Driveway Cracks – What is Happening To Your Driveway

With the snow coming and going you may see some cracks appearing, what is happening?

Regular care and maintenance can help make sure your asphalt driveway lasts a good long time.  Milwaukee driveways go through a lot of punishment, spring is a good time to address these issues.

Straight Linear Cracks

These cracks are very common as your driveway gets older and the elements take their toll.  They start out as a hairline crack and continue to spread and get wider and deeper.   Water and dirt will slowly fill into the cracks and during the freeze thaw cycle these cracks will continue to expand and grow.  Sealing over these will cover it for a little while, but it is best to clean them out of any debris and filled with a hot sealer.  Crack fillers are only temporary fixes so it is best to have this done by a professional asphalt repair company.

Spiderweb Cracks

These are cracks that literally look like a spider web.  This basically means that your driveway is failing.  Over use of Sealers or poor initial installation can be the cause of this.  When this occurs you pretty much need to have the asphalt removed and reinstalled.

Edges Crumbling

This may be unsightly luckily doesn’t mean that your driveway’s structure isn’t affected along the main portion of the asphalt.  It may be just too thin along the edges.  A good fix for this would be to install edging along the side of the driveway to keep the edges from breaking off.  Brick is a good idea that looks great.

Sinking near the Garage or other Structures

If this is occurring near a newly constructed garage or home, it can be because the ground around the structures is settling or the base wasn’t compacted correctly.  Another time this occurs is because you may have a water downspout channeling water to that spot.  This can cause the rainwater to was away the soil.  You always want to make sure that water is draining away from the driveway.

Fading Color

Oxidation, occurs when your asphalt is exposed to oxygen.  As your driveway gets older you will see it turning gray and fade a bit.  This is an easy fix.  Fill the cracks and apply seal coat.