Asphalt driveway repair and concrete driveway repair are serious issues for a homeowner either way you look at it. Whether you chose an asphalt driveway or you opted for concrete repairs can be costly and well worth taking the time to research.
If you’ve bought a home with a driveway that’s been paved with concrete, the average lifespan of that driveway is roughly 25-50 years, depending on when it was first installed. If you happened onto a driveway paved with asphalt, well, you’re in good company because 90% of the paved parking spaces in the United States are asphalt. Your driveway, assuming proper maintenance, of course, can last up to 20 and maybe even 30 years, depending on where you live and the environmental concerns you might have in your area.
Asphalt driveway repair is quite a bit less expensive than concrete driveways. A great deal of the trouble and difference in cost could have everything to do with the underlying base of your driveway. Whether you have concrete or asphalt, a solid, sturdy base is the beginning or the end of a driveway. If the foundation of the driveway is not level or wears away due to erosion, what is on top of that base means very little.
It might go without saying, but a long, curvey driveway is going to cost more than a shorter, more basic one. The average width for a one car driveway is about eight to nine feet while a two car variety is somewhere between 15 to 18 feet in length. When you start bending and twisting it gets much more complicated to install, but not necessarily to maintain.
As you maintain your driveway through the years, spot repairs can keep the driveway looking very nice. If you have a longer, curvier driveway, patching spots rather than a complete asphalt driveway repair will be the way you want to go. Upkeep can be the key to a long-lasting driveway. If you have tree roots coming through a section of your driveway, the asphalt variety will probably be must easier to repair than the concrete. Taking out a section and putting new material down is the type of asphalt driveway repair that doen’t hurt the pocketbook as much as redoing the entire driveway.
If you do need to do a complete repair of your asphalt driveway, find a company close to your community that knows the type of landscape you have and what the weather conditions are likely to be. Make sure the foundation is solid, but also pay close attention to the sealing. Sealing is very important to the potential life of the driveway. The better the seal the fewer cracks and other problems you’ll have. The same goes for a concrete style driveway. The fewer the cracks the longer it will last.
Also, check with your contractors about the slope of your driveway. It should slope about one fourth inch per foot. Keep these ideas in mind and you’ll be parking in style for years to come.
