Believe it or not, you can safely save hundreds – if not thousands – of dollars by tackling your own driveway repair projects without calling in the professionals to do it for you.
Sure, you’re going to need a handful of tools that aren’t exactly common around the house unless you are in the construction trade. And yes, it’s going to be a little bit more physically demanding than most household chores.
But at the end of the day, taking this approach to repairing your driveway is going to result in speedier fixes that cost a whole lot less – and you’ll be able to pick up some pretty valuable skills along the way!
Sure, you’re going to need a handful of tools that aren’t exactly common around the house unless you are in the construction trade. And yes, it’s going to be a little bit more physically demanding than most household chores.
But at the end of the day, taking this approach to repairing your driveway is going to result in speedier fixes that cost a whole lot less – and you’ll be able to pick up some pretty valuable skills along the way!
Figure out what you’re dealing with first
The first thing that you have to do when you’re getting ready to repair your driveway is figure out what you’re dealing with in the first place!
There is a world of difference between fixing potholes in an asphalt driveway compared to those in a gravel driveway, and there’s even more of a difference between fixing “alligator” or “spiderweb” cracks in asphalt or sinkholes and birdbaths that are popping up left and right.
You’ll need to really diagnose the issues that you’re dealing with (each of them individually) so that you can create a strategic plan of action that allows you to effectively prepare your driveway for the long haul without adding any extra effort or expense to the project.
There is a world of difference between fixing potholes in an asphalt driveway compared to those in a gravel driveway, and there’s even more of a difference between fixing “alligator” or “spiderweb” cracks in asphalt or sinkholes and birdbaths that are popping up left and right.
You’ll need to really diagnose the issues that you’re dealing with (each of them individually) so that you can create a strategic plan of action that allows you to effectively prepare your driveway for the long haul without adding any extra effort or expense to the project.
Meticulous preparation makes everything go smoother
It’s really, really tempting to rent a machine that heats up asphalt and then spreads it out right off the bat so you can put a brand-new coat down on your driveway, but unless you have done your prep work that quick fix is going to be exactly that – a quick fix – and anything but permanent or effective.
Instead you’re going to want to completely clean your driveway from top to bottom, all the while looking for hidden issues that you may not have noticed it first. Broom away everything that you can and then bust out the hose to wash things down. If you have a pressure washer, now would be the time to break it out!
You’ll want to clean the general area on both sides of your driveway as much as possible as well. Clean away any vegetation, edge things effectively, and give yourself plenty of room to work safely so that you can read the rock and roll when the time comes.
Get your hands on all supplies and materials in advance
There may not be anything worse than firing up that rented asphalt machine and getting ready to pour a brand-new top layer, only to discover you don’t have the shovel or the float that you need to keep things nice and even and level – delaying your work for an entire day or forcing you to compromise on the overall quality of the finished result just because you had to cut corners.
You’ll need to make sure that you have all of your supplies and materials ready to go and easily at hand, just the same way that professional chefs layout all of their ingredients and knockout prep work for they start to cook. This is the kind of mentality you should have for any major project, but it’s definitely going to make a huge difference when you are tackling something as important and as time sensitive as this.
Instead you’re going to want to completely clean your driveway from top to bottom, all the while looking for hidden issues that you may not have noticed it first. Broom away everything that you can and then bust out the hose to wash things down. If you have a pressure washer, now would be the time to break it out!
You’ll want to clean the general area on both sides of your driveway as much as possible as well. Clean away any vegetation, edge things effectively, and give yourself plenty of room to work safely so that you can read the rock and roll when the time comes.
Get your hands on all supplies and materials in advance
There may not be anything worse than firing up that rented asphalt machine and getting ready to pour a brand-new top layer, only to discover you don’t have the shovel or the float that you need to keep things nice and even and level – delaying your work for an entire day or forcing you to compromise on the overall quality of the finished result just because you had to cut corners.
You’ll need to make sure that you have all of your supplies and materials ready to go and easily at hand, just the same way that professional chefs layout all of their ingredients and knockout prep work for they start to cook. This is the kind of mentality you should have for any major project, but it’s definitely going to make a huge difference when you are tackling something as important and as time sensitive as this.
Start at the base layers
Unless you are dealing with a sunken driveway that requires you to simply add a brand-new top layer to level things out (after addressing drainage issues, of course), the odds are pretty good that you need to remove the top layer and then start addressing the base layers of your driveway to build things up from the ground up to prevent these problems from happening again in the future.
Like all great buildings (all great construction projects of any kind, for that matter), the foundation of your driveway – the gravel or the compacted soil – is going to end up making a huge difference finished results. Started the base layer and you won’t have much to worry about when you get to finishing things off.
Like all great buildings (all great construction projects of any kind, for that matter), the foundation of your driveway – the gravel or the compacted soil – is going to end up making a huge difference finished results. Started the base layer and you won’t have much to worry about when you get to finishing things off.
Slope your driveway fixes to new drainage solutions
Because the majority of issues that play driveways today have to do with drainage (improper drainage that is) you’ll want to make sure that you effectively slope your driveway solutions and fixes so that the driveway will funnel water into your drainage rather than allowing it to pull up naturally wherever a low spot exists.
This isn’t always going to be easy (you’re not only going to need a “mound” in the middle of your driveway that is subtle enough to be undetected unless it’s raining, but you’ll also need to funnel rain down to the end of your driveway rather than back into your garage or home), but it has to be a serious focus or you’ll end up with a driveway that is anything but fixed.
This isn’t always going to be easy (you’re not only going to need a “mound” in the middle of your driveway that is subtle enough to be undetected unless it’s raining, but you’ll also need to funnel rain down to the end of your driveway rather than back into your garage or home), but it has to be a serious focus or you’ll end up with a driveway that is anything but fixed.
Final thoughts
At the end of the day, fixing your driveway is going to be a lot easier than most people make it out to be – especially if you take advantage of all the information we’ve been able to share with you above.
On top of that, there are plenty of other tips and tricks you can pick up online (especially on YouTube) to fix specific issues that you’re dealing with. The info is out there, the tools and techniques are easy to master, and the entire project can be taken care of faster – and less expensively – than you could imagine the mission.
On top of that, there are plenty of other tips and tricks you can pick up online (especially on YouTube) to fix specific issues that you’re dealing with. The info is out there, the tools and techniques are easy to master, and the entire project can be taken care of faster – and less expensively – than you could imagine the mission.
Author Bio:
Mats Grids are suppliers of Ground reinforcement systems, grass reinforcement and protection mesh for domestic and commercial landscaping projects. Our business mission is to become the UK’s leading supplier of groundworks, civils and landscaping products. Over the last few years, our company has grown to become one of the UK’s most reputable suppliers to these sectors and today we supply our range of products to thousands of businesses and end users within the UK and overseas.