Common Causes of Driveway Damage

Despite the durability of asphalt, driveways are suspectable to a wide range of damages. Through the years, they can become cracked, faded, and otherwise damaged due to many different factors. Such damages can decrease the value of your home and significantly worsen its appearance, as the driveway’s location in the front of a home has a large impact on its curb appeal. Being aware of what causes cracks in driveways can help you prevent issues from appearing or worsening in the future. Here are some of the most common causes of driveway damage.

Water

Water is one of the leading causes of driveway damage. When water pools on your driveway, it can infiltrate its paved surface and distort the sand and gravel base beneath it. This can cause the surface layer of your driveway to become distorted and crack over time.

Ice

While water is harmful enough on its own, your driveway can experience severe damage if water freezes on it. As previously stated, when water sits on your driveway, it can penetrate its surface. If the water does this and then freezes, it will expand and potentially cause cracks in your driveway.

Heavyweights

While driveways can handle large amounts of pressure, they aren’t indestructible. Excessively heavyweights that exceed 10,000 pounds can cause breaks and cracks in asphalt. As such, you should be wary about driving vehicles with heavy loads, such as delivery trucks, onto your driveway.

Sharp objects

Sharp objects, such as snow shovels or studded tires, pose a serious threat to your driveway. Such objects can chip away at your asphalt driveway, scrape off protective coatings, or tear small chunks out of it. As such, you should practice caution when using sharp objects on your driveway.

Rock salt

Yes, salt damages driveways! While many people use rock salt on their driveways to reduce the formation of ice, doing so can be very damaging as it increases the number of thaw and freeze cycles. Each time ice thaws, it has the potential to penetrate deeper into small cracks, and each time it freezes it will expand and cause more damage to the driveway. As such, you should avoid using rock salt on your driveway if possible.

To help prevent a variety of different causes from damaging your driveway, consider investing in Paragon Protection’s sealcoating services. By sealcoating your driveway or parking lot, you place a protective layer over it to reduce the risk of breakage, oxidation, and weathering. In addition to offering sealcoating services, we are also attic insulation installers and provide power washing and spray roof coating services. To learn more about the sealcoating services offered by Paragon Protection’s professional asphalt maintenance specialists or any of our other services, contact us today.