Tips for Maintaining Your Driveway

Your driveway is the most visible part of your home and, whether its surface is asphalt, concrete, or gravel, it requires proper maintenance just as much as a car being protected from cold temperatures. This is because the surface of your driveway requires special care when exposed to extreme temperatures, such as during heat waves in summer and when covered in snow during winter.

But don’t worry, we’ve collected some practical tips and these straightforward strategies will help you preserve your driveway’s beauty and durability.

Simple & effective driveway maintenance

There’s no “one size fits all” approach to preserving the integrity and beauty of your driveway – you have to customise your approach according to your driveway’s surface. However, there are simple and effective ways to ensure that it’s in top condition.

Best Practices for Cleaning Your Driveway

Regularly schedule driveway clean-up and maintenance
First and foremost, you need to regularly set aside time for driveway maintenance. This can be as short as 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on the size and type of cleaning you need to do. 

Your maintenance schedule should consist of clean-up, inspection, and quick fixes.

• Clean-up refers to surface cleaning and can simply be sweeping loose debris such as dry leaves, pebbles, bird or other animal droppings, garbage, and the like. Sweeping or brushing the surface may seem trivial, but this simple thing can help prevent or delay larger damages, especially when you remove things that could slip through small cracks and make it bigger.
• Inspection of the surface is necessary to keep track of the health of your driveway and anticipate what possible damage may still be prevented. Likewise, regular inspections will allow you to determine if the necessary fixes require professional attention.
• Quick fixes can be performed on minor issues and damages after inspecting your driveway. This can be something simple as trimming plants that may be creeping onto the pavement or patching up small cracks to prevent water, chemicals, and debris from entering.

As for how often you should clean your driveway, it’s entirely up to you and your circumstances. If you live in an area that is exposed to nature or pollution, consider cleaning up your driveway as needed. However, if pollution isn’t an issue and your driveway stays relatively clean most of the time, cleaning can be done weekly or twice per month. You be the judge when it comes to the frequency of cleaning up.

Choose appropriate cleaning products
When cleaning the driveway to remove the dirt, stains, moss or other algae, many rely on chemicals or its organic counterparts.

• Natural cleaning solutions, such as vinegar, baking or washing soda, and lime juice are go-to ingredients for effective home-made cleaning solutions – and it works just as well with stain, moss and algae on driveways.
• Bleach and other chemical-based cleaners are effective and fast-acting when it comes to removing stains and moss, but it can be harsh on both the surface and environment. It’s also advisable to wear appropriate protective gear when you use it because bleach is toxic and can irritate your eyes, skin, and respiratory system.

In cases when bleach, detergent, or acid is required due to tough stains and considerable moss growth, make sure to properly dilute the chemical agents before use because concentrated amounts can damage the surface.

• Plant- and microbe-based cleaning products are viable eco- and pet-friendly alternatives if you want to avoid chemicals. Also known as probiotic cleaners, microbe-based products contain live microorganisms that break down organic substances continuously and can cut through tough stains and even eliminate bad odours.
• High pressure driveway cleaning is also a good method for removing stubborn dirt, and all you need is a handy power washer and water with or without cleaning solutions.

But you need to be careful with the settings when you do. This is because some surfaces are more susceptible to damage than others when met with high pressure – even when just using water.

Keep track of when to perform driveway repairs
If there are obvious signs of damage and deterioration or portions of your driveway need replenishment (i.e., gravel driveways), then it’s time to rejuvenate your driveway.

Depending on the extent of damage, you may do a simple rejuvenation or a full restoration.

• Simple rejuvenation is done by adding a protective layer to the surface of your driveway. By adding a layer of cement, asphalt, gravel, or whatever material your driveway is made of, existing damages, such as cracks, will not worsen and it will also cover other imperfections. Doing so would also extend its life.

• Full restoration is a major project that may require professional driveway construction or maintenance company. This is typically done when the current damage risks compromising the structural integrity of your driveway.

Basic Maintenance for Common Driveway Surfaces

Concrete driveway
Popular for being a low maintenance option, concrete driveways have a long lifespan of 20 to 30 years when properly cared for doing. You just need to do the following:

• Avoid constantly parking very heavy vehicles to minimise potential damage.
• Regular cleaning (e.g., sweeping, washing) to remove loose dirt and debris.
• Power or pressure washing is fine, but lower the pressure setting to avoid damaging the surface.
• Avoid using strong chemicals to remove stains as these can cause damage.
• Sweep/brush away the pooled water so that the surface can dry faster.
• Reseal the concrete every year or two years, depending on weather conditions and traffic volume.

Asphalt driveway
Asphalt driveways can last 15 to 30 years, depending on proper maintenance, and it’s also a popular material for driveways next to concrete. However, asphalt is an oil-based material, so even with similar maintenance to concrete, you still need to take note of the following:

• Avoid parking or leaving heavy vehicles and equipment on the driveway at high temperatures.
• Repair and fill cracks immediately (i.e., the risk of damage worsening and spreading is higher with asphalt).
• Remove standing water immediately or install a drainage system so water won’t pool on the surface.
• Reseal the asphalt surface as necessary:
  • Within 6 months for new asphalt surfaces;
  • Every 2-3 years for regular wear and tear;
  • Every 1-2 years or as needed in areas exposed to harsh weather and heavy traffic volume; or,
  • Reseal sections whenever cracks are filled.

Gravel driveway
Depending on who you ask, a gravel driveway can last anywhere from 10 to 100 years. That’s right, the lifespan is just too broad and it really depends on the quality of gravel and how well a gravel driveway is installed and maintained. Fortunately, proper maintenance is easy and having the proper foundation also helps in extending its lifespan.

• Avoid parking heavy vehicles and equipment to prevent potholes from forming.
• Wash off the gravel regularly with a garden hose to shake off dirt and loose debris.
• Rake the gravel to even out the surface.
• Remove weeds as soon as they appear.
• Consider installing pavers before pouring gravel to add stability and decrease gravel migration.

Paver and brick driveways
Paver and brick driveways should also be maintained similar to concrete and asphalt driveways, but you may have to do an extra step if you opted not to pour concrete between slabs. That is, besides the regular sweep and wash process, you may have to cut grass or pull weeds between slabs or bricks.

• Wash the driveway regularly and immediately remove oil and grease stains.
• Get rid of weeds using boiling water, tools, or organic weed remover.
• Use polymeric sand to fill cracks and small gaps.
• Reseal the driveway every 2-3 years.

Resin Driveway
A resin bound driveway is a low-maintenance option that is both durable and aesthetically pleasing. When properly installed and maintained, resin bound driveways can last from 10-20 years on average, and even up to 25 years with some professional maintenance. Basic upkeep include:

• Regular sweeping/cleaning with a nylon or fibre brush. Do not use wire brushes as this could damage the surface.
• Hosing down to remove debris or power washing
• Remove fuel, grease and oil spills and stains right away using soapy water and light power wash

It’s also best to only park light vehicles in a resin driveway or use wooden planks to better distribute weight for heavy loads.

Seasonal Driveway Care

Exposure to extreme and fluctuating weather conditions can damage your driveway, so it’s important to protect the surface before the seasons change.

Protect your driveway from Australian Summers

Australian summers can be terribly harsh not only on humans, plants, and animals but also on structures, roads, and driveways. It’s not always obvious, but the unbearable heat tends to cause damage on the surface of your driveway. This slowly but surely deteriorates its integrity, especially if your chosen surface is weak to heat.

To prevent this, you need to protect your surface from the elevated heat levels by cooling it down a bit – especially if you have an asphalt driveway. A quick and simple way to do this is by wetting the driveway using a regular garden hose or sprinkler system when it gets too hot.

You can also install a shade overhead to reduce the amount of heat the surface receives.

How to keep your driveway from freezing in Winter

The effect of freezing temperatures in winter isn’t any milder when compared to the heat of summer. This is because the expansion of water molecules when they freeze can cause cracks to widen if they seep into the driveway surface, hence, it’s important to prevent the ice from wreaking havoc.

Spreading salt on the pavement may have been the norm in the past, but did you know that it can actually corrode the surface’s protective coating just as much as chemical deicers can?

If you simply wish to prevent slipping on ice, spread sand, coffee grounds, or cat litter on the driveway to add traction instead. These options may be a bit messy once the ice clears, but they won’t damage the surface and cleaning up is also easier. Alternatively, you may also use Calcium Magnesium Acetate (CMA) – a known child-, pet-, and environment-friendly additive for deicers.

It’s also best to use a shovel with a rubber or plastic blade when shovelling snow from the surface to minimise the chances of damaging the surface since metal blades are tough enough to cause damage. For those who have gravel driveways, however, it’s best to keep about an inch of snow to keep the gravel compact and prevent it from getting displaced.

If you really don’t want ice to form on your driveway and you have the budget for it, you can also install a heating system or use a portable heating mat to automatically melt ice.

Regular driveway maintenance is necessary

Proper care and maintenance can enhance your driveway’s protection which, in turn, extends its lifespan, prevents the need for costly repairs and, by extension, decreases the risk of damaging your vehicle.

Make sure to do even the most basic maintenance regularly to avoid headaches and costly driveway repairs earlier than anticipated. Likewise, be objective in assessing driveway damage and your own capabilities to avoid worsening any damage and end up spending more for professional help.

This content is originally published for Parkhound, a Spacer Technologies company, and is protected under the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth). Unauthorised use or reproduction of this article, in whole or in part, without permission is prohibited and may result in legal action.