Maintaining a clean pristine driveway is as important as mowing the loan because when people visit your property, the driveway is the first thing they see. Neglecting it and letting it go can give your property an unpleasant appearance and reduce its curb appeal, which can affect its overall value.
A well-maintained driveway will also last longer than a poorly maintained one, which will end up costing you a small fortune when you replace it with a new one. Luckily, in this article, we are going to share some useful tips with you to help you in maintaining your driveways effectively:
1. Keep it Clean and Stain-free
Keeping your driveway clean is the easiest and most cost-effective method for maintaining it. You need to free only one hour of your time a month to clean your driveway and make sure it does not have any debris, algae, or greenery peeking through the cracks.
It is important, however, to remove any oil or gasoline spillage immediately, before they stain and damage the surface of your driveway. The best way to deal with a fresh stain is by using a sponge or cat-litter to absorb it, then scrub it using a brush with dishwashing detergent and warm water.
Additionally, pressure washing your driveway once a year helps remove any old grime and debris from the surface.
2. Use and Reapply Sealer
If you have a concrete or asphalt driveway, you must know the importance of seal coating. Sealcoating protects the surface of your asphalt or concrete driveway from erosion, breaking, staining or fading by creating a protective layer on the surface.
Resealing is the best way to maintain the quality of the asphalt road for a long time. It is the answer to all of your driveway problems. It also enhances the appearance of your property and adds to its value. If you have installed your driveway recently, you need to wait 90 days before seal coating to make sure it has cured properly.
It is also recommended to re-seal your drive every 3 – 5 years to preserve it as long as possible. You can call professionals for seal coating such as driveway repairs Sydney. These professionals can help you in maintaining your driveway.
3. Avoid Deicing Chemicals and Salt
In the winter, your driveway is exposed to harsh weather conditions that can harm it, such as snow, freezing and rain-water puddles. Usually, people use salt or deicing chemicals to get rid of the slippery snow on their driveway, however, these methods will surely cause damage to the surface of your driveway and can lead to it cracking. Therefore, you should look out for various other techniques.
The alternative methods are using a snowblower to remove the snow and sand, coffee grounds, or kitty litter to get rid of the slippery surface. These are better techniques than using salt and harmful chemicals. If you plow your driveway, make sure to raise the blades to avoid scraping its surface. Otherwise, plow blades will degrade your driveway.
4. Repair the Cracks
The key to prolonging the life of your driveway is filling the cracks that appear in it immediately. To fix them, first, you need to remove any grass growing in them. Then, use a pressure washer to thoroughly clean them and ensure that no roots or seeds are still stuck inside.
After that, apply a crack filler and a patching compound. When they dry, you need to seal the entire driveway to make it smooth and level. If you find this complicated, you can work on preventing cracks all together by sealing regularly, drying water puddles and trimming the roots of any trees growing close to the driveway.
Regular take care of your driveway can help you in maintaining the good looks of your road for a long time and also prevent it from cracks.
5. Deal with the Grass
Grass and weed annoyingly sprout out from every nook and cranny they can find, which unfortunately applies to your driveway as well. They will find their way into any tiny cracks or holes in your driveway, colonize it and make it bigger.
Controlling them is difficult but dealing with them is not. There are several methods to help you get rid of them, including repeatedly pouring boiling water on them, using a salt and vinegar mixture and spraying the weeds with it, or carefully using a chemical weed killer.
Whichever method you use, you need to fill the cracks left behind the weed immediately to prevent new ones from sprouting. This way you can deal with the grass and prevent your asphalt road from deteriorating. Stop grass growing again at the side of your roads.
Final Words
Degraded driveways can also impact the natural beauty of surrounding, therefore, you should maintain it in good condition for a long time by using above-mentioned tips. Avoid harsh chemical on your road and enjoy its good quality for a long time.
