The process to repair a damaged driveway requires a different approach depending on what type it is. Some are more repairable than others, and the finishes are often much better than you’d imagine too. Here is how to repair several different types of driveways for the home.
Repairing Asphalt Driveways
With asphalt driveways, they can get broken up over time. This can occur for a variety of reasons including heavier than expected vehicles being driven over the driveway, and other types of unintended damage.
One way to resolve the damage is through infrared asphalt repairs. This approach heats the asphalt by several hundred degrees Fahrenheit to make it pliable. Then, more asphalt is added to the patch, and the surface is flattened out. This patching process results in a smooth driveway with its appearance being far superior to how it was before.
Patching a Concrete Driveway
When a concrete driveway becomes cracked or uneven, there are different approaches to take depending on how severe it is. The smaller issues are resolved typically using a caulking tube filled with a mortar repair compound. The crack gets cleaned out and is then filled with this compound to seal it up.
For larger repair areas, this requires a concrete patching mix in a complex process with multiple steps to follow. The following article details the step-by-step process needed should your driveway require this type of repair.
Repair of Driveway Paving Stones
Driveways created using a series of laid paving stones have various requirements when it comes to patching them up or repairing them.
Wobbly Paving Stones
Paving stones can become unstable and rocky for several reasons. This includes water infiltration below the surface, not enough packing down of the sand sufficiently before laying the stone, or the underside of the stone has broken away.
Usually, it’s necessary to remove the stone and repack the sublayers to build back up. If water has infiltrated the sand, then it will need to be removed, the space dried out, and then new sand added. Then it will need compacting down sufficiently to create a robust level surface to re-lay the stone back on top and be level with the surrounding pavers.
Broken Paving Stones
When a stone has become broken, it’s usually not repairable. Given the amount of weight put on a paving stone, it won’t survive after a basic repair and likely will keep breaking apart further.
The exception is when it’s a clean break of a paver in a non-critical area that likely won’t be required to support significant weight in the future. Stones near the side of the driveway normally fit this criterion.
To resolve irreparable paving stones, clearing out where the paving stone was positioned, re-laying the sand appropriately, packing it down, and then replacing the stone is required.
Fortunately, damaged driveways are often repairable. While it may be necessary to hire a team of experts to do it, that depends very much on the driveway type and how extensive the damage is.
