If you’ve just had a new asphalt driveway laid, you might be wondering how best to care for it to ensure that it stays looking great and maintains its durability for years to come. Hopefully, your driveway has been laid by a contractor specialising in tarmac; Gloucester has plenty of resurfacing companies to choose from, but make sure you choose a reputable firm! Here are a few tips to help you care for your new driveway that will ensure it lasts a lifetime.
Sunny days
Your driveway will become softer in the hot, summer months, as sun shining on the surface makes the bitumen binding agent more malleable. This means that scuffing and marks are more likely when the weather is hot, so you should pay special care to driving on the surface on sunny days. Avoid turning your wheels sharply and you should be fine. It’s important to note that this damage is most likely to occur during your driveway’s first year, as it will turn grey and harden with age, making scuffs and marks less likely, even in the summer months.
Protect against weeds
As your driveway ages, it may become prone to weeds and other growths, which can come up through the asphalt and create an unsightly appearance. This is inevitable when laying driveways with tarmac; Gloucester weather is typically British in that there’s always enough rain to help weeds grow! Using a weed killer (Roundup is a great choice) will help, and you can scrape away dead foliage. It’s not a good idea to try and pull out weeds by the root, as this could damage your driveway.
Heavy loads
Whilst your driveway is still fairly new and soft, it could be prone to indentations and marks from caravans, motorbikes and trailers. It’s a good idea to use planks of wood, plywood sheets or paving slabs to spread the load over a larger area, to avoid the risk of any marks on your new driveway. If your driveway is south facing and receives a lot of sun during the day, you may be more at risk of this happening, so bear this in mind!
With a little bit of care, your new driveway will look great for years to come!
Cheltenham Surfacing provides quality and innovative driveways and patios to suit all budgets in Gloucester. Visit website for more information.
