Oklahoma City – Should I resurface, repair or replace my concrete driveway?
Posted on Friday, December 15 2017 in Concrete Projects
Concrete is an extraordinary material; it’s durable, affordable and very versatile. With a little creativity concrete can be made into driveways, sidewalks, statues, floors, mailboxes and more; it can even be colored, stamped and stained to give a stunning look that can last for many years. However, while concrete is very durable and versatile it doesn’t last forever.
Especially when you’re looking at a concrete driveway for your Oklahoma City area home, concrete is a great option; however, without a little TLC your concrete driveway might start showing some wear.
For those Oklahoma City area homeowners that are dealing with a concrete driveway that has some cracks you might ask the question: should I resurface, repair or replace my concrete driveway? This article will break down some of the reasons and options that you might have to keep your concrete driveway looking great for many years.
Why are there cracks in my driveway?
With the material as hard and durable as concrete you might think that a concrete driveway would hold up for decades without any maintenance at all. However, this is rarely the case. Concrete driveways can take a lot of abuse both with the elements of the weather such as rain, snow and the warm Oklahoma City sun, not to mention parking thousands of pounds of weight on it every day.
When most people think about concrete they don’t consider the fact that concrete is actually, porous. It is this porous nature that can lead it to deteriorate causing cracks over a period of time. These cracks, over time, can eventually get large enough to weaken the structural integrity and usefulness of the concrete itself.
Preventative maintenance saves money!
Once you understand that concrete is, indeed, a porous material proper maintenance becomes key. If a concrete driveway for your Oklahoma City area home is properly sealed against moisture, it can significantly increase the life of your driveway by reducing cracks. Each crack that forms on your concrete driveway multiplies the water intrusion effect and accelerates deterioration. By sealing and avoiding these cracks as long as possible, you can also extend the life of your concrete driveway.
Call Alex’s Construction Company for a Free quote on Concrete Services in the Oklahoma City Area – 405-496-0161
Evaluate your situation
Before you make a decision on whether you should resurface, repair or replace your concrete driveway for your Oklahoma City area home you should ask yourself some general questions:
- How old is my concrete driveway?
- Has my concrete driveway been properly maintained over the years?
- How severe is the damage?
- What is my budget?
- Will I be selling my home in the next 5 years?
By pre-establishing some of this information it will help you make a decision that would best suit your needs. For example, if your concrete driveway is over 15 years old and has significant cracks where there are physical dips in the concrete; replacement would be best. On the other hand, if the concrete driveway has been well maintained over the years and just has a handful of cracks; then repair or resurfacing would be the most affordable solution.
Repair vs. resurfacing your concrete driveway
If it looks like patching your Oklahoma City area home’s concrete driveway is going to be your best option then you need to decide whether resurfacing or simply repairing the damaged areas will be your best option. Resurfacing a driveway is more expensive than repair but will give a much better curb appeal and look to your concrete driveway. If however, your concrete driveway’s overall appearance and integrity is sound; then simply cutting out and replacing the damaged areas would be best.
Note: it will look patched, but if you’re okay with that; it is the more affordable approach.
Replacing the entire driveway
If the cost for repair or resurfacing will be too high or the age of the concrete driveway for your Oklahoma City area home is great enough that it would be cost prohibitive to simply patch things up then replacing the driveway may be your best bet. While the upfront costs of replacing your concrete driveway will be greater, it may be less than multiple driveway repairs over a ten-year period of time if your new driveway is properly maintained.
Trust your local experts
Alex’s Construction Service is your local Oklahoma City area experts when it comes to concrete construction projects. Specializing in concrete driveways, Alex and his team can come out and assess which options would be best to both meet your budget, curb appeal and home investment needs.
You’ll never have to worry about pressure sales as the owner, Alex does all the estimates personally. Give us a call today to quote your concrete driveway resurface, repair or replacement for your Oklahoma City area home.
Useful Links
Check out some of our Testimonials – Click Here
