Asphalt vs concrete in Edmonton, and when each wins
We lay asphalt, so take the comparison for what it is. The useful version is not which material wins, but which situations each one suits, and there are situations where we would tell you to use the other.
How asphalt and concrete differ on your Edmonton driveway
Asphalt is flexible, which is its real advantage in a climate with a hard winter. It moves with freeze and thaw rather than resisting it, and when it does fail it fails locally and can be repaired without the repair being obvious.
Concrete is rigid and that cuts both ways. It holds a crisp edge, takes finishes and colours asphalt cannot, and lasts a long time when the base beneath it is right. When it does crack, the crack is permanent and a patch always shows.
Where freeze and thaw is a real annual event, a flexible surface has an advantage that no finish or colour can offset.
Decide how much appearance matters
If a decorative finish, a colour or a crisp pattern is the point, asphalt cannot do it and saying otherwise would be selling you the wrong thing.
Think about when you need it back
Asphalt returns to use in days. If the drive is your only access and a long closure is impractical, that difference is significant.
Consider how repairs will look
Asphalt repairs blend in over time. Concrete repairs stay visible, which matters on a surface chosen for how it looks.
When to use concrete
When we would point an owner in Edmonton elsewhere
If the finish is the whole point, use concrete. Stamped patterns, exposed aggregate and integral colour are things asphalt does not do, and a black surface with a sealer on it is not a substitute for any of them.
If a very small area is the whole job, concrete is often more sensible. Asphalt is laid and compacted with machinery, and a tiny pour does not carry the cost of bringing that to site.
And if a surface takes static heavy loads in one place rather than moving traffic, concrete handles that better. Yards with parked trailers sometimes mix both for that reason, which is also why the base and the grading get designed before the material is chosen.
Concrete generally lasts longer when its base is right, but it fails permanently. Asphalt has a shorter life and can be resurfaced or patched repeatedly without the repairs showing.
Asphalt, because it flexes with freeze and thaw rather than resisting it. A rigid slab that does crack keeps that crack permanently, while asphalt can be sealed and patched.
Usually for the initial job, though it needs recurring maintenance that concrete does not. Over a long period the gap narrows, so compare the whole picture rather than one number.
Not in the way concrete can. Stamped patterns, exposed aggregate and integral colour are things it does not do, and we would rather say so than sell you a compromise.
Asphalt, by a wide margin. It is usable within days, while concrete needs considerably longer before it will take a vehicle. That gap matters a great deal when the drive is your only access.
Yes, when the finish is the point, when the area is very small, or when a surface takes static heavy loads in one spot rather than moving traffic.
I was leaning toward concrete. They laid out the cost, the repair options and the freeze-thaw behaviour honestly and I chose asphalt with my eyes open.
Paul C.
Leduc
★★★★★
The comparison on their site is balanced, which is why I trusted the rest of it. They sell asphalt and still gave concrete its due.
Vera A.
Edmonton
★★★★★
They explained why asphalt can be patched and concrete mostly cannot. That decided it for our rental property.
Sam N.
Beaumont
★★★★★
There was no push toward either material. The estimator gave the differences with numbers attached and let us decide at our own pace.
