When it comes to owning a home, the one part of the home people tend to sometimes forget about is the driveway. But it is one of the first things people see when they arrive and they are generally used multiple times a day. This is why it is important to take good care of them.
Here are several things that you are doing that might be ruining your driveway, and how to avoid them:
- Poor Installation
Even if you have had a professional install your driveway, it doesn’t exactly mean they did a good job. Problems can occur if the foundation was not packed in properly or low quality materials were used instead of high quality ones.
What to do: make sure to research your contractor before hiring them, or go off of a recommendation from a friend or relative. - Heavy Loads
Heavy trucks that are used for construction, moving or travel weigh a lot. So if they are constantly sitting on your driveway, the weight will eventually cause damage. Thus, it is not recommended to park these vehicles on your driveway for an extended period of time.
What to do: either park on the street or opt for a paid parking lot. - Studded Tires
Studded tires with spikes/tracks are great for getting around snowy streets, but they are also prone to making holes in your driveway (especially if it is asphalt).
What to do: keep the driveways sealed properly and try to avoid any repetitive drives with these tires. - Rock Salt
To ensure the longevity and durability of your driveway, it is strongly recommended that you stay away from rock salt. Driveways will suffer more damage from this substance. The rock salt will thaw the ice and snow, but the melting and refreezing process can wreak havoc on your driveway material. The ice that thaws from the salt will seep into your concrete, freeze and corrode the cement from inside out.
What to do: if you do use salt, remove all the snow, ice and standing water from the surface once it has melted. Then remove any excess salt from the driveway so it doesn’t further damage it. - Shoveling Driveways
Shoveling the driveway can actually damage it because the metal blades that most people use will scratch away at the surface.
What to do: instead, opt to use plastic shovels to minimize the damage and use caution when shoveling the snow. - Tree Roots
Trees are a great asset to your property because of the visual appeal they give, but if they are too close to your driveway, the roots can destroy everything from down below by pushing against the foundation of the driveway as they grow, forcing the cement to crack.
What to do: surround your driveway with tree root barriers to prevent this problem from ever happening.