Concrete or Asphalt

mbalbritton

mbalbritton

#@$%!
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Location
Lakeland, FL
Getting ready to do some work to/around the house. One item is having a paved driveway installed. The Wife is pretty much set on Concrete. I prefer concrete, but I also like the most affordable option. We're taking the driveway from the road to the back of the house and having a pad put in behind the house as well. We have a rear entry garage. The back pad would be 25'x36' and then from the road to the back edge of the house is approx 85'. About 35' of that at 12' wide and about 40' of that 16' wide leaving 10' averaging 14' (tapered).

I had a concrete guy come out and quote grading, labor, materials including the concrete at 35 yards and $8600. Seems pretty good since I was expecting to hear closer to $10K.

I'm going to have Asphalt quoted as well. I expect that to come in at less. But I'd like to hear pros and cons on both from those with experience.

Shoot!
 
If you're going to be using the surface for anything work related, go concrete. Always remember, gasoline eats asphalt.
 
XJsavage said:
If you're going to be using the surface for anything work related, go concrete. Always remember, gasoline eats asphalt.
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This.... plus in the summer time if you have to lay on asphalt to work on a vehicle, it gets HOT and softens. I once had a mechanic's creeper with metal "skate" wheels that dug in and created grooves in a softened hot asphalt driveway. Concrete is much more resilient and cooler. It will cost more, no doubt - but WELL worth the extra.
 
Concrete hands down if you can afford it. 6" or greater if you're not a fan of living with cracks. WWF it for security. And 1/4" per foot slope everywhere.

I've sunk a jack on more than one occasion into asphalt on a hot day.
 
4" is plenty if it's poured properly.
 
For reference (you've seen mine)... was quoted $4K to dig up the cancerous asphalt, re-tamp/gravel, & lay 5" back down

While it's 20 years old (likely compacted to hell and cured hard on top), I've never had any issues with jacks/jack-stands sinking...
 
Concrete!! If your worried about cracks spend a few more $ per yd and have fiber added. A good contractor will put enough control joints in the right places to not have to worry, but the fiber is extra ins. Cut joints are better than trowel joints IMO.

If you dont use concrete.... its your own asphalt.... ;)
 
My asphalt driveway is looking pretty rough. Tons of stains from a myriad of fluids. Brake fluid is really bad, especially when it's hot out!
I have a spot where there are perfect square corners in a little box, where I had a truck on jackstands in the summer, and a brake fluid leak. Left a perfect imprint of the stands.
I guess the good part of my asphalt driveway is it's good for conjuring up lots of memories!
 
Saw cut joints 8-12ft on center to 1/4th the slab depth. Cut joints as soon as slab can be walked on. Use pre-wetted concrete blocks to elevate the WWF, not clay brick. Don't waste your money on troweled joints.
 
Make sure the control joints are installed to maintain a reasonable aspect ratio or you will have cracks in unwanted places.

Make sure they pour it a true 4". I see lots of driveways that are "4" inches that end up being 2.5 to 3" and are rarely 4".
 
You could do concrete around the house where you will be working and playing, then asphalt just for the driveway to the road. That is what we did for our new house.
 
For asphalt, make sure the subgrade is prepared correctly or the asphalt will fail prematurely. Concrete can withstand a less than ideal subgrade relative to asphalt (although still needs to be correct)
 
drkelly said:
You could do concrete around the house where you will be working and playing, then asphalt just for the driveway to the road. That is what we did for our new house.
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This I think would be the most cost effective way to do it. If you couldn't afford to do concrete for all of it, a nice pad with a paved road wouldn't be bad.
 
Whats the going rate for asphalt? For concrete? I've been quoted $1000 for a 20x20 concrete pad in front of my garage, and paid about $3/sqft for finished concrete on my building, but have no idea what asphalt goes for.
 
Call my neighbor he does concrete work. Tell him his neighbor Matt gave you his number. I've seen some of his work and it still looks nice several years later.
 
And it might help if I ad the number (336) 624-1943 his name is Randy.
 
I'm of the opinion that the only way to keep concrete from cracking it to leave it in the truck.

Ive never poured the shit but everywhere Ive lived that had it, it was cracked all to shit.

May have all been poured wrong. I dont know. In fact I'd almost bet on it being poured wrong at my current house given who built it.
 
I will share some things I know about concrete by doing it and from a college project where we toured a plant, drew up plans and even built a small replica of a plant.

1. Concrete truck drivers are pricks and don't like to give you time. So better have your forms ready, sifter boards ready and have about 3 hands on deck when they pull up.
2. You are charged weather you use it or not. So do your math or have a back-up plan such as a future outbuilding or drainage ditch to rid of any excess.
3. It's more porous than asphalt. It can even suck up Coca Cola and the stains would be more prevalent than asphalt.
4. But muriatic acid bleaches it right back.
5. There's up to 2,000 different recipe's at any given time at a concrete plant.
6. The longer recipe you choose for it to cure, the probability of the longer duration it will last and stronger it will be. Hoover Dam was poured with a recipe that is still curing as of today. The fast curing recipe is for only emergency situations and for idiots that don't care what kind of product they are delivering.
7. Ice / cold days are your best friend. The "real" pros (and not just your local "3 guys a concreting") that do industrial large scale have a large capacity ice machine on hand.
8. Concrete dries "hydraulically". It cures under water and more controllably and probably even better than above ground.
9. After a short while, the shit will eat your skin up! But short durations is good for pimples / oily skin for it dries you up.
10. Unless you are doing say less than an 8'x8' pad, it works out cheaper to buy it from a plant with a delivery truck than it is to mix it on-site.
11. I have a 2-bagger concrete mixer I bought years ago. Motor has less than 48 hours on it. Even less than 8'x8', I STILL!!! Prefer to buy it and have it delivered.
12. The finished product is much better with the right shaping tools for corners. And timing is an art.
 
LOL Changed a few answers I used to be a driver/field tech/batch tech

1. Concrete truck drivers are really nice guys and have a limited amount of time . So better have your forms ready, sifter boards ready and have about 3 hands on deck when they pull up because concrete waits for no one. You have approx 90 minutes from the time the truck was loaded. Retarder is your friend and its not expensive.
2. You are charged weather you use it or not. So do your math or have a back-up plan such as a future outbuilding or drainage ditch to rid of any excess. Nothing to add here, this is the truth.
3. It's more porous than asphalt. It can even suck up Coca Cola and the stains would be more prevalent than asphalt, but can be sealed. Sealer will need to be reapplied every few years
4. But muriatic acid bleaches it right back. Make sure to re seal it
5. There's up to 2,000 different recipe's at any given time at a concrete plant. Most plants have a standard 4K PSI mix for residential use. Thats plenty strong if you or your contractor doesnt add to much water
6. The longer recipe you choose for it to cure, the probability of the longer duration it will last and stronger it will be. Hoover Dam was poured with a recipe that is still curing as of today. The fast curing recipe is for only emergency situations and for idiots that don't care what kind of product they are delivering. Also the less water you add the stronger it will be, you lose about 500 psi for every gallon added (above mix design) to a yard of concrete. Contractors like it wet because its easier to move around. Mexicans are the worst at wanting wet concrete and will add water till its like soup. Your nice strong 4000 psi concrete you just paid for might not even reach 1000 psi now. This is were you get all those complaints about cracking and breaking.....



Three most important things to know about concrete...

1. It's gonna get hard
2. It's gonna turn white (unless its dyed)
3. It's gonna crack

 
An old house I lived in had an asphalt driveway with an open carport. Came outside one summer to find my motorcycle about to fall over with the kick stand about 4 inches deep in the asphalt. This was in the shade under the carport. It was crazy soft in the summer.
 
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