Concrete Driveways: Poring Over the Pros and Cons

Joe Statwick You unfortunately neglected to mention some of the big environmental cons of concrete. Since it's almost totally impermeable, it not only reduces infiltration and groundwater recharging, but can also contribute to water pollution when all those oil stains run off into the sewer. If you use fertilizer and/or weed killer on your lawn, some of that will inevitably end up sprayed onto the concrete, where it can wash into sewers as well. Also, concrete production is responsible for up to 5% of global CO2 emissions, and though a driveway might not seem like much, every little bit helps. While those shouldn't be reasons to avoid concrete altogether, it's important to try to minimize the amount of concrete, and consider placement and drainage carefully.

Jean Corey Nearly everyone here in the Salt Lake City area has concrete driveways to make the snow removal easier, and the addition of low maintenance is a desirable bonus.

Concrete driveways can be resurfaced. There is a technique that uses acrylic in the topper that works pretty well. Most of the time the resurfacing can be colored and stamped with a decorative pattern. I don't see it much though, I guess because of the cost. Also, if you have a somewhat rural situation you can cover your concrete driveway with asphalt just like the roads department does to highways.

Kate Concrete is the way to go. My parents drive way was pored in 1976. It only has one very small crack in a corner somewhere that I have never even seen.--My Mom told me about it when we talking. I have seen large concrete squares, that have holes in them. Similar to lattice, that works in some areas, where snow plowing is not needed, and solves the problem of permeability. Grass or other plants grow in the holes, and water runs right through it.

Asphalt needs to to be resurfaced and repair too often. That is an environmental problem.

hometipster There's rightly a number of comments here concerning the environmental impact and consequences to pouring concrete - it is not environmentally friendly however it is so versatile. There is so much you can do with a concrete drive, it's not simply a case of pour and leave - you can stencil it to create some unique patterns and really show your artistic flare.

It would, however be nice to think that we will come up with a material that is much friendlier on our environment.

rich warchol design here in florida the trend seems to be jack hammering up those old cracked driveways and putting down pavers. they are much better looking and colorful. perhaps our ground is less stable here, but concrete driveways get severely cracked.

arteshouse Patterned concrete driveways are not the way to go. In cold climates that experience significant snow fall, Patterned concrete does not stand the test of time. Concrete driveways are expensive to install and requires costly yearly maintenance. Even if you take care and carry out the yearly maintenance, you still get a very worn and damaged surface (chipping and pitting) within the first or second year. Better to invest in materials that expand and contract with the seasonal variations. Consider a combination of stone, brick, or aggregate, trim and an asphalt driveway.

Gary Porter I think there's too much concrete in the world already. I agree with the environmental concerns posted by others; but I'm equally concerned with its aesthetics. We live in a gray world of huge concrete parking lots and freeways that will be with us till the end of time. I'd rather my own little space on earth be covered with more plants, gravel or brick pavings when need be, and as little concrete as possible.

mccrackenmk What about concrete driveways on a slope of clay soil? The soil tends to expand and contract a lot with weather, making cracks. Also, if the driveway connects to the house at a slab, is it more likely to crack slightly at this juncture, allowing rainwater to seep in here? One last thing, my concrete driveway slabs are separated by wood boards. How do you replace these when they eventually rot, especially if the driveway is on a slope?

designchallenged here in Zone 6 I have a downward-slanting driveway of asphalt. My friend has a downward-slanting driveway of concrete. After a snowstorm, the heat of the sun will melt the snow on the asphalt. My friend, however, has to have someone shovel out her driveway. Although her concrete driveway looks nicer than my asphalt one, I'm happy with the one I have,.

gwillliquor2012 Pervious concrete pavement has a 15-25% void structure, allowing 3-8 gallons of water per minute to pass through each square foot. When it rains, pervious drains, putting water back in the ground .
http://www.perviouspavement.org/
http://www.greenconcrete.info/

How much land is developed in the United States?
Answer:167,614 Square Miles (As of 2002) which represents approx. 4.66% of the Land Area in the United States.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib14/

arteshouse I couldn't agree more with the comment that there is too much concrete out there.

I’d like to see innovative and green solutions to limit the land dedicated to hard driveways, even if it only visually. I really dislike the amount of asphalt in front of my own home. I’m looking for an elegant way to create a green driveway and/or to cut the visual impact of the massive driveway.

How about the best innovative or green driveway solutions and pro/cons?

eviesaccount When we explored redoing our driveway, we decided to check out pervious concrete. It allows water to permeate, and its fine for driveways. The downside is to keep it absorbent, It cannot be painted, and it should be gently power washed or swept to keep it earth friendly since pollutants will also wash through.

Living in Florida in a coastal city that enforces low percentages of impervious space to maintain infiltration of water into the aquifers, we have found that we love Pavers but they are crazy expensive, and weeds love them.

Ultimately, we decided on a compromise to the Earth and our wallet: to keep our original concrete driveway and complement it by expanding it with 4 feet of Travertine stone with a combined walkway right up to the front door. Then we will have only the major cracks epoxy'd and sealed, and repaint it with a good nonskid additive.

judith195 My concrete driveway is now 58 years old. It now has to be replaced as the trees planted along the side have heaved the concrete. It is environmentally friendly as it is the old fashioned drive with two strips of concrete with grass in between. It gives a warm appearance to the yard and is easy to mow. What other driveway lasts almost 60 years!

kauaigal We have a concrete driveway that is stained from the red dirt that's prevalent where we live. Can we stain an older driveway?

Bowden Carroll Design I live in an area where the residents' association mandates a solid driveway - no gravel, no porous materials, which is crazy because the run-off from the rain around here is colossal. Beware of the temperature control comment - where I live, even pale concrete heats up in the summertime to an unbearable degree for one's tender tootsies!

cinkai I agree with the comments about clay soil and sloped terrain. We have that exact situation with our driveway compounded by a very large crack running vertically and it is very unsightly. I believe the cause is a tree root that runs under the surface and has grown over the last 30 years. No solution to this except a brand new driveway. I'd love to find a long term solution that does not involve cutting down the tree.

tiggerfins We have an aggregate cement driveway. Similar to concrete in durability, but more textural. It hides stains a bit better, and requires same maintenance as concrete. It has been down for 15 years, and we don't have any cracking yet. Of course, here in AZ it doesn't freeze, but it has withstood the desert summers!

Live Oak resurfacing: why is it not possible? There are a few products out there... Or you think they don't pass the time test? Anyway, it would be nice to at least spread the word.

Bette I love this article. I want to know about decomposed granite for my driveway (in my back yard). First for the environmental reasons, no run off there; second, ugly cracked concrete for all to view while we BBQ in that area. I'm doing my garage, and don't want an eyesore. Also, I have chickens, and people walk there. This seems like a good material to use to sweep up my chicken poop for the compost. It also looks more "yard" like.

James Dawson Landscape Design Agree with Joe, cannot believe that the Eco unfriendliness of concrete has not been listed in the disadvantages. It is a "no brainier".

ckrosenberg We have a driveway{entry}, that is poured concrete with grass between the different areas of concrete. Our grass is now yellow due to our dog. I do not want artificial grass. I would like help with other options. Has anyone used rock?

fern6951 We live in the northeast. Our previous house had an asphalt driveway, and while it was a pain to seal it even other year, we really liked how a light coat of snow and ice would just melt away and dry up once the sun hit it. The house we are now in has a concrete driveway. Like one other Houzz member pointed out the snow and ice does not melt well on the concrete at all, and if you have a shady spot, forget it. We also found out the hard way that even ice melters that say they are safe for use on concrete can damage, or eat away at it. Unfortunately, the builder did not install the concrete driveway correctly and it is now cracked in more than one place. We plan on replacing it with asphalt in a few years.

John `Kurtzz` Kurtz When I see a project, I like to do an estimate of the do it yourself (DIY) cost, which may be different in your area. Here are a few items for consideration:
Excavation - Skid Steer Rental $400-$500 (or shovel it if you can)
Drainage - Get as crazy as you want
Stone - Several inches of crushed stone as a base
Lumber - To frame up edges of concrete pours $40-$80
Rebar - To strengthen the slab
Concrete - $60-$80 per cubic yard (81 square feet at 4" deep)
Labor - Family, Friends, or hire some inmates from your local Work Release for minimum wage and a nice lunch...

Also, plant some trees if you have CO2 concerns and want to appease your conscience.

kbfestival Resurfacing concrete driveways IS an option and a viable one. I'm surprised to see it's listed here as completely out of the question. There's a lot of research out there showing otherwise.

I've found this site is a great place for useful information about concrete resurfacing: http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/concrete_resurfacing/

thisandy Concrete done well can be both beautiful & extremely durable. As seen in the Roman Pantheon which was built in 126 c.e. & has been used daily ever since. You can't get much more green than 1,886 years of use from a single building.

RollingPlanter.com Concrete is concrete. The larger the expanses the colder and more barren it looks. Concrete surfaces should be broken up with planters, artwork, walls, etc. I have a large drive port at my residence. I did not want to jackhammer it into pieces. Instead, I wanted an area that could be used to do wood working, car maintenance, and other social activities, but also wanted to grow plants, especially vegetable and fruit. At first, I bought wine barrels. The wine barrels were too heavy and could not easily be moved. Worst they fell apart after a few years. I then bought plastic containers, they lasted a couple years before they discolored and started to crack from the sun.

Almost giving up. I then had an idea to create rolling planter that could easily moved and I also made it big enough that I can grow a ton of vegetables. I created two planters that are 2 by 8 feet and then I created a third 2 x 4 feet. The two 2 x 8 foot planters can grow almost everything. Currently I am growing in the 2 x 8s: artichokes, tomatoes, herbs, peppers, egg plant, squash, leeks, onions, beets and cantaloupes. The third box, 2 x 4 I am growing rhubarb, strawberries and blueberries. I have literally a farm groaning on my concrete. Since the planter are on wheels they can be simply rolled off to the side when I need to do my wood work, work on my car, or better yet when I am entertaining they can be placed at the head of the drive port to make a semi private barrier from the street so I can entertain my friends and not the neighborhood.

People liked my boxes so much they asked me to construct them for the. I did and have started a business selling them. Here's my link: http://www.rollingplanter.com

People are placing them around their pools, basketball courts, small condo gardens (where they move them away from the wall where there is sun and place near the wall to entertain.). Many landscaper are telling me I have created the perfect sun following planter box...

Anyway this is my solution for concrete and it works!!!

Monica Hoffman Charles Stone Decorative Concrete: We can create any look of natural stone and textures. Check out our website at www.decorativeconcreteofcharlestonsc.com

scherrie goettsch This is a fantastic resource. I've been considering a new driveway for years. My old concrete driveway is full of cracks, but I'm interested in a surface that does not contribute to water runoff and does not kill established trees nearby. Thank you for all of these ideas!

chaladay Ditto on the environmental concerns - runoff and carbon footprint. I have a 50 year old drive, patio and front walk I'd love to redo but I'm nervous about the cost of green permeable pavers. Can concrete be resurfaced with something other than more concrete?

rruffman i have a LARGE concrete driveway poured in large sections with brick pavers separating sections into squares (in most sections). we have lived here for 10 years and while it looked very clean and stately when we bought the house, it is now cracked and areas are eaten away from salt dropped here and there. do not EVER use salt on concrete to melt ice. anyway, it is pretty unsightly at this point yet EXTREMELY expensive to break up and dispose of. so, we are just living with it until we win a lottery. i would prefer a gravel driveway. oh well.

hjames1623 I just moved and the previous tenants had some landscapers in St Charles give them advice on driveway paving. I guess they were told that a stained concrete would look best with the yard so that's what they did. Turns out that what they picked is extremely slippery when wet so kids are always falling around our house. I wish they would have thought about aesthetic as well as looks. There are so many different options, as you've shown with all the beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing! http://www.grantandpower.com/about/local-landscapes/st-charles-landscaping-design-and-installation

marsia I have a question about reusing broken concrete slabs. We have a fixer upper with tons of extremely thick broken concrete slabs around. In the very back yard where it is flat, the broken concrete is under a layer of crabgrass, and was used as a parking space. I want to take out those slabs and use them on a steep hill that currently has an asphalt driveway that needs to be ripped out because it is beyond repair. At the end of the steep hill will be the entry to our house, so it would be great to be able to drive down to the entry for bringing in groceries, but not have ugly asphalt or have to do terribly expensive new concrete (we have a very long driveway). Has anyone done something like this? Does anyone know how to keep the broken concrete from oozing down the hill? Could you embed it in new concrete? Could you frame it in railroad ties or something? We may just have an extra wide people walkway of broken concrete and use a wagon to get the groceries down the hill. We want it to look nice, as it leads to the front door.

Also, I have heard that asphalt runoff is toxic. I wonder if I should rip out the entire asphalt driveway (not just the part that is the worst on the hill) because it is next to my veggie garden? Is it just the sealers that are toxic?

Thanks for any info anyone can provide!