Is this the year that you will finally replace your broken and sunken driveways? The driveway is an important part of your house. It is often the first thing that visitors and potential buyers see. It is also a necessary functional part of your home, allowing you to drive and park closer to the house. When the driveway is in poor condition, you might experience damage to your vehicle or suffer personal injuries from the broken concrete and asphalt. Now that you have decided to replace your driveway, what are the best steps to take?
Evaluate your driveway needs
When you are contacting concrete contractors, you will have to give them an idea of the services you require. If you do not complete a thorough investigation of your driveway needs, you might not have the ability to give them enough information. Head out into your driveway and evaluate it. What condition is the concrete in? Will the entire driveway need to be replaced? Will you want additional driveway features, such as colored asphalt? Will a new driveway drain need to be installed? Although the concrete contractors will eventually evaluate a lot of this on their own, it is important to have a basic idea of what types of services you will require.
Contact a couple concrete contractors
It is very likely that there are numerous concrete contractors, just within a couple of miles of your household. It can be tempting to call one, hire them, and begin the driveway installation. For best results, however, consider contacting a couple possible concrete contractors. Evaluate their availability, pricing, and experience. Making a careful consideration will ensure that your new asphalt driveway is extremely strong and durable. It is also more likely to last longer, saving you money in the long run. If installed and maintained correctly, your concrete drive will have a long useful lifespan, usually 25 to 30 years.
Consider improvement projects
Installing a simple new driveway is a relatively easy and cost effective project. However, this is also a great time to make driveway improvements. If you have always wished for a larger driveway, now is the time to make one. If you want to change the color of your asphalt driveways to match the housing shingles, now is the time. A new layer of concrete will have to be poured over the driveway anyways, so this is the best time to make driveway improvements. Discuss ways to improve your current driveway with your driveway contractor.
One of the most advantageous reasons to making driveway improvements at this time is that you have access to a professional concrete contractor. It might seem like a simple DIY project to create your own additional driveway space later on, but there are actually many city regulations and requirements for increasing driveway space. For example, the average width for a two car driveway is between 15 and 18 feet wide. Installing a new driveway space with less than this can actually diminish the value of your new space. Always work with someone with experience and someone who is aware of these city rules.
Carefully schedule your driveway installation
You are putting a lot of thought and planning into your new driveway. Do not ruin it by scheduling the installation at an inopportune time. When you pour new concrete, you will have to stay off it for a few days. If this is not possible, make sure you schedule it when it is. You will also want to check the weather to prevent any rainy or wet weather conditions from ruining your new driveway. Remember to go with recycled asphalt materials for a reduced budget and to prevent overheating during the warmer months. In 2013, 67.8 million tons of asphalt pavement material was reclaimed, and nearly 100% was reused.
Having a new driveway installed is an intermediate or moderate type of home project. For the best results, it is best to hire concrete driveway contractors. However, you will also want to establish your needs first and then contact numerous contractors. Ensure that you have it installed during a safe time and consider any desired driveway improvements during this time.
