Quartz, Chip, Metallic, and Marbleized: The Beauty of a Concrete Driveway
If you take a stroll around most neighborhoods, you’ll probably notice a trend regarding peoples’ driveways -- the majority will consist of asphalt, while a select few might be built from concrete. Indeed, asphalt tends to dominate driveways because it’s cheaper than concrete (and because plenty of people like the look of their well-maintained black driveway). However, plenty of homeowners might instead gravitate towards concrete despite the higher price point. The beauty of a properly installed, sealed, and well-maintained concrete driveway cannot be overlooked, nor can the other benefits associated with a concrete driveway.
Here we’ll discuss some of the biggest reasons people choose concrete for their driveways, including the various visual results that can be achieved with quartz, chip, metallic, and marbleized sealing options.
Perks of a Concrete Driveway
Beyond the Blacktop
An asphalt driveway can enhance a home’s curb appeal if it’s kept in great shape and resealed every 2-3 years. But if you’re looking for visual flair (or simply something other than black or dark grey), you’ll want to consider concrete instead. While a bare concrete driveway will look grey, beige, or off-white, the real possibilities come into play if you decide to apply outdoor concrete epoxy paint. Sealing your driveway in this way won’t just protect its surface from moisture, UV rays, and impact -- it allows you to introduce color and texture to your driveway that would be impossible to achieve with a pitch-black asphalt surface. For instance, you might invest in a chip, quartz, or metallic epoxy floor paint system, or marbleize your concrete driveway, selecting the color(s) along the way to either match or contrast the exterior of your home. However you decide to spice up your concrete driveway, the results will call attention to themselves in a positive way.
Beating the Heat
One of asphalt’s biggest drawbacks, due to its pitch-black coloration, is that it can get extremely hot when bombarded with sunlight. On the other hand, concrete driveways, though they can get warm, do not overheat in this way, even if they’re bare (remember that bare concrete driveways are much lighter than asphalt). Additionally, applying an epoxy paint coating with UV-resistant properties to your concrete driveway will further reduce the amount of heat contained by your surfaces.
Staining Setbacks
Concrete doesn’t always have asphalt beat, however. Because these surfaces are lighter than asphalt, stains from oil, gas, and other substances show up much more prominently on bare concrete driveways than blacktop. The severity of such staining can be offset, however, with the aid of concrete floor paint and other coating systems. Adding color and texture to your concrete driveway this way will render stains less noticeable and, more importantly, protect the underlying surface from harm, reducing the amount of maintenance necessary to keep your concrete driveway looking its best.
Enjoy Your Beautiful Concrete Driveway for Decades
A well-maintained concrete driveway has an average lifespan of 30-40 years. To be fair, asphalt driveways can stick around about 20-30 years, too, as long as they’re kept clean, re-sealed every few years, and patched up when necessary. So, going with concrete is generally a longer-term investment than going with asphalt, but the deciding factor in this equation is how well you take care of your driveway, regardless of its makeup. If you’re tasked with maintaining a concrete driveway, know that sealing it via a quartz, chip, metallic, or marbleized system is a great way to ensure its durability and longevity.
Looking for a Concrete Answer?
When properly cared for, a concrete driveway is a beautiful addition to any home and made all the more eye-popping with colorful, textured coatings. The concrete coating experts at Anderson Painting specialized in the application and maintenance of Penntek polyurea coatings, which can be applied to garages, basements, patios, pool deck, and, of course, driveways. To learn more about us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
