Creating A Functional Home

If you are considering adding a paved driveway or walkway to your property, it is important for you to be relatively well-informed about these additions. Unfortunately, there are many individuals that may add paved surfaces to their property and fail to properly maintain them. To avoid the damages and cosmetic issues that this mistake can cause, it is important for you to appreciate the value of the following couple of tips.

Understand The Need For Seal Coats

Seal coats can be highly effective at preventing moisture from damaging your pavement. The seal coat will create a waterproof layer that can help to prevent the pavement from absorbing water. While water may not seem like it would be a serious threat to the structural integrity of your pavement, it can put tremendous pressure on the interior of the pavement, which can contribute to it developing substantial cracks.

In addition to preventing water from damaging your pavement, a seal coat can also help to prevent oil and other automotive fluids from seeping into the pavement and discoloring it or weakening it. While seal coats can be extremely useful for mitigating these threats, you should apply a fresh coat every couple of years as these substances will gradually break down due to weathering.

Prevent Drainage Issues From Damaging The Pavement

Poor drainage around the pavement may also be a source of major damage to the concrete. When water pools around the driveway, it can wear on the pavement by seeping into it. However, if the water drains away too quickly, it can erode the soil underneath the pavement, which can lead to cracking and potholes forming.

To help combat this particular problem, you will want to consider adding gutters or a French drain system to the sides of your pavement. These additions will give the water an efficient path to safely flow away from the pavement. For those that are concerned about the costs of this addition, it is important to consider the benefits of preventing this type of damage. If the pavement experiences severe cracking or the creation of potholes, it might be necessary to replace the entire pavement, which would be more expensive than simply adding gutters.

Caring for a home's pavement can seem as though it is a confusing task for new homeowners. Yet, it does not have to be because if you make sure to appreciate the value of regularly applying seal coats to the pavement as well as the need to monitor the drainage around the pavement, you will be in a better position to prevent some of the more common damages from striking your pavement.