Driveway installation can often be costly, even though they’re most commonly just simple stretches of concrete. This is due to the fact that installation needs to be precise and that can take a lot of time to obtain during driveway construction.
Expensive installation can often become quite discouraging to anyone who is starting to find cracks and crumbling pieces of concrete on their driveway. Especially when you’re fully aware that seemingly small issues can turn into massive problems over time. But there are a few key details you should consider before deciding if you need to have your driveway repaired or completed replaced.
Crack size is the main determining factor when it comes to choosing between repairing and replacing. If the cracks in your driveway are small, meaning less than 1/4th of an inch, you’re probably fine to just get it repaired. More than likely, these are just surface level cracks that won’t cause many problems after a simple repair, at least not for quite a while longer.
Cracks bigger than 1/4th of an inch wide or a few inches deep are often signs of a large issue. Trying to fill these larger cracks likely won’t be much more than a very temporary fix for a long-term problem. At this point, you will be better off having your driveway completely replaced, especially if there are many of these larger cracks.
Driveways do have a life span and after so many years they genuinely just need to be replaced. For an asphalt driveway, 20 years is probably all the life it has to give. For concrete or paver driveways, the age limit is around 25 years. The materials can only last so long being driven over with 1-2-ton vehicles and beaten down on by the elements every day. You can patch up these driveways and try to make them last longer, but eventually cracks will show up faster than you can repair them, and it will become a lost cause.
If you’re trying to sell your home, a cracked or obviously repaired driveway may be a turn-off for potential buyers. They might not want to buy a home they know they’ll have to fix something as major as a driveway immediately after they move in, so it can be beneficial to replace an old driveway before selling your home.
Resurfacing your driveway might also be an option for you. This is where the top layer of a driveway is demolished and replaced. This can be a great way to save money if the foundation isn’t also cracked weak.
If you aren’t quite sure if repairing, resurfacing, or replacing would be the best option for you, get in touch with us! College Station Covered Porch and Outdoor Kitchens is well versed in the world of driveways, and not only can we help you figure out what your driveway needs, but we would be happy to do the work for you as well! Give us a call of fill out the form on our contact page for a FREE consultation!
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