Paving For Fun

Common But Important Driveway Questions Answered For Homeowners

The condition of your driveway will be an important factor for a number of reasons, but it is common for new homeowners to be relatively uninformed when it comes to this part of their property. In order to help individuals learn more about this part of their property, a few questions and answers may prove to be useful.

What Are The Advantages Of A Paved Driveway Over A Gravel Driveway?

There are some homeowners that will want to avoid the expenses associated with paving their driveway. As a result, they may attempt to just use gravel for this task. While gravel can be a suitable short-term solution for the driveway, it will have a number of disadvantages when compared to having it paved. For example, gravel will be much more prone to suffering from erosion, as it will not be held in place. As a result, you will need to periodically have fresh gravel applied to it. Also, the gravel will be prone to becoming muddy or otherwise difficult to travel over after periods of rain. Lastly, pieces of gravel can damage your vehicle as it may become airborne from the car driving on it, which can lead to scratches and dents.

Why Is Excavation Needed To Install A Driveway?

Prior to pouring the pavement for your new driveway, it will be necessary to excavate a small amount of soil. This is done primarily to level the ground to keep the pavement as uniform as possible. However, it may also help to hold the pavement in place while it dries and cures. Lucky, the amount of excavation that will be needed is minimal, as contractors will typically only need to remove a couple of inches of soil to achieve these goals, but the exact amount will be determined by the topography of your property.

How Do You Care For Your New Driveway?

After your new driveway has been paved, you will need to take the appropriate steps to minimize the wear and tear that it will experience. In particular, you should make sure that you are regularly cleaning the driveway to remove oil or other vehicle fluids that can weaken its surface. Furthermore, the application of a protective sealant can also greatly reduce the wear that it sustains, as it will act as a barrier against moisture, vehicle fluids, and other potentially harmful substances. For those that live in cold weather climates, it may be possible to avoid the type of wear and tear that can be caused by deicing chemicals by using sand instead.

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