If you currently have a gravel driveway, you are probably used to dealing with a few headaches from time to time. Today, more and more homeowners are deciding to swap out their gravel pavement for asphalt instead. Asphalt has the benefit of providing some key benefits over gravel while still remaining relatively affordable. Here's why you might want to contact a local residential paving company or contractor about converting your gravel driveway to asphalt today.

Asphalt Is Much Easier To Manage During a Rough Winter

A gravel driveway can be a real pain when there is snow and ice on the ground. Gravel can be real slippery when there is even a bit of ice on the ground, which means you'll likely spend all winter dumping salt all over your driveway. Gravel can also be a pain when you go to shovel snow off of the driveway after a storm, as you will always manage to dig up a few rocks along with the snow when you get towards the bottom of the pile.

Asphalt, by contrast, may still need to be salted but won't be as slippery as gravel, and you don't have to worry about digging up anything extra when it's time to clear the driveway so you can pull the car out and go to work.

Asphalt May Need Less Ongoing Maintenance Than Gravel

Asphalt driveways should typically be repaved once per year to tighten up any cracks that might develop. But this is a relatively quick operation that can be done in a day by a paving contractor. With gravel, you might find that you as the homeowner have to manage things on a more frequent basis. Gravel can move or shift as cars drive on it or people run on it over time. When one side of the driveway becomes uneven, you'll need to shift the rocks or pour more gravel. Gravel simply requires more ongoing maintenance than just once per year like most asphalt.

Asphalt Won't Send Things Flying Every Time You Drive Over It

Gravel can pick up dirt and debris within the rocks over time. If you pull out of your driveway in a hurry as you leave for work, it's likely you are going to kick up some rocks and other gunk. Some of this stuff might even cause damage to your car's paint if you kick up the rocks high enough. You might also have to deal with picking up pieces of gravel that made it onto the nearby sidewalk or your yard. With asphalt, none of this is a concern.

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