Driveway Crack Repair

One of the most readily used materials for paving driveways is asphalt. Although extremely useful driveways made out of asphalt are prone to develop cracks and dips over some time, and it needs to be repaired. The reason for the occurrence of these cracks in your driveway is the water that seeps below the surface and expands/contracts with either thawing or freezing temperatures. Once a crack appears, it is only a matter of a short span before the vegetation starts looking in those cracks, which can make things worse.

Since driveways are an essential part of your home, it is of utmost importance to fix and repair anything that goes wrong there. Along with being unsafe, driveway cracks only widen over time, and repairing them before it is too late is essential. Luckily, fixing driveway cracks is a simple process and can be carried out by making use of tools and materials readily available at your neighborhood hardware store.

Resealing and repairing your cracked driveway can be an easy project, and once it’s done right, the surface can be improved for years – helping your driveway last longer than you had imagined.

Whenever you make up your mind to repair your cracked driveway, make sure before beginning this task, you’ve checked the weather forecast. If the sky seems clear for the next 24 to 48 hours, get started straight away. But, if there’s any chance of raindrop the idea till it gets sunny.

Before you get started, be aware that this is a mere driveway crack patching and surface sealing task. You are required to fill cracks and holes through a cold method where only unheated and ambient temperature surfaces are used. So, stay relaxed, focused, and get to it without delaying it any further.

How To Prepare Your Driveway for Repairing Driveway Cracks:

The cracks must be free of dust, dirt, and any loose material. An ideal tool to wash the larger cracks would be a pressure washer, while for the smaller cracks – a simple garden hose would do.

Start by cleaning the entire driveway unless you are targeting a tiny crack, then focusing on the area around the crack would suffice too. Make sure you remove any extra dirt or gravel filled in the crack. By using the smallest stream of a pressure washer, blow out all the material from the crack. In case this process doesn’t dislodge, an old screwdriver or hammer can be used to pull out loose material in the crack. Any form of vegetation should be eliminated. If there’s a stubborn growth, burn it with a weed burner or a handheld propane torch. Finally, any slightly loose concrete should also be chiseled out.

The fact is that concrete is usually 4″ deep, but it is appropriate to clean about ½.” It’s advised is that depths over ¼” should be filled within ¼” of the surface of the sand. If you’re sticking to that, be sure the sand is damp and then tamped firm, providing a good base.

Now follow these steps to repair your driveway cracks:

· Cleaning the Surface:

If there are any stubborn stains, clean off your driveway with oil cleaner. Now, apply the asphalt cleaner and thoroughly pressure-wash the entire surface. Stay patient and wait out until the driveway is dry.

· Fill Large Holes:

To fill in the large holes, make use of the cold asphalt patch. Without requiring any heating, the dense material pours easily from its bag – time for curing may vary, so always refer to its bag for instructions.

· Seal the Cracks

You may apply the asphalt crack sealer to the cracks. Ideal are elastomeric sealers as they have a rubberized texture, which will quickly expand and contract with the driveway.

· Applying multiple coats

Using a squeegee, seal the driveway by spreading the asphalt sealer in a direction parallel to the house. Let the sealant dry as per the directions given in the product instruction card. Soon after the first coat has dried, seal the driveway again. This time, spread the asphalt sealer in a perpendicular series of passes to the house. Let the second coat dry too as per the instructions. You will have to wait approximately 48 hours for the sealant to completely dry out before setting any vehicle on your driveway. Don’t try to push this – it isn’t worth having to grind out the damaged filler and do it all over again. Sometimes, patience is the key.

SOME IMPORTANT DRIVEWAY CRACK TIPS:

1. If you purchase hot-applied crack filler (requiring the use of a butane torch), remember that it tends to give long-lasting results than the cold-applied product. However, it can be trickier to apply correctly. So make your decision wisely.
2. To achieve a smooth finish free of brush strokes, use the checkerboard technique. Even though the term checkerboard explains the process, the resulting finish will not have a checkerboard pattern if you do the job correctly.
3. If there are wide, jagged cracks accompanied by heaving or settling – they may require full slab replacement. If there’s extensive damage, you should call in a pro to run a check and do the job that needs to be done by a professional to repair your driveway thoroughly. 

Repairing driveway cracks should be a task undertaken whenever you see any damage – no matter how intense it is. Restoration doesn’t only keep the beauty of your house intact but also makes it safer and protects from more significant damages in the future.