If your driveway has cracked, developed potholes or suffered other damage, your first urge will likely be to get driveway repair in Burnsville, MN. This is a good thing to do as long as there is a proper base for the pavement to rest on. A good, stable base made of the right subsoils is essential for the long-term survival of any pavement surface. This is especially true in Minnesota, where harsh weather conditions will cause shifting in less-than-ideal substrates.
For this reason, it is often better to replace a driveway instead of repairing it. Resurfacing or patching asphalt or concrete won’t work if the substrate is just going to shift and break the surface as soon as the weather changes. Instead, the job would have to be done on an annual basis, and this will make the maintenance cost as much as the payments for a new driveway. Therefore, professional companies will recommend driveway replacement if they suspect that the actual problem is in the underlying soil.
When you get a driveway replaced by a competent contractor, it’ll fix far more than the top layer of pavement. The old drive will be removed so that the subsoil is exposed. The inadequate driveway foundation will then be removed and replaced with good, stable subsoils. This new foundation will then be packed hard with professional equipment like steamrollers so that it can withstand seasonal changes, heavy rainstorms, and other environmental stresses. Finally, new asphalt will be put down. Since the base will now be stable, the new asphalt will rarely need driveway repair in Burnsville, MN.
Once a new asphalt driveway is installed, it will need some basic maintenance even though it’ll have a good base. Sealing is the most common type of upkeep that is required. This keeps the pavement looking nice, but its real function is even more important. It’ll keep water and ice from getting into the pores of the asphalt and causing surface deterioration. It will also protect your driveway from some stains and from deterioration caused by leaked automotive fluids. With a proper base and regular maintenance, your driveway will last for years without needing any major repairs.