4 Reasons Why Asphalt and Concrete Driveways Crack

Posted on January 27, 2020 by - Blog

Cracks on asphalt and concrete driveways are common things to see, especially if your driveway is more than 20 years old. However, if your driveway is new, it can be frustrating to see these cracks. After all, you paid good money for your driveway. Thankfully, there are actually some rational reasons as to why your driveway is showing cracks.

Poorly Installed Driveway Base
If your driveway base was not installed properly, this is a common cause of cracks in driveways. Contractors who install an improper base or subbase often use light materials, such as sand or dirt, to save money and time. However, if these materials are moistened, freeze-thaw cycles can cause the material to expand or contract, causing the driveway to crack in the process.
Tree Roots
If you have trees on your property, and you fail to manage their roots, they can cause tremendous pressure on your driveway, resulting in cracks in the asphalt or concrete when the material reaches its breaking point.
Using Salt to Melt Ice
On the other hand, if you live in an area that sees ice and snow during the winter season, the practice of using salt to melt ice is a popular thing to do. According to asphalt paving contractors, however, this is something that you shouldn’t do as the ice can be brutal to asphalt and concrete. While the salt speeds up the process of thawing the ice, the water can eventually seep directly into the paved surface, where it will refreeze and exert pressure on the driveway, resulting in cracks.
Excessive Weight
While both asphalt and concrete are strong materials, they aren’t completely invulnerable, and they do have a weight limit. So, while they can withstand a lot, anything over 10,000 pounds can cause a crack on your driveway, especially if it was poorly installed.
Want to add an asphalt or concrete driveway to your property? Simply turn to Bonness, your number one service provider for renovations and driveway construction projects. Give us a call at (239) 597-6221, or fill out our contact form to request a quote.

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Brick Paver Driveways: Everything You Need to Know

Posted on January 23, 2020 by - Blog

When it comes to installing a driveway on your home, you have many options in terms of the construction material. For instance, you can choose between asphalt or concrete for your driveway. While both are suitable materials for your driveway installation plans, there is another material you should consider: brick.

In this post, Bonness Inc., the pros to approach to make your “paving contractors near me” search easier, discusses everything you need to know about brick paver driveways.

Brick Driveways: Pros and Cons

Like every material, brick has its individual advantages and disadvantages. In terms of its advantages, one of its characteristics that tend to attract homeowners to brick is its stain and slip resistance. Some driveways tend to stain easily from oil and other fluids that can leak from your vehicle. Brick, meanwhile, won’t stain so easily and if it does, you can easily replace that portion with a new brick. Apart from that, you won’t slip so easily with brick driveways as well thanks to their abrasive surface.

If you’re looking to make your home environmentally friendly, on the other hand, brick driveways are the option for you as most brick driveways are made of reclaimed materials for its construction. On top of that, brick and asphalt paving experts also say that they’re fairly easy to repair compared to other driveway materials.

Despite these advantages, however, brick driveways do have its downsides such as the lack of variety in terms of color, shape, and size when you’re working with bricks. Other than that, they’re also prone to cracking from heavy traffic or hard freezes.

Installation and Maintenance

Installing brick driveways is a job best left to experts but if you want to be in the know as to how they’re installed, it is possible. When installing brick driveways, they must be set in a base of either paver sand or mortar. To do this, the soil must be removed by a depth of 12 inches before being compacted to add 8 to 12 inches of gravel. Afterwards, the gravel must be compacted before adding a 1 ½ inch layer of sand for levelling. Once the base is completed, your experts will now lay brick patterns according to your specifications.

Should you choose brick as your driveway material, you should know that proper maintenance can greatly extend its lifespan form 25 years or more. To maintain your brick driveway, make sure to wash it once or twice a year by using a pressure washer and remove the dirt and weeds growing between the bricks. Once the surface dries, pack the joints with sand fresh sand (if the surface is loose-fit) or repair the mortar and let it dry fully (if the pavers are mortared).

Make your “asphalt contractors near me” search easier by turning to Bonness Inc., your leading experts when it comes to residential driveway and sidewalk installation services. Give us a call at (239) 597-6221 or fill out our contact form to request a quote.