Every part of your house needs maintenance and aftercare; that is the truth. No matter how durable and rugged some spots are, they require aftercare.
Your asphalt driveway is one of the parts of your house that you may feel has no aftercare and rigid maintenance needed. If you are yet to fix your driveway, asphalt paving Charleston SC contractors are efficient.
The driveway may affect the impression of the people regarding your home. It is a part of the overall facade of your house. Read this article to know how you should care for your driveway.
Crucial first 14-days: remember that! The first 14 days of your new driveway’s life are crucial, as this is when the driveway is most vulnerable. Waiting for at least 14 days before parking in your new driveway is necessary. When you do, make sure to park on it during the coolest part of the day. For the first 3-5 days, avoid driving in and out of your new asphalt driveway.
Curing time. Curing time can last up to a hundred days. Yes, patience is a virtue. Asphalt is an oil-based material that takes time to cure, especially during the summer’s scorching heat. Special precautions must be taken during this time, as well as throughout the first season with your new driveway.
When the car is stopped, do not turn the steering wheel. Place plywood under the front tires of cars and trucks and under the hitch of campers, boats, and trailers. This aids in distributing the weight of the tires. Even better, avoid large parking vehicles in the driveway for extended periods of time during the first season. Heavy trucks, such as garbage trucks, should not be allowed on the driveway.
Remove any stagnant water. Water is asphalt’s worst enemy. Standing water, as one of the most severe detriments to the proper maintenance of your asphalt driveway, can be harmful to its health.
Stagnant water is a natural consequence of rainfall, winter weather, or lawn and garden activity. Standing water, if left untreated, can quickly form cracks and potholes, contributing exponentially to additional financial damage.
The durability of your driveway is dependent on proper drainage. Have a solid drainage plan in place as part of your installation process to prevent standing water from creating any driveway devastation.
Drive carefully all the time. The key to a property’s longevity is taking good care of it. Drive in your driveway carefully at all times. If driving carefully all the time cannot save your driveway for inevitable repairs, you can always contact driveway paving Charleston SC firms to help you out.
Spills must be cleaned up. Because of all the asphalt on the roads, not many things will be seriously damaging to the pavement. A fuel or oil spill that is left uncleaned, on the other hand, causes irreversible damage. Oil and gas degrade the chemicals that work to bind the asphalt together. This occurs rapidly and weakens the asphalt.
Fill in the cracks. Cracks can form as a result of movement in the base and/or subsoil during a freeze/thaw cycle. Water seeping under the driveway can also cause movement. Water seepage can be caused by poor landscape design, excessive rain, or over-watering. Weeds and grass cannot grow between cracks. Vegetation, such as weeds and grass, can grow through asphalt. In most cases, a spot killer will suffice to remedy the situation.
Large plants or trees near the driveway’s edge will occasionally push through. For a long-term solution, you should probably remove the plant. If a tree root penetrates and you want to keep the tree, the only solution is to fill the cracks every year.