Richmond Virginia's Premier Driveway PAving Contractor

Richard’s Paving is a premier and local driveway paving contractor in Richmond, VA (don’t worry we service all of Central, VA). We provide asphalt and concrete paving services but first, why should you pave your driveway? Paving your driveway can be necessary for a wide variety of reasons ranging from property value, cost-effectiveness, maintenance levels, and even safety.  Homeowners should view their driveway as their homes’ red carpet. It’s the first thing people see when they pull in to visit. What’s better is Richard’s Paving has one priority, and that’s to provide the best customer service and quality available from a paving contractor in Virginia. On this page, we will talk about the cons of a gravel driveway, whether you should choose asphalt or concrete, and the other driveway services we offer.

The Drawbacks of a Gravel Driveway

We are not knocking gravel driveways because they have benefits. But, there are more cons than pros when you have one. Here in Virginia, we get a lot of rain, in the winter we can sometimes get snow, but what do get a lot of is ice when rain freezes overnight. When you get a lot of rain the gravel can shift around and sink, causing ruts and sinkholes.

These ruts and sinkholes make the surface unstable causing people to trip, and vehicles to get stuck when those holes ice over again. On top of that, the gravel can be washed away into your yard or the neighbors’ yard, and you will have to pick it up and move it back. Removing snow and ice is also problematic since shoveling can move the gravel into the yard and cause more ruts.

Ruts and sinkholes aren’t the only problems though. Gravel driveways can kick up dirt and coat your car. The rocks can get stuck in your tires, and the dust can get into your vehicle’s air conditioning which you then breathe. Gravel driveways also require more physical maintenance since you will need to remove weeds that grow and penetrate the surface, regularly rake the gravel off your lawn, and keep extra gravel to fill in holes to ensure the surface is even. All of these problems are resolved when you hire a professional contractor to pave the driveway.

The Benefits of Paving Your Driveway With Asphalt

You have different options when you choose to pave your driveway. Most driveway paving contractors offer asphalt or concrete paving, but which should you choose? Most homeowners end up choosing asphalt thanks to its durability, flexibility, look, and cost-effectiveness vs. concrete. But first, let’s list some of the main reasons people choose asphalt paving over concrete and gravel.

• Skid Resistant & Safer: Here in the Northern Neck and Richmond, VA Metro Area, we don’t get a lot of snow anymore. But, as we mentioned before the rain we get in the winter freezes overnight, and thanks to asphalt being skid-resistant it’s safer to walk on. Thanks to asphalt’s dark color it’s more resistant to sun glare and it melts snow and ice faster once the sun warms it up.
• More Cost-Effective than Concrete: The materials used to create asphalt aren’t as expensive and help the homeowner save money during installation and years later when repairs and resealing are needed.
• Asphalt Driveways are Quieter: When you have family members and friends constantly coming and going, the noise of driving on a gravel driveway can wake you up. Plus, since asphalt is porous it absorbs air and vibrations reducing the sound of vehicles by 3 to 5 decibels.
• Environmentally-Friendly: Asphalt is very environmentally friendly and it can be 100% recycled. Asphalt driveways require less energy to install, and when they are replaced the asphalt is used to produce shingles and other products.
• Quicker to Install and Lasts Longer: An asphalt driveway takes 1 – 2 days to install and lasts around 20 – 30 years (if maintained properly). The driveway is also usable around 5 days after the project’s completion.