As a homeowner, you understand the importance of maintaining your property, including your driveway. Here are 3 reasons you need to repave your driveway, including: cracks, holes and age.
Image Source: Flickr
Cracks
Cracks that form a spider web pattern in a small area usually indicate that the base has softened. Water will settle in this spot and make the problem worse. Fillers will help for a while, but sooner or later you’ll have to cut out and patch the cracked area. Cut the asphalt using a diamond blade in your circular saw (Photo 4). Then repack the gravel base by pounding it with a 6-ft. 4×4 or a hand tamper. Fill the cutout and pack with a 4×4 or hand tamper.
You can buy asphalt patching material at home centers and hardware stores, but it isn’t nearly as durable as regular hot asphalt. For better performance, seal coat the patch after about six months. Source: FamilyHandyman
Holes
Holes can lead to automobile damage or personal injury accidents. Most cars are not designed to repeatedly traverse large holes. Similarly, a misstep over the hole on foot may lead to a broken ankle.
Apart from personal injury and automobile damage, large holes in your driveway increase the chance of further damage to the asphalt or concrete. If water is allowed to collect in the hole, then more cracks will form beneath the surface. If the water freezes and thaws, the expanding and contracting moisture will continue to wreak havoc on the rest of your driveway. It is important to have large holes repaired as quickly as possible or to have the drive evaluated for possible replacement. Source: Community.Renovate
Age
Your driveway is trying to tell you: Your asphalt is getting old, but don’t worry.
Over time, wear and tear from rain, sun, and vehicle traffic can deteriorate a driveway’s surface, causing asphalt to lose its jet-black appearance and turn gray. If left untreated, the surface can become brittle and more susceptible to cracking. But fading by itself is not indicative of a larger problem. “It’s not a performance issue,” Hansen says.
Oxidation, which occurs when asphalt is exposed to oxygen and then hardens and turns gray, plays a role in the fading. The fix is simple—fills any cracks and then apply a seal coat, which you need to do every three to seven years anyway. But “you don’t want to do it too much, like you don’t want to paint your house every year,” Hansen says. Source: PopularMechanics
Contact:
Kerrisdale Roofing & Drains Ltd.
168 W 71st Ave, Vancouver, BC V5X 4S7
(604) 360-2114
