dirt or severely damaged and uneven drive, such conditions hinder the simple experience of arriving home.

Anybody who values their vehicle, their home's aesthetics and high return on investment will benefit from paving their driveway. Those currently without a paved driveway may very naturally ask the question: why should I spend the money on this project?

Why Does a General or Concrete Contractor Encourage Paving?

General contractors encourage paving for lots of reasons. At least one overlaps with the same advice that you might get from a realtor. Both will tell you that there can be a significant return on investment by paving and that the resale value of your home can increase.

Realtors will encourage folks to get their driveways paved for a couple of reasons. First, even though it can cost a few thousand dollars for paving, in certain parts of the country, especially those that experience rough weather conditions, it could add between $10,000 to $20,000 to the value of the property. Second, when it does come time for selling a property, a level and polished paved driveway is as much of a selling point as an unsightly one that will turn people away.

Aside from the big-picture ROI stuff, here are some of the other selling points for concrete driveways:

• More cost-effective than a brick or cobblestone driveway
• Absorbs low levels of UV radiation
• Lasts 50-60% longer than asphalt
• Can withstand up to 8,000 pounds
• Safer for pedestrian traffic
• Easier on your car and its tires
• Easy to maintain in all climates

How Do You Maintain a Paved Driveway?

One of the benefits of a concrete driveway is that there's little maintenance involved. Considering that this property feature that consistently involves all sorts of traffic could last upwards of 25 years, that's pretty remarkable. There isn't much that's truly maintenance-free, though, especially where driveways are concerned.

Over time, things get spilled on driveways and dropped on them and such things can lead to deterioration. Cleaning and sealing your concrete driveway every so often is the best way to preserve its integrity and lifespan. When you find oil, gas or grease stains, for instance, there is a pretty simple remedy to clear them up. Some people sprinkle baking soda or spray oven cleaner over the stains, let it sit and then rinse with water. (The baking soda is swept away before water is put down.) Others purchase chemical cleaners, which work well, too.

A good concrete contractor will advise applying new sealing every couple of years or when the finish begins to wear off. Effectively, applying a sealer is like painting a wall - you want an even coating everywhere that will dry to a pristine finish.

There are so many benefits to paving your driveway, from the easy comfort of driving over it to maintenance to ROI on your property. At RTS Construction, we know what it takes to install a quality driveway that can last for decades. Visit us online for more information on how paving your driveway or investing in any of our services may be the right decision for you.