There are a lot of factors that make a home beautiful and visually-appealing. For instance, the exterior design, home decor, and stylish furniture, all play a substantial part in creating a beautiful living space of your own. But other than these elements, it’s actually the design of your driveway that ultimately completes the overall aesthetic of your home. Being the first thing that welcomes guests into your property, the designs of your driveways plays a crucial job of leaving a good impression on your visitors.
Ignoring a badly damaged and worn down driveway can not only ruin your property’s aesthetic, but it can also burn a hole in your pocket in the long run. Aside from having an impact on the physical appearance of your home, it also carries the burden of making your property safe and accessible. Because it serves you multiple functions daily, it’s important to care for your driveway and address damages quickly.
Whether it’s a new property or not, an owner like you should keep in mind that the designs of your driveways are not going to last you forever. No matter how tough and durable asphalt is, your driveway is still susceptible to natural elements like water, sunlight, and snow. In fact, these can drastically shorten your pavement’s service if the damages are too severe.
Now, to save you from constant costly repairs and a possible re-installation (which can be extremely expensive!), dive into this article to know what factors can potentially ruin your driveways. With that, let’s break down the designs of your driveways worst enemies and save it from premature deterioration.
- Heavy load/trucks
Have you ever driven by a commercial road that has huge dents and ruts on its surface? As you pass by it, you immediately notice how rugged and uneven the roadway is. If you’re familiar with this uncomfortable drive on a highway, you must know that the road is most likely used by heavy trucks. The heavy load that is constantly pressing on the surface damages the pavement which can cause it to break apart and settle unevenly.
Now, imagine if heavy vehicles passed by your driveway repeatedly. Although it’s made from asphalt, your pavement will take quite a hit as your driveway isn’t built for commercial use. Asphalt can hold a good amount of weight but only up to a certain level, so if you want to save your driveway from rutting and cracking, pay attention to the vehicles that pass by your driveway.
- Bad installation
As a property owner, you will know right away when your new asphalt driveway is constructed poorly or not. Signs such as crumbling, buckling, and cracking will show up almost immediately after a bad installation. If you want to avoid wasting your money, make sure to do thorough research on your local paving contractor before hiring them as the material alone is not enough to construct high-quality driveways. Ensure that the paving contractor you are reaching out to offers quality paving services by doing some research, checking for reviews, or asking around from friends and family.
Remember that if you want to make sure that your driveway is fully functional and top-notch in quality, we highly discourage DIY and that you seek professional help from an excellent paving contractor. After all, premium paving services are what make a driveway last a long time.
- Metal shovels
Dealing with snow becomes a struggle as we edge closer to winter. Consequently, maintaining your driveway can be a lot more difficult during the cold weather so put in some extra effort in clearing out ice and snow out your driveway as soon as possible.
Snow is a natural element that can cause huge damage to your driveway due to what is called the freeze and thaw cycle. During this process, the melted snow will penetrate your driveway and then freeze up again underneath thus forcing the asphalt to expand and swell.
So whenever possible, clear away snow and ice to prevent the damaging elements from building up on your surface. Moreover, when shoveling make sure to avoid using metal shovels as it can cause damage as well. Take the safe route by using a plastic shovel and be careful when using it on your driveway to avoid chipping off the surface.
- Water
Probably asphalt’s #1 enemy, water, can seep through the asphalt surface and easily wear it down from there. As it slips through the small cracks, it washes away the chemicals on the hardened mixture causing the asphalt to weaken. Therefore, if you let water sit in for far too long, the damage can escalate from small distortions to large alligator cracks and potholes.
- UV Rays
It’s quicker for asphalt to wear and turn grey when exposed to constant sunlight. Because of oxidation, the pavement’s flexibility wears off and thus making it brittle and vulnerable to cracks and rutting. This is why a layer of sealcoat is applied onto asphalt pavements because sealcoating the surface gives it an added protection to prevent it from losing its elasticity too soon.
- Toxic oil chemicals from vehicles
Over time, oil spills from vehicles can end up on your driveway but if you clean it up immediately, then you can avoid any probable damage. However, if you let it sit out for too long, your asphalt might eventually crumble and weaken due to chemical penetration. Not only vehicle oils can make an ugly stain on your property, but it can also cost you pricey repairs. So, before any damage can occur, see to it that you clean up any chemical spills on your property as soon as you can.
Now that we’ve briefed you about your asphalt’s worst enemies, it’s time to make sure that you can protect the designs of your driveways from these damaging elements by calling your local paving company in Roanoke, VA for professional help. So, if you need assistance in maintaining your driveway, just give them a ring and for sure, they can provide you with a wide array of both commercial and residential paving services that can cater to any of your paving needs.
