Our Recommendations For Taking Care Of Your Driveway

Give it time to rest

• Keep car traffic off your driveway for at least 3 days. If temperatures are very hot we ask that you try not to park on your drive for up to 5 days. You may walk on your drive right away.

Hardening and curing

• Your driveway will need 6 to 12 months to harden and cure. It will remain soft and pliable until then. Even after it has cured it will not be as hard as concrete. Your driveway will soften and harden as temperatures rise and fall. Please be aware of this in hot temperatures.

Spot damage

• Spot damage may occur on your driveway if cars start out or stop too fast. This also may happen if you turn your steering wheel when the car is not moving. To prevent pits, holes or gouges in your drive avoid using lawn chairs or kickstands on your drive. They exert weight on concentrated areas and will mar your driveway. When using car jacks, ramps or storing boats or campers, place a piece of plywood under them to help distribute the weight.

Keep heavy trucks off your new driveway

• Large heavy trucks will cause rutting from the weight of the loads; do not allow concrete and other heavy trucks on your driveway. Avoid driving off the edges of your driveway. They will crack and crumble due to lack of side support. You may support the sides by building up the edges with crush rock, topsoil, etc., but please do not do this until after the driveway has cured (6-12 months).

Variations are ok

• It is natural for the texture of your driveway surface to be varied. It is caused by the various sizes of sand, stone and other ingredients that make up asphalt. Also, areas that are done by hand will appear different than those done by the spreader machine. They may appear irregular compared to where the machine spreader has laid the asphalt but is normal in areas the spreader cannot reach.

Some fluids may harm your driveway

• Gasoline, oil, anti-freeze, and transmission and power steering fluids will soften and break up your driveway. These should be professionally repaired.

Bumps and cracks

• Bumps and cracks may develop over the winter due to the contraction and expansion of the ground. These are common in driveways where the owner has chosen not to dig out and fill with crush rock before paving.

Frost

• Culverts are also very susceptible to frost and may rise, resulting in a crack in the asphalt. Any cracks should be filled with crack filler.

Weeds

• It is not uncommon for weeds to push up through the asphalt. If this occurs, simply remove the weed and tamp the affected area.

Sealing your driveway

• If you wish you may seal your driveway with a professional grade tar sealer, but we recommend that you wait at least 2 years. However, sealing a driveway is not a requirement.