Concrete driveways in Arizona are most abused surfaces of any home. More than your garage, where much of the maintenance occurs on your vehicles (I am speaking to you weekend warriors who still enjoy getting your hands dirty), the driveway is where the hard work is done. Heaven forbid you would get your precious garage floor dirty.
Your driveway is also the most neglected of any part of your paradise. Rarely given a thought, your driveway endures the brunt of exposure to the sun. You would never allow the sun to be constantly beating on any other place in your abode.
The road that connects the street to your house is the driveway. It is usually a private road. Driveways are also used as parking lots where there are no garages or when you have a visitor. They are mostly made of gravel, concrete, asphalt and pavers. Depending on your financial constraints and your personal likes you may choose any of these materials for your driveway. These materials will wear out over time causing the driveway to be cracked or have pot holes in it. A driveway helps to complete the beauty of your home. Do not therefore do it as a last thought but have it in mind all along in your planning so that you have the best driveway for your house in Arizona.
Regardless of what material you use, concrete restoration for your driveway, may be required from normal wear and tear. The period to restoration will depend on the material you use. Gravel is the cheapest material and the easiest to lay of them all. This is because after hardening of the ground, making the pavement separating the driveway and the lawn, you just pour in on the hardened ground and voila - the drive way is done. The gravel keeps on reducing as some is carried away and some sinks into the ground. It therefore requires refilling every now and then. It may also be invaded by growth of grass and weeds especially at the sides of the driveway near the yard. These can just be uprooted from the driveway.
When concrete gives in to wear and tear, it becomes an eye sore. Cracks and pot holes dominate what was once a beautiful smooth driveway. To get rid of these cracks and potholes you follow these steps; first you clean the driveway. Pressure cleaning is better. It helps to remove dirt expose all the cracks and holes including the small ones you could not have seen. After that you fill the cracks using a mixture of cement, water and sand. You could also use crack repairing materials that are sold locally. Driveway coatings may be a solution to your concrete driveway restoration. This may be the same process for pool deck coatings.
For the potholes you make sure that you fill the holes completely to the brim. The holes can also be filled using a mortar which can be purchased from the shops if you cannot get cement and sand locally. This can be assured by pounding in the hole with the handle of your trowel. Fill the crack and holes and use a mixture or cement and water only to cover the top. Let the concrete to dry slowly. Pour water on the repaired areas for about a week to make sure that the drying process is gradual. If need be you can texture the repaired parts to the texture that you require. Your car may skid on very smooth surfaces.
Asphalt driveways are also prone to potholes, cracks, sinkholes and bird baths. To repair these problems you also start by cleaning the surface. This is done to remove dust or water particles that may prevent the patching material from sticking. If you clean using water let the surface to dry off completely. For cracks, pour the patching material on the crack and spread it evenly using a squeegee or a flat bar. Leave a layer of the material on top of the crack so that it covers completely and attaches on the surface. For the pot holes, pour the aggregate into the hole until it covers completely. Pound on the hole to make the asphalt settle in. Also ensure that you leave a layer on top of the hole to attach on the existing asphalt. If there are sink holes on the driveway, fill the holes on the ground with gravel of soil first before filling with the aggregate. For bird baths use the patch material and spread it to level with the rest of the driveway. After seal the driveway with a sealer to ensure that it maintains the aesthetic value and give it a brand new finish.
If you use pavers and for some reason they crack, remove the cracked one and replace with a new piece since they are precast. It there are areas where the driveway is not level make sure that you remove the paver there, level the ground and then return it. Also apply a seal to make the pavers shinny and maintain the color.
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