Repairing or replacing something is never an enjoyable task. Whenever you purchase an item, it’s just supposed to work. You don’t want to take time out of your day to go replace or repair something that you’ve relied on to function.
The same principle applies to your home. Remodeling is something that’s more enjoyable but house maintenance doesn’t the same allure. Telling friends and family that you’re redoing the kitchen will likely receive interest, questions and pictures. Telling friends and family you’re having to repair the foundation will likely result in groans and comments about the price.
Your driveway is a part of your home that may often seem neglected over the longevity of your house. It’s simply there and it serves no other purpose than to be driven and parked on.
But just like other areas of your house, it will eventually need repair or to be replaced entirely. But how do you know when it should come to this? What are the signs you should be looking out for?
It’s Missing Pieces
The easiest sign to look for are giant missing pieces on your driveway. Even though this is more common with an asphalt driveway, it can happen with multiple materials, especially if your driveway spans a drainage ditch or needs to be supported.
There are short-term fixes for these issues, such as using a cold-mix to patch up holes and any missing pieces. But this is like applying a bandage to an open wound. It will help but won’t solve the issue at hand. In addition, missing pieces are more likely to lead to more missing pieces. Once you start noticing these, you can try the temporary fix but you’re next call should be having someone look at your driveway.
Water Pools
Seeing water in your driveway after a rainstorm in no problem. In fact, grab your rain boots and go splash in some puddles with your kids.
If that water pool is lingering, then you might have a serious problem on your hands. All driveways are supposed to naturally drain or lean to one side or the other so water doesn’t stay there and collect. Even though you may have installed a waterproof material or coat, it could very well wear off over time. If left unnoticed, it could lead to bigger problems.
Cracks
You might have already taken care of all the cracks if you’re overly worried about breaking your mother’s back. But in case you haven’t, cracks are one of the easiest problems to detect than can lead to even bigger issues down the road.
Cracks can be caused by many different occurrences. It could be that the ground under your driveway is shifting, causing cracks to appear. Water could be forming in between cracks and expanding during the winter months.
It could also be that your driveway is old and hasn’t been maintained over the years. If you start seeing multiple cracks, it’s time for a repair.
Sloping or Unevenness
This issue is most likely to occur over the course of years. Whenever your driveway was installed, it was put at a certain level for design purposes.
If you start noticing your driveway sloping or long spots where it seems uneven, this could be a big issue for the long-term life of your driveway. Sloping could just be age or it could be because the driveway isn’t resting on a proper foundation. Either way, sloping could lead to the driveway collapsing completely.
Potholes
Potholes are one of the worst things about driving. Not only can they be incredibly dangerous to your car, but they are also one of the biggest issues with your driveway.
Potholes all start out as a crack while the ground underneath the pavement expands and moves. It won’t happen overnight, but gradually over time the shifting of the earth and the pressure of vehicles will cause a pothole to form. It’s best to try to control a pothole early before it gets out of control.
Poor Appearance
One of the ways to see if your driveway is in need of repair is to simply give it the classic, time-tested eye test. When it was first installed, your driveway looked perfect. There were no scratches, cracks, holes or anything.
Years of weathering and general wear and tear will change that though. If the driveway starts to look faded, then that is the first sign your driveway may need some repairs. It’s always good to take care of these problems ahead of time so they don’t grow into bigger and bigger issues.