If it is installed and maintained properly, your driveway should last between 25 and 50 years. Its durability and versatility are two of the reasons that so many people put in asphalt driveways at their homes.
The correct care and feeding of asphalt driveways is an important part of making them last a good, long time. One threat to your driveway (and to any concrete) is water. It gets into the nooks and cracks and then when the weather turns cold, it freezes. When most materials go from the liquid to the solid state, they get smaller. Water is different. Water expands when it turns to ice. Then the water melts, leaving holes in the asphalt or concrete. This weakens it and causes more problems.
1. Seal your driveway.
One way to protect your driveway from the weather and other things that can damage it is to deal it. This can even prevent some cracks from being created. Your driveway will need to be treated with a sealant once every year to protect it. The best time of year to do this is in the spring. For people who live in either warm or cool climates, this season offers the best chance to seal and protect your driveway. For sunny climates, the protection from UV rays from the sun is critically important. For colder regions, the main threats come from the freeze and thaw cycles as mentioned above. Rain is a problem everywhere.
Make sure you take some time to inspect your driveway before you treat it. Look for cracks, holes or any standing water. If you find any problems, it is important that you repair them before you apply the sealant. Your driveway should also be totally free and clear of anything like mold, mildew, lichen, algae or other growths. These prevent the sealant from forming a bond with the asphalt.
2. Get rid of standing water.
Any standing water that is on asphalt driveways can do a lot of damage. This is what creeps into any cracks or small holes in the pavement to work its destructive magic during the winter months. After a rainstorm, take some time to remove any water that you see has pooled on your driveway. This is an easy (and cheap) way to perform some preventative maintenance on your driveway. If the water is really deep and you cannot remove it, you can call in an asphalt driveway repair company to do it for you.
3. Look for and fix any cracks in your driveway.
Just because you sealed your driveway does not mean it is totally impervious to cracks. Inspect your driveway on a regular basis and fix any cracks that you may find. There are a lot of things that can find their way into the cracks in your driveway. Water is one but so are weeds. Repairing cracks when they are small will prevent them from becoming larger and causing more damage to the driveway. It is also much easier and cheaper to fix small cracks than large ones.
andnbsp;4. Fix any potholes that you find.
Your street gets potholes and so can your asphalt driveway. These are often found in the spring. This is because it is during the winter that all of the ice freezes and expands. When the thaw hits in the spring is when you see the potholes form. These can be dangerous for people who walk on the driveway. Like cracks, when they are left alone, the only thing potholes will is grow into bigger potholes. Your best bet is to fix them as soon as you find them.
5. Clean your driveway.
One way to keep your driveway free of mold, mildew, algae and other problems that can grow all over it, is to keep it clean. Sweep it on a regular basis. Mold and mildew are all around us all of the time. By sweeping and keeping it free of debris, you can prevent a lot of these problems from forming in the first place.
Your driveway is one of the first things people see when they come to your home. Asphalt driveways come more than 250 colors. When you keep it maintained, it can look great for many years.
