How To Repair Driveway Cracks

Driveway cracks represent a common household problem that is faced by people all over the world. Whether it is a concrete driveway or an asphalt one, cracks are unavoidable problems that you are bound to face at one point of time or the other. They destroy the entire beauty of your house, making it look shabby and unmaintained. Moreover, cracks on the driveway are very dangerous to passerby and there is more chance of accidents and mishaps. These cracks are mainly caused by water that seeps under the driveway and thaws. They gradually worsen over time, as small grasses and weeds begin to grow in between. Hence, repairing these cracks is very vital, if you want to make your house look presentable. To get a better idea of how to repair driveway cracks, read the pointers given below.

Repairing Driveway Cracks

The first step in treating cracked driveways is to remove any kind of weeds or grass that has grown between them. This can be done by using a spade or any kind of lawn edging tool.
Next, remove any loose asphalt or concrete material from between the cracks, by making use of compressed air or by using a blast of water from the garden hose.
Clean the debris and dirt with a broom or a gardening brush. You can also use diluted driveway cleaner to remove the dirt. This will also help you remove any oil film present in between the cracks.
Repeat the previous step, till the time all the oil stains seem to have been removed. For the remaining stains, you can use an oil-spot primer.
After this, using a hose, clean the entire driveway with as much pressure as possible. You can start by moving from the uphill side and then proceeding towards the sides.
To make the place clean and dry prior to filling, use a vacuum cleaner to remove any loose debris from the cracks. Complete drying of the driveway is very important, before starting off with the filling process.
Filling depends on the size of the cracks. For cracks measuring about 3 to 12 mm in asphalt driveways, you can use rubberized asphalt emulsion crack fillers. Use a caulking gun to apply the filler or you can simply pour the filler over the cracks. Smooth it up by using a putty knife.
For potholes or cracks that are very wide, you can shovel in packaged cold-patch blacktop and then use an iron rake to level the areas. Pack the material by using a rented tamper or a 4-by-4. Keep filling the hole until the material bulges off the surface slightly. Now, use scrap plywood to cover it and then drive over it.
Mist the entire driveway using water and after this, pour a ribbon of acrylic driveway sealer or a filler of about 30 cm all across the driveway.
Remove the additional sealer using a brush or squeegee. You driveway is now as good as new.

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