[Laker14]

If you were starting with the blank concrete driveway, and you wanted to do something more esthetically pleasing, would you go with pavers, or epoxy?
What are the relative pros and cons of each approach?

Which is more expensive to install?

What is the frequency and cost of maintenance ?

Can you give me an idea of cost of each for installing, per square foot (if that's how they charge)?

Thanks

[villagetinker]

I have a couple of neighbors that removed pavers due to the constant maintenance, cracking, re-sanding, sealing, etc. Epoxy can be VERY slippery when wet if a friction additive (like shark grip or equal) is not added to the final coat. There were some recent complaints about the clear overcoat pealing in garage floors near the front of the floor, not sure if this was due to water on sunlight, but needs to be considered for a driveway. We had our drive way painted (xylene based paint) around 5 - 6 years ago, almost NO maintenance. It is now due for a sealing coat. Original cost was around $2 per square foot, I did get a quote for sealing that was less than $.50 per square foot.
You need to do your own due diligence on pavers, there have been reports of thin pavers cracking a lot, installations that caused water to either enter or not drain correctly from the garage, incorrectly glued edge pavers breaking free and allowing other to move.
There are several other treatments for driveways, several neighbors had a beautiful concrete overcoat design applied, sorry I do not remember the name, but I know they have almost a year waiting list.
Hope this helps.

[bilcon]

I have had pavers for the last 10 years. Beautiful to look at, but they do need some maintenance. I have mine power washed and sealed every 4 years or so. I have had to replace only 4 in 10 year. Two broke because a cement truck back onto my driveway while a construction project was going on next door. Your decision.

[biker1]

I just pressure washed, resanded, and resealed my pavers after 3 years. It is actually a pretty easy DIY job if you are so inclined.

Originally Posted by bilcon

I have had pavers for the last 10 years. Beautiful to look at, but they do need some maintenance. I have mine power washed and sealed every 4 years or so. I have had to replace only 4 in 10 year. Two broke because a cement truck back onto my driveway while a construction project was going on next door. Your decision.

[biker1]

If your neighbors had problems with pavers cracking then they probably used the thin pavers, which can be problematic for driveways. The thick pavers are pretty much bulletproof. Pressure washing, resanding, and resealing every 3-4 years is typical.

Originally Posted by villagetinker

I have a couple of neighbors that removed pavers due to the constant maintenance, cracking, re-sanding, sealing, etc. Epoxy can be VERY slippery when wet if a friction additive (like shark grip or equal) is not added to the final coat. There were some recent complaints about the clear overcoat pealing in garage floors near the front of the floor, not sure if this was due to water on sunlight, but needs to be considered for a driveway. We had our drive way painted (xylene based paint) around 5 - 6 years ago, almost NO maintenance. It is now due for a sealing coat. Original cost was around $2 per square foot, I did get a quote for sealing that was less than $.50 per square foot.
You need to do your own due diligence on pavers, there have been reports of thin pavers cracking a lot, installations that caused water to either enter or not drain correctly from the garage, incorrectly glued edge pavers breaking free and allowing other to move.
There are several other treatments for driveways, several neighbors had a beautiful concrete overcoat design applied, sorry I do not remember the name, but I know they have almost a year waiting list.
Hope this helps.

[raynan]

We waited 7 years before we did anything to our driveway and then went with Paradise Pavers after driving around some of the older villages and looking at the various ways to finish a driveway. Painted driveways seemed very faded and old looking and how to repaint without stripping original design is a mess and expensive. We just had our driveway cleaned and sanded and resealed after 3 years and other than that no maintenance. We would have loved to go with Florida Deck & Concrete but too expensive.

[vintageogauge]

It's probably a personal preference. Pavers would be more expensive and do require more maintenance We have them and our installer recommended we do not use the thin ones so ours are I would "guess" 2-1/2" thick. We have had no problems with them going on 3 years and I am about to power wash, sand, and seal them myself and if anyone has any tips on doing that please send me a PM.

[Altavia]

Has anyone had the floor in their garage polished? Similar finish you see in big box stores.

[dtennent]

We have sculpted concrete for 4 years now which has given us a river rock look. The original company is gone but other companies are in the area. I pressure washed and resealed it myself about 6 months ago - no big deal. Only issue we have is a small area at the end of the driveway where a heavy truck must have come up on to the driveway. Looking into how I fix that small spot.

[Stu from NYC]

Our neighbors just had their epoxy driveway just powder washed and resealed.

Asked the contractor for a price. They could not give it to me as they only work with people they have finished the driveway for in the past as otherwise they would not know if it was enamel or latex and even years later could not mix the two.

They say others would do it but if they use the wrong type you will be very sorry with the result.

The folks we purchased the house from have no idea who originally did it and of course no idea as to the finish.

[Toymeister]

I have had both and given a choice I would just keep bare concrete.

But between the two I would take epoxy. It is cheaper and easier to maintain.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

I have had both and given a choice I would just keep bare concrete.

But between the two I would take epoxy. It is cheaper and easier to maintain.

Why would you prefer to keep the concrete? Less hassle?

Can you give me an idea of how much cheaper epoxy is?
I actually like the look of the epoxy over the pavers, I am surprised to hear it's less expensive.
I have found it slippery when wet though. I'd hate to avoid the northern ice only to come to TV and slip on the wet epoxy.

[coffeebean]

Non slip surface was the reason we put pavers on the lanai floor and the driveway. Safety was our number one concern. In our research, pavers was the most non slip surface. We used the thin pavers for the lanai and the thick pavers on the driveway. The look of the pavers is richer (to me) than any other application that I have seen. Yes, there is maintenance but it is worth it to hubby and me.

[justjim]

Originally Posted by Toymeister

I have had both and given a choice I would just keep bare concrete.

But between the two I would take epoxy. It is cheaper and easier to maintain.

I’m with you - just concrete for me. After all, it’s a driveway and a garage floor.

[Toymeister]

Originally Posted by Laker14

Why would you prefer to keep the concrete? Less hassle?

Can you give me an idea of how much cheaper epoxy is?
I actually like the look of the epoxy over the pavers, I am surprised to hear it's less expensive.
I have found it slippery when wet though. I'd hate to avoid the northern ice only to come to TV and slip on the wet epoxy.

. I bought pre-owned so I can't answer the price question. I can tell you that I did my own sealing with a solvent based sealer, as it has more solids than water based sealers. I bought 10 gallons but needed about 7. I added glass beads for texture. All in with sand this cost about 600.00. This for a drive with full length cart drive and some landscaping paths.

Others have reported 1,200.00 for someone else to do sealing with a standard two car drive and no glass texture beads.

To your first question, why plain concrete? It requires zero maintenance. The beauty of my home is not judged by the driveway. It does not improve the quality of my home experience. For less money I can get magic stairs (electric attic stairs). Arguably just as un-sexy as a driveway but it improves the usability of my storage space. You could easily choose something unique to you that would be a better, sexier, home upgrade.