8 Common Reasons Why Your Driveway Cracks

There are many factors that can cause cracks in your driveway. If repair works is delayed, these cracks can lead to further damage to the property. But what are the common reasons that cause cracks in the driveways? Let’s identify all those reasons, so you could avoid them to prevent cracks in your driveway.

Poor driveway foundation

If the base or foundation is not prepared well before laying the driveway surface on the top, the driveway surface quickly cracks as the heavy vehicle pass on it. So, while laying the foundation, ask the contractor to prepare a solid foundation, otherwise, you will to bear the expensive involved in Driveway Repair in charlotte NC.

Settling

When there is space left beneath the driveway, the weight of the vehicle passing and the driveway itself put stress downward. Hence, the driveway shifts lower to fill the void, causing the driveways to crack. Settling issues may also occur due to the poor installation, the tree roots running beneath the driveway, etc. As a result, driveway repair gets important to fix the issue and avoid major cracks.

Excessive weight of the vehicle

Oversize vehicles moving on the driveway can also cause cracks in it. Remember, the driveways are made of concrete and asphalt that have some weight limits. In fact, the heavy machinery laying on the driveway can also cause cracks in the driveway.

Tree root growth

As a tree root grows and expands beneath the driveway, it puts stress on the driveway. To relieve this stress, the driveway surface eventually cracks and the base layer of the driveway push upward. If your driveway pushes upward, then call the experts to remove the tree roots and repair the driveway.

Heat expansion

Since the concrete is prone to heat, it heats up quickly in the high sun rays, due to which it expands and pushes in the outward direction. And in cases it pushes against a brick wall, it will crack itself to relieve the pressure.

Plastic shrinkage

This issue occurs when too much water is added to the concrete mixture for laying the driveway surface. As the water evaporates and concrete dries, it eventually cracks. This issue can be avoided by hiring the right contractor backed by experienced and trained professionals.

Low-quality asphalt used in the driveway construction

Alligator cracks in the driveway indicate that your contractor has used low-quality asphalt mix in the driveway construction. Just to save some money, the contractors often compromise with the quality and strength of the driveway. This ultimately causes cracks in the driveway. The best way to fix this issue is to ask the contractor to remove the asphalt layer and lay new asphalt layer again.

Sharp object damage

Sharp objects like blades, studded tires, and snow shovels can cause tears and wear to the driveway surface. Firstly, you should avoid all these issues to happen as much as possible. Secondly, if these elements have caused the damage, then hire a local driveway contractor to fix it for you as soon as possible.

Closing notes

Hire the contractors offering a range of services like cracked concrete slab repair, basement leaks repair, etc. In short, hire the contractor considering your long-term needs, so you don’t have to look for different contractors for different repair works.