Is a Driveway Repair Worth it?

Driveway sealing and resurfacing are two of the most dreaded tasks for homeowners. Your driveway acts as the gateway to your home. Just as you mow your lawn and tend your garden, your driveway needs maintenance to keep it in good shape. Your driveway can also give your home ‘curb appeal’ and can add real value to your property so it’s in your interest to protect your investment by making sure it looks great. The amount of traffic on your driveway and the weather can both cause erosion on the surface of your driveway, leading to cracks and eventually holes: protecting the surface of your driveway is the only way to prevent you from having to replace it prematurely.

If you think your driveway might need a little tender loving care, why not give us a call at (615) 238-4574? Our expert team of driveway contractors is waiting to assist you.

Factors to Consider When Sealing Your Driveway

So you’ve decided that enough is enough. Your driveway is looking cracked, gray and a bit tired so it’s time to think about driveway repair. The first thing to understand is whether you have an asphalt driveway or one made from concrete. While both are laid on a substrate of gravel, the two materials behave very differently. Asphalt is cheaper but can turn ‘sticky’ in high summer temperatures, leading to a faster deterioration in the surface. Asphalt generally will need resealing every three to five years. A concrete driveway will typically last longer than one made from asphalt if well looked after, but can crack in cold winter temperatures. It’s also harder to repair in a way so that the repairs are not obvious.

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Steps to take when sealing your driveway:

1. You’ll need to take a good long look at your driveway: are the edges starting to look frayed and cracked? If so, these will need filling before you can continue with the sealing. Are there any greasy, oily patches from your car? You can remove stains with hot, soapy water or seek specialist products for tougher stains.
2. Remove any weeds or grass from the edges of your driveway.
3. Remove debris from any cracks before filling them with a specialist filler product.
4. Give the whole driveway a good clean using a push broom and garden hose or pressure washer if you have one.
5. Apply the sealer on a warm, dry day and follow the instructions on the can. It’s good practice to start at the edge of your driveway and spread the sealer in small amounts, allowing you to apply the product evenly across your driveway. Depending on the product used, you’ll generally have to wait 24 hours before applying a second coat.

Sealing a driveway isn’t complicated but it does need special products, time, patience and a good spreading technique. It certainly isn’t for everyone and if it sounds like something you would prefer a driveway repair company to handle for you, give our team a call at (615) 238-4574.

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How Often Should I Seal my Driveway?

There is no consensus on how often driveways need to be sealed – some say every two to three years, others three to five years. At Greenway of Nashville, we recommend that you use your common sense and regularly check your driveway.

Can you see any cracks or fissures?

Is the surface turning grey and looking weathered?

If you stay vigilant, you can often make sure that you elongate the life of the driveway by making small and regular driveway repairs.

So when does a sealing repair job become a driveway resurfacing job?

If you find that small cracks have turned into large potholes or wide cracks, now is the time to consider talking to a driveway repair company. No amount of rubber filler will be able to bind the sides of large rips in the surface and if you do apply a large amount of filler, you could find that the pressure of your car tires rips out the filler, along with big chunks of your driveway.

Get a Quote to Repair Your Driveway

But don’t despair. Greenway of Nashville has a vast amount of experience in both sealing and resurfacing driveways in Nashville, Tennessee and beyond. Talk to a driveway contractor at (615) 238-4574 about what you need and we’ll come up with a plan to suit you and your driveway.