How to Fix a Driveway

Cracked Driveway?

After you've gone through the trouble of either purchasing or building a concrete driveway to call your own, seeing a crack develop can be quite the disappointment. No landscaper in their right mind wants to have anything but a smooth finish on their asphalt, which is why you'll want to do your best to repair your driveway crack and ensure that the surface still offers a high degree of consistency. If you're sick of feeling the cracks under your car tires every time you pull in from work, this article is for you. Here is a brief summary of driveway crack repair.

Before you begin, you'll have to make sure that your driveway is clear and clean. This will usually require a relatively calm day - it doesn't have to be sunny out but winds should be low so that nothing from your lawn or trees makes life more difficult for you. Sweep out the cracks as best you can and make sure that the driveway is about as clear as you can get it. Cleaning the driveway now will help make sure you don't have to do it later when you've already started repairing it.

You're going to need to acquire a driveway crack filler that fits your needs. If you have access to a caulking gun, you can try one of the harder driveway fillers; otherwise, you can find some softer, more liquid fillers at your local hardware store. Before you begin to fill the crack, do your best to manipulate it so that most of the opening is occurring below the surface: this will help to keep the filler in place.

When you fill the crack, make sure that you overfill it rather than under fill it - you can correct the overfill by simply smoothing out the surface with a trowel or piece of wood. For deeper cracks, be sure to fill the deepest parts with a different material like sand and then place your driveway crack filler over that surface.

Next, you'll need to seal the crack - it will be important, again, that the weather is relatively clear, as rain can put a damper in your plans. You can buy driveway sealant from the hardware store and apply it with a simple paint roller. You'll apply the sealant much like you would apply a new coat of paint - try to get it as consistent and leak-free as possible.

Once you get the hang of it, repairing your driveway cracks is one of the easiest chores to tackle around the house - and it sure beats cleaning out the gutters!

Photo Credits: chego101

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