Tips for Saving Money on a Concrete Driveway

Concrete pavingis something that is many, many centuries old. Concrete, which is most basically a cement mixed with aggregate, is something that has been around for an exceptionally long time. You just need to think of all the concrete that remains all over the world, left over from civilizations like the Roman Empire, to get an idea of how ubiquitous a substance this has been over the course of human history.

This fact has an important implication. There are two ways of laying a concrete surface, the traditional way and all the more-effective modern techniques which make use of much more recent technologies. This has a further consequencein that concrete paving can cost a lot, but it’s always possible to do it cheaply.

However, cutting costs can, unfortunately, meaning cutting corners on road effectiveness and even safety. Accordingly, for municipal authorities, or in the case of any company laying a concrete surface for public use, it is neither advised nor legal to go cheap. This all changes though when you are working with your own private property. This is not a road.

Of course, you don’t want to go fully cheap with your private property either. The result of that could easily be a seriously inadequate drivewaythat suffers damage quickly and leads to repair jobs that end being anything but cheap! Nevertheless, for those laying a concrete driveway on their own property, there is a lot to be said for thinking about how you can do it as cheaply as possible. To that end, there’s a lot of advice out there on how to cut costs when laying a concrete driveway.

The Advantage of Concrete Paving for Driveways

Of course, you might be wondering about the other option for paving – asphalt. Whether or not asphalt works out cheaper depends on what type of asphalt you are laying. For highly weather resistant, seal-coated asphalt, you’ll end up paying more. Nonetheless, concrete tends to win out every time for driveways and private residencies, and the reason for this is purely aesthetic.

Parking Lot Pros, paving experts out of Texas that specialize in all things concreteand asphalt paving, say that concrete driveways are more popularsimply because they suit the environment better. Think about it. Asphalt is a jet-black material based on a sticky black crudeoil-derived substance known as bitumen. This is not only not very environmentally friendly, but it tends to look a bit incongruous surrounded by a landscape garden or the masonry of a house. For driveways, it would be fair to say that concrete simply looks better.

Tips for Cutting Costs

So, you might well have settled on concrete. Now, how can you cut the costs of the installation? Here follows some top tips:

Do It Yourself

We mentioned that the discipline of concrete paving is ancient. You can indeed do it yourself. However, you should be incredibly careful hereas there’s much to consider, including underlying utility lines, permits, and the creation of a plan to present to a zoning board.

Use Local Concrete

The further it travels, the more it costs. And far-travelled concrete also means a greater environmental impact of a material which is actually quite environmentally friendly. Bear this in mind.

Hire Students

There are work-study and internship programs associated with paving companies. By engaging with these, you can use the cheaper labor of those just learning. Their skill level is likely to be more than enough, even at this stage, for a simple concrete driveway.

Ultimately, there are savings to be made when it comes to concrete paving, but you need to plan this out carefully.