To maintain an asphalt driveway, seal cracks early and clean up oil or gas quickly. For an interlocking paver driveway, keep the joints full of sand and pull the weeds. In both cases, let water drain toward the street or a drain. Standing water freezes in winter and damages the driveway from below. National Asphalte does repairs of all kinds.
Protect new asphalt
New asphalt stays softer at first, especially in hot weather. Avoid turning the steering wheel while the car is stopped, because the tires mark the surface. A motorcycle kickstand or a trailer jack can sink into the asphalt, so put a board under it if needed. Keep the wheels away from the lawn, because the edges of a new driveway are fragile. Ask the crew that laid the asphalt when you can drive and park on it.
Seal cracks before winter
A crack lets water get under the asphalt, and that water freezes in winter and widens the crack. Sealed early, a small crack grows much more slowly. Use a product made for asphalt to seal fine cracks. Wide cracks, or ones that keep coming back, often point to a problem under the surface.
See the layers under a driveway that lasts
Clean up oil and gas
Oil and gas soften asphalt. Soak up a stain as soon as you see it, with an absorbent or cat litter. On interlocking pavers, an oil stain soaks in if you leave it. A badly stained paver can be replaced on its own.
Keep paver joints full
The sand in the joints holds the pavers tight against each other. Rain and pressure washers wash some away over time. Empty joints let weeds and moss grow, and they let the pavers shift. Refill the joints as needed with a sand made for pavers, such as polymeric sand. Polymeric sand hardens once it’s in the joints. After pressure washing, check the joints and top up the sand.
Fix a dip without redoing everything
A dip in interlocking pavers can be fixed without redoing the whole driveway. The pavers come out while what is underneath gets fixed, then the same pavers go back in place. On asphalt, the crew cuts out the damaged area to rebuild the crushed stone base and the surface. The new surface looks darker at first, then fades like the rest.
Plan for snow removal in the fall
Put markers along the driveway before the first snow. They guide the snow plow and protect the curbs and the lawn. On interlocking pavers, a blade set too low can catch the paver edges. Ask your snow removal contractor to raise the blade a little.
Apply a sealer, if you want
A sealer protects asphalt from the sun and from oil stains. On interlocking pavers, it brings back the colour and helps repel stains. New asphalt needs to cure before it gets a sealer. Ask the contractor who laid it when to apply one. A sealer does not replace crack sealing or the sand in the joints.
Walk around the driveway in spring
After winter, walk around your driveway. Look for these signs:
- a new or wider crack
- a heaved or sunken paver
- a puddle that stays after the rain
- a curb that leans
If you spot any of these signs, have the driveway repaired early. The repair will be simpler.