Causes of Asphalt Deterioration And How To Prevent It
No matter how nice and fresh your asphalt driveway or private road looks when it’s first installed, it will inevitably show some wear and tear over time. And this is something our concrete work San Antonio professionals know very well.
That usually means cracking and other forms of deterioration.
Prevent asphalt deterioration
What can you do to prevent this type of problem from creeping up before you’re ready to deal with it?
Well it’s hard to prevent deterioration entirely, but there are certain steps and precautions you can take to extend the life of your asphalt for as long as possible.
Let our asphalt paving San Antonio specialists give you the best advice!
The main reasons for pavement deterioration range from improper drainage, exposure to extreme heat and weather, and fluids that can leak from automobiles and onto the asphalt. As recommended by our seal coating san Antonio TX specialists, sealcoating can be a great option to protect your concrete pavement.
Also, it’s really important for you to choose the right material and to know how asphalt paving can be better that concrete.
Some of these things can’t be avoided, while others can. But that being said, you can offset some of these problems with the right combination of proper care and preventative maintenance.
Avoid asphalt paving premature damage
Here are a few ways you can avoid premature damage to your asphalt paving:
Keep The Pavement Clean From Debris
Daily sweeping is good and will go a long way toward keeping your pavement clean and free from things like rocks, branches and garbage. This will also take care of your ADA striping as explained by our parking lot striping San Antonio team.
But you’ll also want to rent or buy a power washer to give the pavement a deep cleaning at least once a month. Keeping the pavement clear and clean can go a long way toward extending its lifespan.
Water It Down
Especially on hot summer days, watering down your asphalt can cool it down and prevent scars and scuffs from forming and you may wonder how can asphalt paving be good for water drainage?
Keep in mind that your asphalt can get extremely hot during the dog days of summer, when the sun is high in the sky and beating down relentlessly on your driveway.
Keeping it at a cooler temperature whenever possible can not only prevent imperfections from forming, but it can also help to extend the life of your asphalt. The hot sun can be hard on your asphalt over time, so reducing the temperature can really help.
Consider Using Plywood On Certain Areas
Again referring to extremely hot days, keep in mind that the heated up asphalt can be easily damaged.
If you’re going to be walking on your asphalt driveway with high heeled shoes, for example, this will leave depressions in the hot asphalt and can also create holes if it’s a really hot day. So consider laying down some plywood to get you from the walkway to your car.
Lawn chairs, bicycles with kickstands, children’s toys and other similar items can also damage your asphalt. It’s best to keep these things inside, on the grass or on a piece of plywood during extremely hot days.
Fill Small Cracks Before They Become Large Ones
If you notice small cracks starting to form, head to your favorite home improvement store and buy some rubber crack filling agent to take care of these small issues before they become large ones. Definitely, this is something our asphalt repair San Antonio specialises on.
This can protect the asphalt from external elements and will help to extend its lifespan, so it’s best to plan a routine inspection of your driveway or private road and stay on top of things.
