Your driveway is an important part of your home. Not only does it feature prominently in your landscaping and how your home looks – a paver driveway in Sayreville looks much different than a concrete driveway in South River, for example – but it also provides a safe place to park your vehicles and is essentially the gateway or entrance to your property. That’s why it’s important to take good care of it. You don’t want your beautiful Spotswood sealcoating to deteriorate quickly or your paving in Sayreville to begin to erode before its time.
While some degree of aging is inevitable, you can help put it off by keeping your eyes open for these three major issues that can cause big damage to driveways throughout New Jersey:
Replace Cracked or Damaged Pavers
Over time, it’s not unlikely that some of the pavers or brickwork used to create your driveway will begin to crack. The best contractors with the best material on the planet cannot stand up to the ravages of Mother Nature! That’s no reason to roll over and let it happen, though. You should protect your South River paver driveway. Every few months, scan your driveway for cracked stonework and replace it as needed. If you don’t, though cracks can lead to water seepage, potholes, and more rapid damage to the driveway. Address them quickly to help your driveway last for many years to come.
Watch For Trees and Shrubs Near Your Driveway
Landscaping can make or break your home as far as aesthetics go – few things make a house shine more than some great landscaping – but be wary. Trees and shrubs that are too close to your driveway can cause cracks, damage, erosion, and cause leveling issues. Even an asphalt driveway in Sayreville is susceptible to this sort of damage. If it’s possible to remove trees and shrubs that are near your driveway, do so. Otherwise, have a landscaper carefully trim the roots away. This will prevent them from encroaching underneath and causing damage. That’s good because the danger of tree roots is often invisible until it’s too late.
Watch Out For Water and Runoff
The biggest enemy of your driveway is also one of the most plentiful things out there: water. Water causes wear, erosion, and other issues that can decrease the lifespan of your driveway and age it faster than you’d like. To manage this, ensure the landscaping around your driveway allows water to properly drain from it. Also, have any downspouts from your home’s gutters drain into the yard rather than onto the driveway. This will help prevent potholes, cracks, erosion, and other issues that could cut years off your driveway’s lifespan.
From driveways in Sayreville or South River to every other part of the state, save yourself money in the long term by addressing these major issues before they become a big problem for you. Most of them can be spotted pretty early if you have a keen eye, and once they are addressed they should be something you won’t have to worry about for a long time. You’ll be glad you did!