3 Signs Your Driveway Needs a Makeover

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3 Signs Your Driveway Needs a Makeover

As a homeowner, there are plenty of elements in your home that need to be continuously monitored. Are all the electronics working? Are the windows adequately insulated? Does the space and furniture work for your family’s needs? Are your home security services up-to-date? You get the point.

With all of these different factors to consider, how often do you think about the state of your driveway? Maybe not too often. Yet, your driveway is not only one of the first things that visitors notice about your home, but it also can be terribly unsafe to have a driveway in significant need of TLC.

And, if you are ever looking to increase your home’s curb appeal, a charming, well-maintained driveway immediately raises its value.

If you aren’t sure, here are three signs that will tell you your driveway needs a makeover.

1. There are more cracks and potholes than you can count.

No matter what kind of driveway you have (whether asphalt or concrete), cracks are going to form. These occur when the terrain underneath your pavement swells and contracts. Over time, as this process happens again and again, your pavement gets weaker, and cracks appear.

While it is normal for this to happen, cracks can be made worse by chemicals that infiltrate the surface of your pavement (such as oil, gas and de-icing salt) and water that trickles in. Additionally, if you reside in a locale with freezing temperatures, it is likely that during the colder months, water will flow into the cracks and expand once frozen.

The longer, wider, or deeper the cracks in your driveway, the more extreme the damage must be. If you only have a couple of smaller cracks, you may not need to get a full driveway replacement, but you do want to look for driveway repairs to ensure the cracks don’t get worse. Because they always get worse.

Potholes develop when cars drive over this vulnerable spot or crack. It is a common problem that, depending on the damage, will again require some repairs or a full replacement in order to get it back to being safe.

However, the cost of driveway paving is nothing when it helps to keep you and your car safe while coming and going from home.

2. Water is starting to become (or has become) a problem. 

Generally, if your driveway is in excellent condition, then you don’t need to be too concerned about water affecting it. However, over time, drainage problems can arise. Most of the time, these drainage problems transpire when notable cracks in the driveway permit water to seep beneath the surface. If this water then becomes trapped, it can further intensify issues with freeze-thaw cycles.

If water is often running down your driveway or is sitting in a pool (two common signs of drainage problems), it can lead to your driveway weakening, resulting in a production of more cracks and potholes. 

While it may not seem like a big deal at first, allowing drainage issues to persist can lead to severe damage to your driveway. In some cases, if the damage is terrible, you may have to entirely replace your driveway before adding other features (such as curbing or inlets) to prevent it from occurring again.

3. It just looks a little past its sell-by date. 

At the end of the day, most elements in our homes need to be updated and refreshed every once in a while — your driveway is no different. Due to its consistent exposure to the sun’s UV rays, you are likely to find your driveway losing its color as the beams oxidize the surface and fade the shade.

When your driveway starts to look noticeably weathered, it is time to look into giving it a makeover. Not merely for cosmetic reasons, too much UV exposure can additionally undermine the strength of the driveway. Depending on how much it has been altered, you may need to replace the driveway altogether, or you might be able to get away with employing concrete or asphalt sealant.

Are you looking to give your driveway a makeover anytime soon? What do you do to keep it looking and functioning well over time? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments below!

AUTHOR BIO

Ron Shattuck Jr. built Shattuck Paving into a trusted, reputable family business. Ron Jr. learned a lot about the industry and the hard work ethic that Ronald Sr. lived by, and has now followed in his father’s shoes to operate the company and help it grow. Today, Shattuck Paving is more determined than ever to serve their customers’ needs with integrity. No compromises!

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