Your driveway is easy to take for granted, but it's one of your home's most critical assets. Not only does a clean and well-maintained driveway improve the curb appeal of your home, but it also serves a practical, day-to-day purpose. A worn-out, poorly-maintained driveway can make parking your cars unpleasant and even cause damage to tires, suspension, and other vehicle components.
While any asphalt driveway will eventually wear out and require replacement, you can take steps to prolong the life of any asphalt surface. These three steps will help you avoid problems that can cause your driveway to suffer premature failure, ensuring you get the most value out of this essential part of your property.
Step 1: Keep It Clean
Keeping your asphalt clean will enhance its appearance and make it much easier to maintain. You can use a leaf blower or a broom to gently remove leaves, twigs, dust, and other debris from the surface. This easy task is one you should do at least several times per year. However, you should also use a gentle cleaning solution for a more thorough cleaning at least once per year.
Keeping your driveway clean will allow you to spot potholes, cracks, and other issues. Make a habit of looking for these problems whenever you clean the driveway and note areas where issues seem to be worsening. If you notice chunks of asphalt breaking loose, it's time to contact a paving contractor right away.
Step 2: Repair Cracks and Holes Immediately
Any damage to the surface of your driveway can allow moisture to seep below the surface, creating a risk of future frost heaving or foundation issues. These problems can turn a relatively minor issue into one that will force you to replace the entire asphalt surface. Fortunately, keeping your driveway clean and free of debris should make it easy to spot cracks or holes before this occurs.
You can use do-it-yourself products to repair small problems, but more significant issues require professional attention. If you're unsure of your ability to repair a problem, it's best to contact a paving contractor instead. An incomplete or inappropriate repair may still allow water to seep below the surface, undoing much of your hard work.
Step 3: Keep Up With Sealcoating
Sealcoating enhances your driveway's appearance while protecting the surface from UV rays, water, and chemical contaminants. You'll want to apply a new sealcoat no less than once every three years, although you can evaluate the condition of your driveway to determine if you need to perform this maintenance task more often.
Staying on top of problems before they progress and sealcoating often is all you must do to ensure your driveway lasts for as long as possible. These simple tasks will maximize the lifespan of your asphalt, helping you to avoid a costly early replacement.
Contact a company like Black Diamond Paving LLC to learn more tips.
Share17 October 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!