Two Tips for Keeping Your Driveway in Excellent Condition

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Driveways usually sustain a lot of daily wear and tear. Here are two tips which should help you to keep your asphalt driveway in excellent condition for years to come.

Hire a contractor to repair cracks the moment you spot them

Cracks can develop in a driveway for any number of reasons. Concrete driveways, for example, tend to crack when exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations, whilst asphalt driveways can sustain this type of damage if they are subjected to heavy impact (caused by parking large trucks and vans on them on a regular basis).

Irrespective of the cause of this problem, it is important to repair the damage as quickly as possible. This is because driveway cracks will increase in size during the colder seasons; this growth is caused by rainwater entering the crack and then expanding as it turns to ice. This expansion puts pressure on the driveway material, which then leads to the crack becoming longer and wider.

If you ignore a crack, you run the risk of it growing so large that the entire driveway needs to be resurfaced. As such, cracks must be fixed promptly. If have a concrete driveway, you should contact a concrete contractor to handle this issue. In most cases, they will use an epoxy resin or a special type of mortar to fill in the gap created by the crack.

If your driveway is made of asphalt, an emulsion filler designed specifically for use on asphalt will need to be used.

Have it periodically re-sealed

If you want your driveway to remain in perfect condition for as long as possible, it is important to have it re-sealed by a contractor once every year or so.

Whilst this might sound like an unnecessary expense, periodic re-sealing could actually save you a great deal of money and hassle in the long run.

This is because sealant (which is usually an emulsion that contains a number of additives and fillers) can increase the durability of the driveway material and thus prevent cracks and potholes (that will cost a small fortune to repair and that could damage any vehicles you park on your driveway), from developing. Sealant can also help to protect your driveway from moisture and UV-induced deterioration.

Sealant usually wears off after a year or so; as such, to continue to enjoy the benefits it provides, you should have a contractor reapply this substance to your driveway on an annual basis.


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