Installing a concrete driveway helps improve the overall curb appeal and adds long-term value to your home if you wish to sell it. Like any structures, however, driveways are not exempted from the daily wear and tear. This causes damages that can potentially ruin it for good. But fret not – there are preventive and cheaper measures you can take to ensure a durable concrete slab.
If the foundation is still structurally sound, then to resurface or repair concrete driveways is a more viable option, especially for people concerned with the costs it would take to replace an entire pathway.
Here, we have provided indications that you can still resort to resurfacing and avoid ripping out your walkway’s surface entirely.
Wide cracks emerge: Typically, small cracks that are a quarter-inch in size do not pose a structural threat and can be filled with either a patch or a filler. However, once they grow larger than a quarter-inch, then repairing is already out of your options. Here is where resurfacing comes in handy.
Deep holes appear: Cavities extending up to two inches deep are considered profound enough beyond repairing and merit resurfacing.
Visually unappealing patches and fillers: At some point, there are just too many spalls and scales that patching and filling up cannot mend the cracking and holing issues. This is the most significant visual cue because obvious and unattractive patches and fillers that start popping off the surface means that the repairing job is already insufficient. In this case, changing the top layer is advantageous since it is more aesthetically pleasing and cost-effective.
Driveway’s age: While properly installed concretes are built to withstand the climate and other external forces for up to 20 years, time still depreciates its form. The older it ages, the more maintenance and repair it requires. In general, resurfacing is only desirable for a driveway less than twenty years in age or for as long as its structural integrity is still intact. Otherwise, doing so is only pointless, and you would most probably end up repaving the entire driveway.
It is essential to immediately spot telltale signs that your driveway needs fixing before creating bigger and costlier problems. Resurfacing is the best option to go if one wants to achieve a fresh look without spending a complete driveway replacement.
