Landscaping Directory International

Paving or concrete?

That’s the question most people face when considering a solid-surface driveway.

Here are the issues:

Price

Pavers are available in a huge range of styles, colours and prices and often excellent deals can be found on factory seconds. Generally paving is cheaper than concrete, depending on your choice of material of course.

Durability

Concrete wears quicker than clay or stone pavers. This applies to concrete pavers as well. Coloured concrete fades and loses its surface, becoming pebbly from constant traffic. This is particularly true of textured or stencilled concrete. However, exposed aggregate, which is concrete with exposed pebbles is very long lasting and attractive and is commonly used on public walkways.

Paving is flexible whereas concrete may crack on clay soils from expansion and contraction.

There is a lot of bad paving around and paving laid over poorly compacted fill will always settle.That said, if properly prepared paving will not sink. If you decide on paving then insist on them being laid over at least 200mm of compacted roadbase for normal car traffic.

Maintenance

Most people’s concerns about paving focus on weeds. Obviously pavers are more prone to weed-growth than concrete but it is easily dealt with using an inhibiting grout and simple household solutions like hot salty water, brown vinegar or pool chlorine once a year.
The segmental nature of paving, while making it more vulnerable to weeds makes repairs or alterations simple allowing materials to be recovered and recycled during renovation. Also paving drains better leading to less water ‘sheeting’ and less stormwater run-off, including car oil and detergents.
A second concern in certain soils is ants. Ants will excavate sand or clay from beneath pavers and bring it to the surface between the bricks. This is usually not a significant problem and can be solved with an ant repellent. Laying weed mat, a fibrous material under the pavers can help but it makes laying the pavers awkward and more costly. Never lay plastic under pavers either to prevent ants or weeds because it inhibits drainage and encourages mould. Anyway weeds sprout from between the bricks, not under them.
Another solution for both problems is to seal the pavers with a epoxy solution. This binds the sand grout between the pavers, making it impermeable. The downside to this is the added expense of sealants and the on-going application costs.

Overall both pavers and concrete have their advantages and disadvantages. Pavers have the advantage of choice of materials, cost, flexibility, drainage and recoverability allowing for future alterations but they can require more maintenance than concrete. Concrete has the advantage of long-term stability. Coloured concrete fades and wears quickly and is not recommended. The best concrete option is exposed aggregate, although it is expensive.