The Paving Blog

Drive way paving presents a potential buyer with a wild array of choices.  Depending, of course on budgets, almost anything is possible.  Naturally, the cheapest driveways, suitable for cars and deliveries, are gravel only. That loose or even compacted gravel gets looser later and is hard to walk on is obvious.  The tendency for it to reach into lawns and gardens is yet another of the many reasons, gravel driveways might be economical, but their disadvantages certainly outweigh the competition.

Asphalt tends to be the cheapest alternative to gravel and, from asphalt, we progress upwards into cement products.  The cost comparisons to your standard average cement driveway as opposed to asphalt reveals a small range of difference. But the step up from there is substantial with some very definite upsides.

A newer method of applying cement is now the “Stamped Concrete” alternative.  It is approximately double the price of asphalt, but the amazingly sleek and colorful patterns and textures of stamped concrete are pretty amazing.

The next category is slightly higher in price to ’stamped concrete’:  interlocking brick pavers. These cost about double what asphalting costs.  Here’s the deal, however.  It turns out paver patios and driveways have few peers in terms of adding value to a home.  In terms of strict real estate value, there are few items within or without a home that appraisers and buyers attach this much value to. What it amounts to is that you really do pay for what you get.  In fact, in this particular case, you might just be getting even more for your buck.