If you are having a new driveway installed for your home, you have many options to consider. One thing you can do is choose specialty concrete. This type of concrete is a design that is made to meet construction needs. For residential driveways, the specialty cement used is generally potassium silicate and is mixed with a coarse aggregate, such as crushed stone or gravel, sand, and water. Below are some benefits of choosing specialty concrete so you can get started on your driveway construction. 

Is Much More Durable 

Specialty concrete is much more durable than standard concrete that is used for driveways. Concrete is porous, which means it absorbs water. If it rains or you get a lot of snow this water can damage concrete over time much faster. Specialty concrete is not porous so it will not absorb water. This means your specialty concrete driveway will last you much longer, which saves you a lot of money. 

Does Not Shrink

Regular concrete sinks when it absorbs water, which can cause the concrete to crack. If it snows and ice builds up on the concrete this can cause problems. This is because when the weather gets warmer and the ice melts this can cause a bad reaction to concrete as it will shrink off and on as long as the water keeps freezing and thawing constantly. Over time regular concrete will create much larger cracks leading to holes in the concrete. These things can be expensive to repair and sometimes lead to you having to replace your driveway much sooner.

Less Maintenance

The maintenance costs of standard concrete are not expensive but the amount of maintenance you have to do with concrete is high. For example, you need to put a sealant on concrete to protect it from moisture absorption. This can take time especially if you have a long driveway. You cannot use any kind of deicing products on concrete, or it will cause damage. Also, concrete can crack, and you must take care of cracks as soon as they appear. With specialty concrete, you do not have to put a sealant on it, and you won't have to worry as much about cracks. 

Talk with a contractor that installs specialty concrete driveways and they can give you much more information. They can also tell you of more benefits this can offer you, as well as tell you how they install the driveway. 

For more information, contact a company like Decorative Concrete Designs.