Pavers Vs. Concrete Slabs: Best for Project
Pavers Vs. Concrete Slabs: How To Decide Which Is Best for Your Project
When you want to spruce up your driveway, backyard paths, or garden paths, you might want to think twice about using concrete slabs. Although they can be cheaper to install, they have some down sides that should be considered. Pavers could be a much better option for your landscaping. Here is what you should consider when making your decision.
Maintenance over time
Concrete is pretty durable, but it does have some drawbacks. Larger concrete slabs don’t have the ability to shift and move with the earth. With each passing season, each temperature change, each weather event, the earth beneath and around that concrete changes ever so slightly. Over time, that means the concrete can crack and break.
If you get concrete pavers instead, they are going to be much smaller and fit together in such a way that they can move with the ground instead of cracking.
Maintenance in general
You don’t have to do much to maintain concrete slabs or pavers, but you do need to be able to address some minor issues. If you get a crack in your concrete slab, you’ll have to have that part of the concrete removed and repoured. If you get a crack in a concrete paver, you simply have that paver removed and a new one put in its place. As long as you have one intact paver, an identical paver can be made to match.
With both concrete slabs and concrete pavers, you will have the potential for weeds and grass to grow between them. Frequent use of a weed eater or edger should be sufficient to keep this under control, or you can use herbicide to kill everything off in the grooves.
Investment
Concrete is a lot cheaper to pour into slabs on-site. But pavers look much better in the end, and they are more durable. Because pavers can be replaced one at a time, it will be a long time before you’re going to have to do any major replacement. Pavers require a lot more time and effort to install, which means a higher investment, but you’ll enjoy it for much longer.
If you still aren’t sure if concrete pavers or slabs are right for you, contact us today for assistance.