Driveway Maintenance

asphalt driveway

ASPHALT

Blacktop driveways will not remain smooth and black forever. The forces of our New England weather does its best to break down this surface. Unless your driveway is adequately maintained, cracks and potholes will definitely appear. Also, grass can take over the edges and work its way through developing cracks throughout the driveway surface.

Excessive heat, freezing grounds, ultraviolet rays and substances such as salt, oil, gas and grease all take their toll on your driveway. Without protection, that beautiful black driveway eventually can become a lumpy, crumbling mess. If you are willing to put forth a little effort, you can prevent these problems by sealing coating your driveway every two to three years. You can do it yourself or simply hire the professionals who do this on a daily basis.

CONCRETE

Repairing cracks and holes in concrete prevents water damage and improves safety. These cracks can allow water to travel into open areas where it isn't invited. Concrete is also quite porous and acts like a sponge. When temperatures drop and concrete is wet, it can freeze, causing cracking and spalling or chipping. You can minimize this damage by periodically sealing the concrete with an acrylic or silicone-based concrete and masonry sealer.

A liquid concrete sealer prevents water absorption by filling the pores of the concrete. Generally clear, a concrete sealer lasts for six months to a year depending upon the quality of the material, surface preparation, and the climate.

Inexpensive "water seals" don't offer the level of protection that some of the more pricey products do. Moreover, poor-quality sealers need to be applied more frequently and can end up costing you more money in the long run. Concrete sealers can be applied with a brush, roller, or by using a pump garden sprayer. Before you begin, the concrete should be cleaned up. Rock salt used to melt snow is another primary source of deterioration of concrete. Sealer can also help protect the concrete from salt damage. After the snow melts, rinse the area with hot water to remove the majority of salt deposits.

A driveway that is not properly maintained simply cracks excessively and falls apart

damaged driveway

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Dave had an impressive website that seemed to be too thorough to be anything but genuine. The thing that seemed to sell me was that he says right on his website that you may pay a little more for his service, but that his quality is higher. So I decided to give him a try even though I had no reference from another person hoping for someone of top quality. I was not disappointed. He was at the home early as promised and had done an inspection of the exterior and was writing up notes so that when I arrived, he walked me through the exterior first. Even with his early arrival, we were still there for about 3 hours looking through every little corner and cubby. He would occasionally stop and fill out his inspection forms which were easy to follow and read; he gives you a full folder of his notes that are well organized.

Dave was open to all questions and concerns so every time I saw something that was potentially concerning to me, he would look, give his opinion and often shared other experiences with similar circumstances. He also had a good sense of humor which helped to lighten what can be a stressful experience (having someone pointing out problem items that you didn't see). I would highly recommend Massachusetts Home Inspections.

Michael