Ways To Deal With Crumbling Edges On Your Asphalt Driveway

One of the problems that can develop with an asphalt driveway is crumbling of the edges. If you have a habit of driving off the side of the driveway, the weight of your car can accelerate cracking and crumbling so that eventually the edges can fall away in areas. Here are some tips for repairing the asphalt to prevent further damage along the edge.

Place A Border Along The Driveway

A border can stabilize the asphalt so the edge doesn't keep pulling away. A border can also add an attractive landscaping element to your property. You might want to use bricks, stones, or gravel. While you could dig a trench and put wood planks in them, the planks will deteriorate over time, so it's better to bury rocks or bricks instead. Once the new border is in place, you can make repairs to the cracks and crumbles to restore the asphalt surface.

Fill In Cracks And Crumbles

If the damage to your driveway is confined to a small area, you might be able to make repairs yourself by filling in the cracks and crumbles with asphalt patch or filler. First, you'll want to clean the area well and remove weeds. Once the cracks are all filled, you may want to cover the driveway with a new sealcoat so the color is uniform and the repair work is hidden.

Build A New Edge

If the edge of the driveway is so damaged that part of it is missing, then you may need to add new asphalt to the area to repair it. This might require chipping away the damaged area to create a straight line along the edge. Then, you may need to add gravel and compact it in the same way you would to fill a pothole. Finally, fill in the hole with cold asphalt and smooth over the surface. Cold asphalt often doesn't bind as well as hot asphalt so if the damaged area covers a large portion of your driveway, you may need a contractor to make repairs.

Have The Driveway Resurfaced

If the edge of your driveway is damaged in several places, or if the asphalt is cracked, crumbled, and contains potholes all over, then the best option is to have a contractor resurface the entire driveway. Talk to your contractor for options on maintaining the edges. When asphalt driveways are installed initially, the edges are held in place with gravel or soil which also buries the edges so the driveway doesn't sit on top of the ground. If a contractor restores the driveway to its original condition, you might not need to go through all the work of installing a border.

Contact a service, like KANSAS CLEAN PROPERTIES, for more help.