While you’re pledging yourself to your New Year’s Resolutions, don’t neglect your driveway! We here at Sunrise Asphalt thought we might share some NYRs for your asphalt, to get it looking like new! So, in between trips to the gym and meal prepping, let’s go over seven asphalt maintenance tips to keep your asphalt looking wonderful!
7 Asphalt Maintenance Tips
REPAIR CRACKS
Don’t let cracks go for too long before repairing them! While they are an inevitable part of asphalt, and often start as just superficial blemishes, if left alone they can quickly become a much bigger headache. Worst case scenario they let water penetrate into the foundation, eroding the entire driveway. Repair when those cracks are small jobs you can handle yourself, or look for professionals who can do crack filling for the much larger cases.
SEAL YOUR DRIVEWAY
We’ve talked about it before, we’ll talk about it again. Sealing your driveway is one of the absolute best things you can do to keep your asphalt looking great and sturdy for a long time to come. Have your asphalt seal coated every 3-5 years to protect it from the elements, slow down the natural wear and tear, block out the UV and water damage that really takes a toll. Not to mention the great shine it gives your driveway – talk about looking brand new!
TAKE CARE WHEN PARKING YOUR CAR
Heat from the sun will make the asphalt surface much more pliable than normal, and this is certainly true in our hot Arizona summers! The pliable nature of the asphalt means it is much easier for it to be marked or shifted by tires if you happen to take a sharp turn or brake hard. Speaking of, be careful how you turn your wheels while parked! Power steering is powerful indeed, and if you turn your wheel while sitting on the hot, pliable asphalt you can cause divots in the driveway. That doesn’t look brand new!
KEEP HEAVY EQUIPMENT OFF THE PAVEMENT
Not every driveway has the same, sturdy construction as our roads and highways. Bringing heavy equipment onto the driveway can cause damage to the asphalt structures, breaking through the top layer, causing dents, or even shifting the subsurfaces. Use wood under the wheels to spread the pressure out and keep indents from forming.
CLEAN REGULARLY
Leaves, water, debris, whatever it is that’s finding its way onto your asphalt, clean it up quick! Leaves decompose and can leave stains on the asphalt. If you’re living somewhere it snows, you’ll want to shovel that before the snow melts and fills the asphalt with moisture. If your city/area salts the roads to prevent icing, take care to rinse your driveway off as the salt will accumulate on your tires and then be transferred to your driveway. Salt is not a friend to your driveway!
REMOVE OIL STAINS PROMPTLY
Driveways aren’t meant to be left untouched, of course, they’re meant for driving, parking. Part of that means that oil stains are just a fact of nature, as it drips from the car above. To combat this, get a degreaser and use it as soon as you spot the oil stains. Left unchecked and it’ll darken the asphalt in spots, ruining the uniform coloring. There are other DIY methods you can take as well, just don’t let the stains sit!
USE CAUTION WITH DIESEL FUEL
Similar to oil stains, fuel spills are an occasional fact of life. While unleaded gas won’t cause much of a problem to your asphalt, diesel fuel sure can! Diesel fuel can destroy the binding agents in the asphalt, breaking apart the sturdy surface and making it an easy target for potholes to develop. If you have a camper, RV, or boat that relies on diesel, just make sure you’re extra careful with where the fuel ends up and clean it up quickly if necessary.
And perhaps the best thing you can do to keep your driveway looking brand new? Call Sunrise Asphalt to get professional work done, holes filled, or an overlay, well laid. No matter the job, we are happy to provide the Tucson area with the best asphalt services around!
