Want To Waste $20,000? The maintenance item you forgot that may cost you.

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Baltimore, MD: As we approach winter there is one task that you may have overlooked and it will cost you!  I have personally seen the keenest of home buyers overlook this item only to be bitten a few years later (*often a missed negotiation point when making a home purchase!)

The item? YOUR DRIVEWAY!

Repaving most driveways can cost at least $5k but they go up from there. It is important to keep up with maintenance and make repairs on an annual basis.

What about seal coating? There is so much horrible information floating around that most well intentioned homeowners follow the wrong advice and never get the full benefit of the effort and money put in.

So, what hurts your driveway to begin with:

The winter! Unless you regularly perform burnouts with your muscle car or drive heavy machinery-  driving on a properly maintained stretch of asphalt will not cause premature damage- but winter and ice will.

During the winter, cold temperatures reduce the flexibility (or forgiveness) of the asphalt. Water can seep into the cracks and expand upon freezing, creating a deeper gash in the pavement thus expanding the crack to the point of structural failure. In the spring grass and other seeds find the cracks a suitable place for growing and the seedling will now take residence in your families' savings account.

First: Inspect your driveway. Look for cracks and determine if they are damaging.
The items in a crack that warrant immediate attention include:
- Signs of vegetation growth
- Standing water or moisture
- You can see gravel, dirt or other debris.

ALL CRACKS SHOULD BE SEALED AND MONITORED.
*Examples pictures below.

Make sure to also inspect previously repaired cracks. For this you want to look for the items above and also check to see if the  sealant is still in good conditions.  Signs of dry rot or small cracks should also be repaired.

Second: Repair Cracks. I am personally not familiar with the durability of the hardware store options however, this late in the season- anything is better than nothing.

Ideally, you want to hire a professional and have hot tar applied into the crack after a proper cleaning. All good asphalt crack sealants are petroleum based product and are therefore more liquid-like when warm/ hot. This allows the tar to penetrate deeper into the crack, help evaporate moisture, and adhere to the asphalt better.

The proper and best crack repairs should follow the steps below (make sure your professional does this):

1. Clean the inside of the crack with a wire brush, then stiff bristle broom the area around it.
2. Use a torch to heat the crack. This evaporates moisture and kills all vegetation.
3. Re-inspect area to make sure it is clean.
4. Heat Tar Block in a Asphalt Smelter or Kettle.
5. Apply Hot tar directly into the crack, let dry and harden before driving over.

*Any debris or moisture left in the crack can weaken the bond of the tar to the existing asphalt and allow moisture to penetrate.

Third: Reseal. This topic is often debated but I am confident there is only 1 way to apply sealant--- Spraying.

My father owned an asphalt sealing company which my best friend purchased from him and still runs today (20 years later). "Brooming" the sealant applies a thin layer and will wear off earlier than spraying it. The reason you see broom marks remaining in a parking lot after time has passed is not because of durability, it is because commercial guys only use a broom for tight areas so the places where a broom is used typically has less traffic. (*this is a typical sales pitch for "brooming sealer companies).

When my father had his company we sealed the parking lot of a high traffic gas station every year. We tested the two application methods and 3 months later were called back to reapply over the broomed area. Spraying wins hands down.

Things to also know:
- All Sealant is made from petroleum/ tar. It is also mixed with (1) sand, (2) latex additive, (3) water, (4, sometimes) a drying agent. This stuff is NASTY, it puts off terrible vapors when applied, and sticks to anything it touches (concrete, garage doors, dirt, clothes, etc). I highly recommend hiring a professional for all sealcoating.

- It is recommended you reseal every 3 to 5 years however I think you can make a judgment based on condition. Have new sealant applied when the driveway begins to look gray or when you can see rocks starting to come through.

- There are regularly maintained asphalt driveways over 50 years old that are still holding strong. Keep up with the plan to save money.

- The structural integrity of your pavement can shorten the life of the driveway. If you see cracks appeared around the edges, this can usually be a sign that the sides are not properly supported. If new sealant is not needed, consider building up dirt next to the area or placing stones/ bricks (image below).

- Applying salt during the winter will extend the life of your sealed, asphalt driveway. Yes, salt sucks moisture and can shorten the life of crack filling or the asphalt itself. However, ice is much worse- Scraping of ice  in order to remove it without salt can be MUCH worse!!!!

- When removing snow- try to do it early in the day in order to give the sun time to help dry out cracks.

- Sealant is water based. Don't use an oil based sealer. It sounds more durable but oil is slippery and the oil will runoff.

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

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Example of a 30 year old driveway. Maintained somewhat regularly however a few years without sealing can cause damage.

Moss growing in a crack where 2 asphalt pads meet. Not a big problem but should be sealed. You can also see crack in the left pad which is caused from improper joining of two area. Lack of support.

An example of the beginning of stress cracks caused by lack of support.

Previously sealed crack, improperly done. Sealant is in crack but has since opened up- likely do to poor application methods or not enough sealant being place in/ over the crack.

Right now a small crack. Notice the moisture and sprigs inside the crack. . .future problems.

A driveway in need of re-sealing. May be find through the winter but should be addressed. This driveway has tire mark however the "blotches" in the middle are of concern- probably a sign of broom application.