3 Common Reasons Why Our Driveway Cracks Even When We Hire An Experienced Company

Having a cracked driveway in front of your house is not something that we like to see, especially if we have a huge area that is paved and turned into the driveway. Of course, for the driveway that is old some 20 years is not that odd when it starts cracking, but those that are new and built recently is definitely not okay. It is much more than frustrating since you invested money, time and patience and on top of that, you had hired a top-notch company that is recognized for its service. How is this possible? What does it cause to break and crack? Well, there are several reasons.

Asphalt cracks much easier than concrete

While many people opt for an asphalt driveway, they should know that the chances that it will crack are huge. Even people know that, they still decide to go with the asphalt instead of concrete. Why is that? Well, the asphalt one is easier to maintain, to be honest. You do not need to clean it often as it is black and all the stains are hidden because of its color. But that is the cost you pay for it – it generally cracks more often than a concrete one as it has less durable structure. Still, this does not mean that you should only go for the concrete one, as this is a matter of personal preference. They are both good materials and if properly installed, they can stand there intact. Still, it is good to know that you should avoid it if possible.

Improper installation

Yes, this is the second largest reason why it starts cracking. A poorly constructed base and sublayer can deform later and cause the top surface, due to the deviations and improper positioning, to open and make it look terrible. A proper sub base is made of crushed stone that must be tight, which is then followed by an aggregate base. The stone, as well as the aggregate base, hold the top layer (asphalt) in one place and prevents breaking. Unprofessional companies, in order to save money, time and other resources, use soft materials like sand instead of the crushed stone, and once it becomes moisturized, the change of wet and dry (summer) time causes the material to start expanding, creating the pressure that breaks the material.

The roots can break the driveway as well

One of the things that inexperienced people tend to forget is managing the tree roots. The roots can go so deep, even under the house to the other side. Those create the pressure that is not even and that forces the foundation layer and base to fall apart. While cutting and pulling out the trees is something that companies often perform, a tree root barrier system is something that a sophisticated company would implement before building the driveway to eliminate the possibility for underground breaks and impacts. The technique is a matter of company and their technical equipment, so always make sure you ask them about this problem.