Throughout the years, your driveway will begin to show signs of wear and tear, and that’s normal. However, it doesn’t make it less annoying, as it deteriorates the appearance of your property. So, today, we’re going to discuss some of the most common reasons why your driveway gets damaged so you know what you can do to avoid or repair it.
5 Causes of Driveway Damage
Damage to your driveway is normal, but that doesn’t mean you have to like it. There are ways you can limit these damages. But before you can do so, you have to know what causes these damages, which we’ll talk about below.
Environmental/Weather-Caused Damage
One of the top reasons why driveways get damaged is due to the different environmental and weather elements. Since your driveway is always exposed to different elements, it is always hit by the sun, rain, snow, etc., which can cause damage. The sun’s UV rays can damage your driveway because of the harmful radiation. Rain can damage it when rainwater seeps into the cracks, and when it snows and freezes the water that has seeped in, the water can expand and make the crack larger.
These harmful elements are detrimental to your driveway, and one way to prevent or reduce their effects on your driveway is to apply a high-quality seal coating.
Poor Installation and Construction
Another reason why your driveway can get damaged is due to poor installation and construction. During installation, when the people who install it use poor techniques in addition to low-quality materials used during construction, it is inevitable that your driveway will begin to show signs of damage earlier than it’s supposed to.
So, even if it can get quite expensive, it’s much better to invest in qualified professionals to install your driveway and use high-quality materials to construct the driveway.
Heavy Loads
Even if you use high-quality and durable materials to construct your driveway, that doesn’t mean it’s indestructible. Everything has its limits, including your driveway.
Your driveway, when installed and constructed well, can carry heavy loads. But if you constantly expose it to very heavy loads, like heavy trucks carrying even heavier things, you can apply a lot of pressure to the surface. This can potentially lead to breakage, cracks, and even the formation of potholes on your driveway.
So, be mindful of how heavy the load you’re putting on your driveway is to prevent the risk of damage.
Sharp Objects
Your driveway is seriously at risk from sharp objects like shovels and tire treads with spikes. Your driveway may be damaged by such items. Additionally, you run the danger of blowing small pieces or scraping off your seal coatings when you use sharp objects on your driveway with little to no caution.
In light of this, you ought to use caution when using sharp objects on your driveway.
Salt
Lastly, if you live in a snowy area, you might be using salt, or rock salt, to melt the snow around your driveway. However, did you know that salt can actually damage the surface of your driveway? This is because using salt to melt ice and snow can increase the number of freeze and thaw cycles, which can then lead to damage. So, as much as possible, try avoiding salt on your driveway to prevent any damage.
Final Thoughts
You can easily damage your driveway if you’re not being careful. So, we hope this article helped you to know what you can do to reduce damage on your driveway.