Driveway Treatments

Potholes

• Fix potholes in your dirt or gravel driveway by cleaning out the hole to remove any loose pieces. Fill the holes with coarse gravel and compact it using a steel tamper tool or a solid wooden post until the gravel is even with the surface of the driveway. For small potholes in asphalt, purchase a bag of cold asphalt from a home improvement store. Follow the instructions on the bag to fill the hole. For large asphalt potholes, use a commercial contractor to fix the holes, as they will need to use hot asphalt.

Cracks

• Repair hairline cracks in a concrete driveway using a grout made of water and cement. Moisten the cracks several hours before applying any mixture to the crack. Add just enough water to form a paste and fill the cracks with the mixture. Smooth it off so it is level with the concrete. For larger cracks, use a concrete patch mix. Mix according to directions and fill the cracks. As the mixture starts to dry, use a trowel or wooden float to smooth it out level. After filling cracks, keep them covered for five days and wet the area with a small amount of water each day.

Weeds

• Weeds and sometime moss can tend to grow through cracks in concrete, gravel and asphalt driveways. To eliminate weeds and moss from small driveways, purchase a bottle of weed killer from your local hardware or garden supply store. Apply the weed killer directly on the weeds. Avoid spraying any weed killers when it is windy, as it can blow onto nearby grass and flowers causing them to die. For large driveways, make a homemade weed killer using ingredients you may already have at home. Mix one tablespoon of vinegar per gallon of water and spray directly on the weeds. Alternatively, pour boiling water over the weeds.

Preventive

• Concrete sealers provide improved resistance to weather, stains, water and abrasives. Apply the sealer to fresh concrete that is clean and dry. Having a sealer on a concrete driveway also makes cleanup easier, like oil spills and stains. The oil and stains will wipe up versus soak into the concrete. Apply sealcoat to asphalt driveways. Sealcoating an asphalt driveway every three years will make it look better and last longer. Sealcoating will also prevent ice and water from entering cracks in the asphalt, which can cause it to crack and crumble.