4 Tips for Protecting Your Driveway This Summer
The summer season brings the hottest months of the year. With the long, sunny days, we take measures to protect ourselves, pets and gardens, plants and trees from the scorching sun. One thing most people don't think of protecting, though, is their asphalt driveway. While it may not seem necessary, compared to the other ways we seek protection from the sun, thinking about and protecting your driveway this summer is important to extending its life and saving you money on repairs or replacement. For help protecting your driveway this summer, read on for a few simple tips.
Repair Cracks and Holes
Cracks and holes in a driveway, even small ones, can lead to big problems with a driveway. Cracks and holes allow water and moisture to seep into the layers of asphalt, which can quickly degrade it and increase the size of cracks and holes beyond repair. You should assess your driveway at least once a year for cracks and holes, then repair them as soon as possible.
Keep Sharp Objects Off Driveway
The summer months are a popular time to pull out the tools and equipment to do maintenance and repairs on your home, or work on an outdoor project. When doing so, be careful of what tools and equipment you place or use on your driveway. Heavy equipment can leave impressions or divots on hot asphalt. Sharp tools, if dropped, can cause damage too. Consider using such equipment and tools near your driveway in the cooler hours of the day when the asphalt isn't so soft.
Change Your Parking Habits
We are creatures of habit, which also applies to our parking habits in our driveway. Depending on the outside temperature, the temperature on an asphalt driveway can reach 150 degrees or more. Since excessive temperatures soften asphalt, parking a car in the same spot every day or leaving a car, RV or boat in the same place for days, weeks or months at a time during the summer months can cause dips in an asphalt driveway. To avoid this issue, rotate where you park the vehicle(s) you use every day. For vehicles that stay in one place most of the time, deflating tires decreases the contact pressure of the vehicle and is a simple tactic for protecting your driveway this summer.
Sealcoat Your Driveway
In addition to the simple tips noted above, sealcoating your driveway every 2-3 years is one of the best ways to protect and extend the life of your asphalt driveway. Sealcoating fills existing cracks and protects the driveway from the sun, air oxidation, and water intrusion. Sealcoating adds a layer of protection to asphalt, so it's the sealcoating that is exposed to the sun, air, and water and not the asphalt itself.
Observation, care and regular driveway maintenance go a long way in protecting your driveway during the summer and through the rest of the year. John Parichuk Paving offers driveway inspection, repair and sealcoating services in York County to properly maintain your driveway, increase its longevity and save you the money of having to replace a driveway years before it should have been necessary.