Choosing the type of driveway paving material is the first and most important important decision to take. Your choice will influence not only the aesthetics, but also long term maintenance and costs. Three important factors to consider when choosing paving materials:
Maintenance and installation costs
The possibility of replacing or fixing broken sections of paving
Difficulty of cleaning
On the other hand, if you have the available capital but not the ability or time to do maintenance yourself, it would make sense to consider a more expensive driveway option with a lower long term maintenance requirement
(Lifetime: Up to 100 years)
If you value character, curb appeal and durability, cobblestone driveways (or stone driveways) will be the premium choice. With little to no maintenance and having a good drainage capability, they are perfect for areas where water pooling is a problem. Furthermore, paving stones are also considered environmentally friendly when sourced from local queries. Due to their hard nature, the stones do demand a higher labour cost in manufacturing and laying which does increase costs of your driveway paving.
Furthermore, paving stones are also considered environmentally friendly when sourced from local queries. Due to their hard nature, the stones do demand a higher labour cost in manufacturing and laying which does increase costs of your driveway paving.
(Lifetime: ± 25 years)
Brick driveways are quite popular in the Hermanus and Overberg area, especially closer to the coastline. Brick driveways can be installed at relatively low costs as the bricks used in the driveways are in fact an easily obtainable resource; a standard building material. Experience and special attention to detail is demanded when laying down a brick driveway; it is highly recommended to work with an experienced paving installer to ensure a level, smooth surface for your driveway which will be a delight to drive on.
(Lifetime: ± 25 – 50 years)
The durability and versatility of concrete makes it an ideal material to use on your driveway. It’s essentially composed of variants of stone aggregates mixed with cement and water. It provides a smooth surface which suits any condition with almost no maintenance. Another major benefit of concrete paving is its ability to stay cool during hot summer months, especially useful when you have kids wanting to play in your driveway. The downside to using straight concrete is that it requires a larger upfront investment. Car oil leaks can leave stains in your driveway; thus you will have to take care if changing you own oil in your driveway.
(Lifetime: ± 25 – 50 years)
Asphalt is a common for driveways due to it’s ability to produce an aesthetically clean surface. Asphalt consists of rock, sand and asphalt cement. It’s much like concrete paving, but slightly cheaper and less prone to cracks as it has a flexible nature due to being a petroleum product (similar to tar).
Asphalt does have it’s cons though. When cracks do end up appearing on your driveway, you would have to make sure to fill them as quickly as possible. Leaving cracks unattended will result in them widening and spreading ever faster. It also requires a new seal layer every 3 years to maintain its appearance and protect it from cracks and oil damage. Asphalt is notorious for reaching high temperatures in summer months, which may be an issue for kids enjoying barefoot summer games over or on your driveway. Another consideration of an asphalt driveway is it’s environmental impact due to being sourced from petroleum products.
