For a lot of homeowners, water damage is known for causing a wide variety of damages. This gets even more complicated during the winter season when you’ll need to prepare your home against melting snow and water seeping through cracks. This is especially true for external areas of your home, as the driveway. When melted snow in good condition concrete, can leave damage.
So what are some ways of ensuring that our driveway is in good condition? Here’s what you’ll need to know.
De-icing Your Road and Driveway
Although you might want to clean up and ensure that your driver’s way is safe during the winter season, you also might want to get the road close to your home clear from snow and ice. Icy roads can cause vehicles off the road, with some vehicles not using their brakes. If vehicles veer off the road, this can potentially lead to accidents and major injuries. That said, the last thing that you want is a car veering off the road and hitting a part of your home or someone getting hit. You’ll need to clean and de-ice the road close to your home or remove snow that might make the terrain impassable for vehicles.
You might want to avoid throwing rock salt on the road and your driveway, and the road for the de-icing process. It’s important to keep in mind that salt can mix with the snow that’s melting, which can lead to a mixture that can cause damage to the overall structure of your home. Salt that mixes with water can seep on the small nooks and crannies of your, which can make these cracks larger, especially during the springtime when temperatures will start to rise. Instead of using rock salt on your driveway or around your home, you might want to consider placing a bit of sand on your driveway. This won’t melt the ice but will still prevent the icing process, which could lead to accidents.
It’s important to note that when there’s snowfall or fogging, visibility might plummet while you’re removing snow from your area or applying sand on your driveway. The last thing that people want is being in the middle of the road while there’s low visibility. Fortunately, personalised high visibility vests can help drivers know our location, even in low-visibility weather conditions.
Hiring Professionals
If you’re not quite sure what you can do with the build-up of snow in your area, or there’s too much snow that heavy equipment is needed, you might want to hire professionals that are well-versed in clearing snow. Snowplows will usually have the heavy equipment needed in clearing large amounts of snow. These services are known for being extremely useful in towns that are hit with blizzards.
Although this might be an added cost on your end, it’s better than having to spend thousands of dollars repairing your driveway or the general structure of your home that’s damaged from accumulated snow.
Clearing Out the Snow Before It Becomes an Issue
One of the best ways of keeping your driveway is to prevent problems from happening in the first place. You might want to clear out snow before it accumulates on your driveway. Almost any building material will react to fluctuations in temperature, and the pile-up of snow could easily lead to it melting and refreezing in cracks. This frozen water can easily cause cracks to widen.
Using a Sealant
One of the best ways of keeping your driveway in a pristine condition for your cars is by sealing cracks caused by the fluctuation of temperatures. Sealants can help prevent ice dams and prevent snow from seeping towards larger gaps. Homeowners should be mindful that there are sealants that don’t activate in cold weather conditions — it’s best to prepare your driveway while still summer or spring.
There are different ways of ensuring that your driveway remains in pristine condition. You don’t necessarily have to follow these steps, but these are known for being some of the most effective means of keeping your driveway safe. Still, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for help from professionals when needed.
