Choosing New Paving

One of the leading reasons that homeowners find for driveway repair is related to rain water and rain damage. Heavy rains can cause a number of issues including cracks and potholes that can eat away at your driveway and surrounding concrete areas. You can handle some of the repairs and preventative maintenance yourself, but there are a few tips to keep in mind. 

Correct Drainage Issues

One of the biggest mistakes that homeowners make while working on their own driveway repair is to ignore landscape drainage issues. This can be an increasing issue if you live in an area with heavy rains throughout the year. As the land erodes from the drainage issues, you will start to notice gaps around the outside of your driveway. These gaps between the driveway and the land will allow water to creep in and will lead to cracks or potholes in the driveway. By correcting the drainage issues first, you can reduce drainage related damage and ensure the repair holds for longer.

Consider Side Walls

If you are having routine issues with cracks on the sides of your driveway that are causing breaks in the driveway or even leading to potholes, consider side walls. Side walls can add to your curb appeal while giving you a practical solution to water damage that is coming from the sides of the driveway rather than over or underneath it. Sidewalls can be something as easy as bricks laid on their side along the driveway sides or as elaborate as stamped or decorative concrete walls built to suit your curb appeal needs and driveway path.

Use the Right Seal

You are going to need to reseal the driveway when you are finished with the repair. Unfortunately there is a misconception that all driveway sealant is made equal. You will need to stop and make sure that you are getting the right sealant for the job. Make sure that if you have a concrete driveway, you are using sealant designed for your specific needs.

For example, you may want to use a coal tar sealer for durability if you have heavy rains and storms that can last for days. An acrylic seal may be an ideal option if you want something with some color or if you want to avoid the health issues that may be associated with coal tar seals. There are also epoxy sealers that are ideal for concrete driveways, especially if you will be parking the car on the driveway itself and not in a garage.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can ensure that you are not only repairing the issue to your driveway, but you are helping to reduce this and other issues from happening in the future. If you find that you are still having routine repairs, consider contacting a driveway contractor for pricing and assistance.