When you have houseguests over for the first time, one thing that everyone asks for is a tour. They want to see the kitchen, the master bathroom, and the backyard. People marvel at your new cabinets, the spacious deck out back, and maybe even the new flooring you just put down.
You know what no one ever really wants to see? The boring things like the attic, crawlspace, or the driveway. Those things are very important to a home but they’re not exactly the sexy, attractive places that the living room is.
Fixing or repairing those household places is maintenance, similar to hiring pest control to take care of those bugs.
Today, we’re going to focus on your driveway and five signs you should be on the lookout for. It’s also good to be checking occasionally so these problems don’t develop into something greater and worse.
Collecting Water
After a heavy rainstorm, it’s completely normal to see puddles of water on your driveway or around your house. Evaporation doesn’t work that quickly.
But, if you start to see water that just sits there and sits there and sits there, it may be time to look into repairs.
At the surface, there’s nothing bad about water sitting on your driveway for a short period of time but that water is going to see into small cracks in your driveway and freeze. This puts a huge amount of strain on the asphalt itself.
Poor drainage or an uneven surface can cause this to happen, so make sure you have some concrete contractors come out and take a look.
Pieces are Missing
Just like a puzzle, you never want to be missing pieces when it comes to your driveway. Maybe a chunk small chunk will slide off here and there and while that may not seem like a huge deal, just one piece falling off could be signs of bad things to come.
You’re more likely to see this phenomenon with a driveway that spans over a drainage ditch or needs to be supported. Even though the ground may seem solid, pieces could break off over time, hurting the overall health of your driveway.
Just make sure you’re checking to see is any pieces are falling off, it’s usually pretty easy to check.
Severe Cracking
Walk along any street or sidewalk and you’re bound to see a crack here and there. While a small crack isn’t reason to sound the alarm bells, multiple cracks or severe cracking around the driveway should have you very concerned.
This can be due to a number of reasons, such as severe damage, shifting ground, water is forming, or the driveway is just old.
Either way, severe cracks are not something that can be overlooked or fixed with temporary measures. It’s an immediate sign that you need to do something to fix your driveway.
Potholes
Well, duh, right? Potholes are bad enough on the road (and if you live in a populated city, you’re probably used to seeing them).
Now, you can’t just rely on Domino’s Pizza to come and fix your potholes. Potholes are the easiest things to spot but if you’re a bit laissez-faire about fixing things, you may just become used to that hitch in the driveway when pulling your car in.
If there’s one instance where you should call a professional immediately, it’s with potholes. That shows severe damage or major ground shifting and without having someone come take a look, it could get much, much worse.
Poor Exterior
You can tell a coat of paint’s health just by looking at it. You look for discoloration and any cracks that may appear. When it comes to your driveway, you can do the same exact thing.
Of course cracks and potholes are going to appear on the exterior, but you can look further than that.
It’s only natural that the environment and years of wear and tear are going to have a direct effect on your driveway. If you notice your driveway has a faded look that seems to be getting worse, that could be a sign of worse things to come.
Remember it’s always best to catch and deal with problems early on.
