· By Dan Kessler · 1 min read
Pavers, asphalt or concrete?
What each costs, how long it lasts and what it asks of you, from the crew that lays all three.
We put in all three, so we have no reason to push one. Here is how they compare on a drive round here.
Asphalt
The least to put in, from about five dollars a square foot, and smooth to plow. It wants sealing every two to three years, softens on the hottest days, and lasts twenty years or so on a good base.
Concrete
In the middle on price. It is hard and plain, and it cracks: control joints decide where, and salt scales the surface in a few winters if it isn’t sealed. A broken slab means cutting it out.
Pavers
The most up front, from about eighteen dollars a square foot. Thousands of small pieces flex with the frost instead of cracking, they take salt and plows, and a stained or broken one comes up and a new one goes in. On a good base they outlast both of the others.