As a home or business owner, you will from time to time, need to check on your driveway.
Is your driveway developing cracks? Do you have puddles or tripping hazards blocking your path as you walk to your car or mailbox? Be sure to pay attention to these signs of a driveway needing a resurfacing service.
Although all of us would like it if our driveways lasted forever, unfortunately, asphalt and concrete driveways are subject to wear and tear as the years pass. Especially as your driveway ages beyond 10-15 years, it will become more prone to cracks and potholes.
Your driveway’s surface distress occurs when exposed to extreme hot or cold temperatures, drainage issues, and fatigue from the weight of cars and trucks driving and parking over its surface daily. If you start to notice the following signs of an aging driveway, you’ll want to assess the condition of your driveway and see if it needs maintenance. Get started with your resurfacing project by reaching out to a trusted driveway contractor.
Reasons Your Driveway Breaks Down:
- Your driveway is exposed to vehicles being driven across or parked on top of
- Extreme heat in the summer and ice and snow in the winter
- Heavy rainfall and hail
- Daily UV radiation exposure from the sun
- Leaky chemicals from your cars
1. Pooling Water
Do you have pooling water in your driveway? One obvious sign that your driveway may need to be resurfaced is when you start to see water pooling, which is a symptom of poor drainage. Poor drainage in a driveway occurs when there are depressions that form on the asphalt’s surface. Not only is pooling water annoying, it will also contribute to your driveway’s overall deterioration.
If your driveway was properly installed initially, it would have been installed with a slope to reduce standing water from accumulating on the surface of the asphalt or concrete. Contact Toscan Construction for driveway installation services.
2. Cracks
Another evident way to tell if your driveway needs a resurfacing is when it has started to develop significant cracks. Cracks are problematic because they allow water to seep below your driveway and cause displacement to your foundation. They are usually a sign of a failing foundation or excessive surface wear.
As the cracks worsen, into overlapping fissures called “alligator cracks,” your driveway may not be able to be patched and it will require a full resurfacing.
3. Potholes
If your driveway develops potholes, it can cause significant issues for your cars as you back in and out of the driveway, posing a problem for your tires and suspension. Potholes usually form when cracks worsen and are not dealt with.
If you have potholes in your driveway and they become filled with water, they will advance the damage to your driveway’s foundation. The water will seep underground and cause tripping hazards, in addition to a very uneven surface, making it harder to back out of your driveway. If your cracks and potholes are smaller, you may be able to repair them.
4. Crumbling Edges
Is your driveway experiencing crumbling edges? Your driveway’s edges are susceptible to water damage and will weaken and break off the surface of the asphalt. As a result, your driveway’s eroding edges and structure is a sure sign that you will need repairs.
If you have crumbling edges, it could also mean that your driveway’s topmost layer was too thin initially. It also could be that there is excessive wear and tear due to vehicles rolling over its surface. If your driveway has crumbing edges, you’ll definitely want to look into having it resurfaced.
5. Raveling
Do you have small bits of loose stone and gravel along your aging driveway? If you have an asphalt driveway, you may know already that asphalt pavement is comprised of a binder (tar) and aggregate (gravel) that tends to loosen with age as it is exposed to wear and tear and extreme temperatures. As the stones and gravel loosen, this process is called raveling.
At first, raveling occurs in small sections, but it can expand and affect larger parts of your driveway when not dealt with. When raveling is not taken care of, only by resurfacing your driveway can you get a functioning and appealing surface again.
6. Age
As suggested before, the age of your driveway is a major contributor to whether or not your driveway needs to be resurfaced. We estimate that driveways have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years.
In particular, high-traffic, high-use areas will need to be repaired or resurfaced more than areas that aren’t used as frequently.
However, if your driveway is reaching end-of-life, repairs may no longer be effective enough to repair it. If that is the case, you should check with a trusted driveway resurfacing contractor to see if a resurfacing service is necessary to maintain the health of your driveway. Read more here for the pros and cons of patching a driveway.
About Our Driveway Resurfacing Services
At Toscan Construction, we employ only professional driveway resurfacing contractors to provide resurfacing services. We service Lincoln, RI and the surrounding areas, helping home and business owners repair and resurface their driveways. If you need an estimate, please contact our team at 401-333-3456.