10 Easy Tips for Driveway Maintenance
Your driveway is an extension of your home, which means it’s crucial for you to take care of it in the long term. Consistent driveway maintenance can easily keep yours smooth and pristine for years to come.
So, what are some simple ways to maintain your driveway? Trust in Sommerset Paving, Ann Arbor’s top experts in concrete and asphalt maintenance and paving. Below, we share ten easy tips that can help increase your driveway’s lifespan and improve its appearance.
For Your Asphalt Driveway
Asphalt driveways are a standard feature of many homes. With the right amount of care, yours can last up to 30 years. Here are some tips we recommend so you make sure that happens:
1) Regularly Check Your Driveway
First and foremost, thoroughly inspect your driveway throughout the year. Look for flaws in the asphalt during the winter and summer months. This is when temperatures and weather tend to be at their most extreme. We suggest this because minor issues usually go unnoticed until they become big (and expensive) problems.
2) Get Rid of Spills & Stains
Our next piece of advice is to watch out for chemical spills and oil stains. While they’re common in mechanic shops and garages, these issues shouldn’t be overlooked in your asphalt driveway. This typically means it hasn’t been treated or made resilient enough to stand against slowly acting chemicals.
Eventually, these chemicals can eat away at your driveway’s structural integrity, causing it to form cracks and defects that can become problematic.
3) Drain Puddles in Your Asphalt Paving
Standing water usually signals future damage for asphalt driveways. If left unaddressed for too long, water can slowly break down the pavement, leading to cracks and potholes.
What’s the best way to avoid this? Ensure your driveway is graded and has proper drainage that directs rainwater away from your property, especially your driveway.
4) Sealcoat Your Pavement Every Few Years
We recommend sealing your driveway every two to three years. This helps protect the surface from UV radiation, which can cause it to become brittle over time.
Routine sealcoating also prevents water from seeping into the top layers of your asphalt and causing damage to the subbase underneath, which can lead to serious damage over time.
5) Repair Cracks ASAP
Finally, when it comes to asphalt driveways, fixing existing cracks is a must. Neglecting to do this will eventually lead to more cracks forming over time, whether through water seeping in or damage from the freeze-thaw cycle.
While we don’t recommend taking a crack at these fixes by yourself, here’s a quick breakdown of how to repair cracks. Fill short, thin cracks with hot or cold-pour asphalt fillers. Hot-pour fillers are generally more durable but require a few extra steps to prepare, while cold-pour fillers are faster and easier to apply.
However, let’s say you find your driveway is covered in deep cracks that seemingly never get easier to fix. You miss how sleek and flawless it used to look. Now, your asphalt pavement just looks coarse and broken down. When you know it’s time for some professional driveway construction or replacement, talk to Michigan’s best asphalt pavers at Sommerset Paving.
Need a fresh asphalt driveway or parking lot? Sommerset Paving is ready to pave your way. Talk to our expert team to learn how we can help.
For Your Concrete Driveway
We’ve talked enough about asphalt driveways. Now, let’s discuss how to maintain your concrete driveway. While concrete is a durable and attractive alternative to asphalt, it can still get damaged. To help extend the time between repair services, here are some ways to keep your concrete intact:
6) Clean & Reseal Often
Just like with asphalt, a concrete driveway should be regularly cleaned and resealed every two years or so. The exact timeline can vary depending on your region’s weather conditions and how much traffic your driveway endures. We recommend following this recommendation closely since Michigan can have fairly harsh weather throughout the year.
7) Avoid Using De-Icing Chemicals
Speaking of harsh weather, we also recommend that you avoid rock salt or other types of de-icing chemicals on your concrete driveway.
Specifically, steer clear of products that contain ammonium nitrates or ammonium sulphates, which are known to break down concrete surfaces. Though concrete is a durable material, it’s still susceptible to the elements and can suffer damage without proper care.
8) Ensure Adequate Water Drainage
Another similarity that concrete shares with asphalt is its susceptibility to moisture. That’s why we recommend checking the drainage systems around your house to ensure they can sufficiently prevent water from flowing toward your driveway.
Here’s another suggestion: Add landscaping elements, like French drains or mulched plant beds, which are designed to help prevent flooding. These can help ensure water doesn’t overflow from your lawn or garden and into your driveway.
9) Avoid the Edges
Although it may seem like a small issue, parking near the center — and away from the edges — of your concrete driveway is a good way to keep it intact. A concrete driveway’s edges aren’t made to carry heavy loads, particularly the full weight of a parked car.
By keeping close to the center, you’ll prevent potential cracks and damage to your driveway. Bonus? You’re more likely to keep it looking smooth and clean for the long haul.
10) Shovel/Plow With Care
Finally, here’s some snow removal advice: Use a plow or shovel that isn’t made of metal. While other shovel types may not be as durable, metal shovels can significantly scrape and damage your concrete driveway. Over time, this can roughen up the surface and compromise the quality of the concrete work your installers did (especially if they were from Sommerset).
Whether for Asphalt or Concrete Work, Trust Sommerset Paving.
Driveways are a part of your home, which means they deserve just as much love and care as you give to your lawn or living room. Following the steps above, you can protect and preserve your asphalt or concrete driveway, ensuring it looks amazing for decades.
That being said, no pavement lasts forever (except maybe those roads built by the Romans – we’re hoping to figure that one out soon). When it’s time to replace or install fresh asphalt or concrete pavement on your property, talk to Sommerset Paving.
Our seasoned professionals have over a decade of experience serving clients across Ann Arbor, MI, and its surrounding areas. Whether you need paving for your home, business, or a municipal property, we’ve got you covered, using only the very best equipment and techniques. Contact us today and get a free estimate on our services.