How To Keep Your Asphalt Driveway Looking Great
By Jim Corkern
Have you ever drove past a very pretty house and then were amazed at what unattractive shape the driveway was in? The one thing worse than seeing a driveway like this, is if it is your driveway that looks like this. It is just a fact that if you ever decide to sell your home, a damaged driveway could be a disadvantage. It is one spot that people can not help but notice as they pull up to your property.
When you have a driveway that is in excellent repair, according to where you live it may not remain that way. People who live in weather conditions that have hard winters or get more than normal rainfall, frequently have the worst driveway complications.
There are a number of precautions that should help prevent your driveway from cracking, chipping, and breaking apart. Reseal your driveway prior to cracks appearing or when the dark black color starts to become a lot lighter. Once the cracks are made, water floods into and beneath the asphalt. When it freezes, it will expand and cause additional splitting. Resealing your asphalt driveway is a necessary job and it might be a task you could do yourself.
If your driveway has some cracks already, this is something you can do. If you can, dig out the bottom of the crack so it becomes wider than the top surface of the crack. When you have deep cracks, you probably need to put in sand or backer rod crack filler first. Backer rod is water resistant crack filler. Fill in the opening to within an inch of the cracks surface. Now you are ready to use regular crack filler. These fillers are available in a liquid that can be poured into the damaged spots or you can get a tube of denser solution that is put in using a caulking gun. After the filler is put in, use a piece of wood or trowel to smooth over the surface.
Pick a time when you will have several dry days before you start the resealing task. Wash down the driveway entirely with an asphalt cleaning solution. This special solution will clean oil spots that could sooner or later create soft areas because of its petroleum additive. Allow it to dry completely. The tools you will need to put on the sealer you have purchased are exactly like the ones you use for putting on paint.
A lengthy roller handle and a long nap roller sleeve will work great or you can use a large squeegee. A paint brush may be used to get areas that are hard to cover easily like the edges or rounded curbs. Make sure to cover all places completely and always follow the directions to the letter. This will keep the driveway from cracking and prevent water devastation for the amount of time allotted by the sealing product you bought.
About the author
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Fort Lauderdale Water Damage Restoration and
Miami Water Damage Restoration
Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors. from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com
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