Driveways in Yakima look great for decades when maintenance is done right. Mighty Paving Solutions knows that our local weather puts Asphalt Paving through hard conditions. We get freezing winter nights down near the river bottoms, followed by brutal July sun that bakes the valley floor. If you want your pavement to survive this climate, Asphalt Paving requires regular care and attention.
Regular upkeep for a residential driveway in Yakima involves keeping the surface clean. Letting leaves pile up and rot on your Asphalt Paving traps moisture. In our climate, trapped moisture leads to soft spots, especially if you live out in the heavy clay soil areas near Gleed or Selah. Property owners should use a leaf blower or a stiff broom a couple of times a month to clear debris off the Asphalt Paving.
Property owners also need to watch out for oil and gas drips. Asphalt Paving is petroleum-based, so automotive fluids break the binder down until the aggregate just starts loosening up and turning to gravel. Catch those leaks early with a little kitty litter or a degreaser to protect your Asphalt Paving.
Warning Signs You Should Not Ignore
Your driveway will usually tell you when Asphalt Paving is failing long before it totally breaks down. Hairline cracks are normal as the ground shifts through the seasons, but once they start opening up past a quarter-inch, water gets underneath the base. That is when freeze-thaw cycles in January will tear Asphalt Paving apart.
- Alligator cracking that looks like reptile skin, meaning the base is failing underneath the Asphalt Paving.
- Standing water pooling in low spots after a heavy Yakima thunderstorm on your Asphalt Paving.
- Edges breaking away where cars pull on and off the grass next to the Asphalt Paving.
- Rough, faded surfaces where the blacktop is turning gray and shedding loose stones across the Asphalt Paving.
If you see those spiderweb cracks spreading across large sections, patching will not cut it anymore. That is when you need to call in a professional to look at an overlay or deeper repairs for your Asphalt Paving.
When to Call Mighty Paving Solutions
Some jobs are great for a Saturday DIY project, like filling small cracks with a jug of cold-pour sealant from the hardware store. But other times, you need heavy equipment and experienced crews to step in before a small issue turns into a full replacement bill for your Asphalt Paving.
Mighty Paving Solutions provides Asphalt Paving services for homes and businesses in Yakima. Reach out to our team when the cracks get too wide for DIY sealants, or if you notice depressions where your car sits every day. Mighty Paving Solutions has paved driveways all over Yakima County, and we know how local temperature swings affect sub-grades. Fixing a drainage issue or applying a fresh sealcoat every few years costs a fraction of what you will spend tearing out ruined Asphalt Paving and starting over from scratch.