Asphalt or Paving Stones: Which to Choose for Your Driveway in Quebec?

It is the great debate among Quebec homeowners. Both are good products, but not for the same budgets or the same priorities. Here is an unbiased comparison (we do asphalt, but we would rather have a well-advised client than a disappointed one).

Paving stones are also called interlocking pavers, or “interlock”, in Quebec.

Criterion	Asphalt	Paving stones
Installation	One day; lower cost, and the gap grows with the surface area	Several days; higher cost
Foundation	Compacted in layers: it decides everything	Same: an inadequate base ripples after a few winters
Surface	Continuous, no joints	Joints that need upkeep (weeds, ants, stones that shift with frost)
Snow removal	Shovel and snowblower glide; de-icing salt affects it less	Joints can hold ice
Look	Understated, deep black, straight edges	More colours and patterns, high-end look
Repairs	A section can be cut out and redone in one visit	Stone by stone; matching the shade is difficult after a few years

Installation cost

Asphalt is considerably more affordable to install than paving stones of equivalent quality, and the gap grows with the surface area: on a double driveway, the difference is significant. Asphalt goes down in one day, compared to several days for paving stones. What makes the price of an asphalt driveway vary is explained on our Asphalt paving prices page.

Lifespan

• Asphalt: its lifespan depends first on the foundation and drainage, then on a sealer applied at the right time. Well built and maintained, it gets through many winters.
• Paving stones: the stones themselves last a very long time, but the base and the polymeric sand between the joints need regular maintenance (weeds, ants, stones that shift with frost).

In both cases, the foundation decides everything. Paving stones laid on an inadequate base ripple after a few winters; asphalt on a solid foundation stays flat.

Winter and snow removal

Asphalt forms a continuous surface: the shovel and the snowblower glide without catching, and de-icing salt affects it less than the joints between paving stones. Paving stones can shift with frost and leave joints where ice builds up.

Appearance and resale value

Paving stones offer more choice of colours and patterns, and give a high-end look. Asphalt is understated: deep black, straight edges, a clean look that appeals to the vast majority of buyers. A clean, newly sealed asphalt surface improves the first impression of a property, at a lower cost than paving stones.

Repairs

Cracked asphalt can be repaired easily and at moderate cost; a section can be cut out and redone in a single visit. Paving stones are repaired stone by stone, but matching the exact shade after a few years is difficult.

Questions to ask before choosing paving stones

• the thickness of the compacted base written in the quote;
• how the joints and the polymeric sand are maintained;
• how a repair is done and how the shade is matched;
• the warranty and its terms, in writing.

Our recommendation

• Controlled budget, functional driveway, resale coming up → asphalt, without hesitation.
• High-end landscaping, comfortable budget, a taste for patterns → paving stones, or a mix: asphalt for the driving surface and a paving stone border for looks, a common combination in Laval and on the North Shore.

Whatever you choose, build it on a foundation compacted in layers. That is the only “secret” that counts.

Request a free quote: we will tell you honestly what suits your property, your budget and your plans.