OK got about 10 metres by about 2.5 metres to pave on the offside of a house which will have garden beds on each side. The area won't get used much except as access to the back yard from garage, kids riding there bike, and the wall mounted clothesline is there. May be used as boat storage if I'm ever that lucky
Like the look of asphalt - what do I know about asphalt (from thisplace.com.au):
* there are different choices to be made - plain hot mix, chip seal with gravel pressed in for texture, pattern stamped and acrylic polymer colours....all I need....more choices
* easy to maintain nothing a slab and a council worker can't fix
* doesn't crack as much as concrete as it is more flexible don't know if I believe this
* topcoats can be applied might seem like a good idea on roads don't know if I want to make my driveway thicker
* can last over 15 years concrete will last for ever...well...!
* in summer - bitumen can hold the heat OK may need some shade sails anyway to provide shade to kids bedrooms (it's on the north west side).
Have heard that asphalt doesn't like garden beds either side as the swelling of moist garden bed soils can move the asphalt and cause undulation...bit worried... .
Needs an edging - kinda OK - bit of work but the house is made of recycled bricks so I can "match" it with recycled brick edging and then the asphalt works with the house.
Don't know what the cost differential is between pattern concrete and asphalt....may not be any by the time you do the extras like edging.
Maybe I should just pattern pave concrete and be done with it because it's the off side and move on to the backyard.
Tell me I'm crazy...tell me I'm nuts...tell me it's a good idea...tell me whatyareckon...