Springtime Tips for Driveway Upkeep and Repair

Spring has sprung, and though the world is struggling through the coronavirus outbreak, it doesn’t stop the need to take care of our homes and property. In fact, so many of us are stuck at home that doing a bit of outdoor maintenance may be a welcome relief. While we remind you that social distancing has to be maintained at all times, spring season driveway maintenance may be a good way to head outside and kindly greet neighbors you see and meet. It is also the best time to tackle a variety of tasks that include:

For concrete driveways – Though deemed low maintenance, concrete is also wildly pricey and can show up with major issues if not installed properly. Rain seeping beneath a concrete pad can cause shifting and cracking, and may even lead the driveway to crumble or degrade. In the northern climates, there can also be damage from freezing and thawing cycles. So, the spring is a time to look for any signs of trouble, including cracks at joints. If there are problems, an expert can be brought in to seal or repair, resurface, or just give the concrete driveway a thorough cleaning.

For asphalt driveways – What is not to love about an asphalt driveway? They are so smooth and durable and easily maintained from year to year. They do need a regular round of upkeep to remain in good shape. In the spring, you want to do a quick visual inspection to see if there are any cracks, holes, or areas where water pools because of shifts beneath the surface. An expert should be called in to fix holes and repair cracks. If there are heavy weeds at the edges, you can have them use an edging tool or even install an attractive edging. The driveway should also be seal-coated every year (or, at the least, every three years) and a good cleaning is a nice spring time task.

For driveways made of pavers or bricks – Though your driveway is a lovely, old-fashioned beauty, it can succumb easily to an array of damaging entities that include plants, water and ice, cracks, and more. A cracked paver has to be replaced, and any loose pavers need to be expertly reset. They have to kept free of growth and you may want to discuss resealing it with an expert.

For gravel driveways – Though they are affordable, they are quite difficult to keep looking attractive or even in good shape. Ignore the gravel driveway for a season and you can end up with a muddy disaster with holes and puddles. You will need to have ruts eliminated and even some new gravel delivered to fill in holes or gaps. Keeping weeds at bay can be surprisingly challenging with gravel, too.

As noted, asphalt is the easiest and one of the most attractive options. BlackTar can deliver a contact free estimate to ensure social distancing and help you have many future springs in which maintenance is minimal and the driveway looks great.