Asphalt pavement makes a great surface for your driveway and it will last many years while it looks great and provides a durable vehicle surface. However, just as with any outdoor feature, asphalt needs to be kept in check to protect it against sun, wind, rain, ice, and vegetation growth. The following recommendations will help you take the best care of your asphalt with the right maintenance and repairs.
Complete Regular Checkups
When it comes to taking care of your driveway, it is best to prevent serious damage as much as possible with the right maintenance and checkups. Your asphalt driveway is going to experience drying out and cracking naturally over time and with age, but if you can keep an eye on it to resurface and fill in cracking when it appears, it is not going to turn into further damage that is more advanced.
Watch out for the formation of cracks and areas of the asphalt that begin to sink, as these are the beginning stages of damage. Sunken spots usually indicate there is a problem below the surface of the asphalt and the foundation is eroding. The foundation may also have pockets of air that are slowly collapsing. Consult with an asphalt professional to diagnose and repair sunken areas properly so they don't cause extensive damage to your asphalt.
Cracks are equally damaging as they allow moisture to get down further into the asphalt where it erodes away at the material that holds the pavement together. During winter the moisture will freeze when temperatures fall and the ice will expand to wedge down into the crack and widen it further. You can complete your own asphalt crack filling routine to keep the surface solid against damage.
Make Proper Repairs
As your asphalt experiences aging from the outside elements, make it a regular practice to fill in cracks as they begin to form. Cracks that need to be repaired are usually anything that will allow dirt and moisture to settle into them. Remove any vegetation growth from the cracks as soon as you notice it, especially in the spring when the seeds of weeds begin to sprout.
Clean out any soil from the cracks with a water hose, pressure washer, or a broom. This will also prepare the crack for crack filling so you can patch it up to discourage it from widening. Professional asphalt crack repair is also ideal, especially when the crack begins to widen and pothole formation is usually the next step.
For more information, contact a company like DRIVEWAY SEALING CALL FRANK.
Share28 September 2022
Paving contractors spend all day laying the pavement. We figured that the least we could do was write about it! In other words, we plan on laying the pavement of information. Yes, that sounds a little cheesy, but sometimes it's okay to sound cheesy when talking about something as serious as pavement. We caught your attention, didn't we? Now that we've caught your attention, allow us to share a little more about this blog. It will feature articles about paving and pavement contractors, and we plan on providing a lot of different information and perspectives as we go. You're welcome to join us!