Pros and cons of a cement driveway

With the different material choices for creating amazing driveways, picking the the perfect one can be difficult. Cement driveways are certainly one of the most popular options, but are they a good fit for your home? Here are some of their  pros and cons.

Benefits

Durability 

Compared to asphalt, another popular option for poured driveways, cement lasts so much longer. If properly poured and cared for, a cement or concrete driveway can last from 25 to 50 years with very little maintenance. Of course, exposure to certain weather conditions can cause a concrete driveway to develop cracks after a couple of years, but a few small cracks won’t keep the cement driveway from being functional.

Maintenance

Cement driveways are quite easy to maintain. Pressure cleaning it from time to time usually takes care of the job. For added protection, concrete can be resealed every few years. However, unlike asphalt driveways, this isn’t a pressing requirement. Since it is a solid surface, shoveling snow is also easier on a cement driveway compared to gravel or other paved driveways.

Design options

There are tons of decorative options for a cement driveway. Since concrete is light in colour, it’s very easy to stain it in all sorts of hues to match your home. Concrete stamping can also make a cement driveway gain the appearance of brick, cobblestone, or other textured driveways. For a totally unique driveway, concrete stenciling allows homeowners to go for creative, custom patterns.

Great for warm climate

Although shoveling snow is easy on a concrete driveway, cement is still much suited to warmer climates. Harsh winters can result in a shorter lifespan for a cement driveway, but on warmer areas, they usually outlast asphalt, gravel, and some paved driveways.

Drawbacks

Cost for larger driveways

Compared to asphalt and gravel, cement driveways are pricier. Typically, a cement driveway costs about $30 – $50 per square metre. For those with large or long driveways, these prices can easily add up to the thousands for the total job cost.

Stains easily

Although stains don’t really affect the functionality of a concrete driveway, it can be quite annoying to look at. Sadly, concrete is easily stained by oil from vehicles. These stains are also hard to remove, and removing them usually requires the use of chemicals.

Difficult to resurface

There are a few concreting experts who can resurface a damaged cement driveway, but the process can be costly. More often than not, badly damaged cement driveways need to be removed so an entirely new driveway can be poured.

Environmental concerns

It is pretty well-known that concrete isn’t the most eco-friendly driveway material around. For green home builders and renovators, pavers are usually the driveway material of choice.