How to Prevent Driveway Potholes

No matter what type of driveway you have--concrete, asphalt or gravel--you are at risk for developing potholes. Potholes are caused by water penetrating the surface of the driveway. In the case of concrete and asphalt, the water builds up under the surface and freezes and expands to cause a void of dirt or gravel. The driveway then sinks into that void. With gravel driveways, water can displace the gravel and cause a pothole. The only way to prevent potholes in your driveway is to prevent water from going where you don't want it to be.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Driveway sealant
• Crack filler

1. Hire an experienced and professional contractor to pour your driveway. While many people may claim expertise in this area, not everyone is up to the job. Ask to see photos of past projects to evaluate the contractor's work beforehand.

2. Discuss measures to prevent cracks and potholes from forming with the contractor before pouring the driveway. It's important that the base of the drive be solidly compacted before pouring concrete or asphalt.

3. Ask for control joints to be cut into concrete driveways immediately after they dry. Control joints take some of the pressure off the concrete that is caused by the concrete shrinking as it dries.

4. Seal a new driveway as soon as it is allowed. Concrete can be sealed as soon as it cures, but you have to wait 6 months to seal a newly poured asphalt driveway.

5. Watch your driveway after it rains to see if the water is draining properly. If water is building up around the edges of your driveway or on the driveway itself, you may want to talk to a contractor about installing a drain pipe or digging a culvert to divert the water away from our driveway. This is usually the problem when gravel driveways have potholes.

6. Fill cracks in existing driveways immediately to prevent water from seeping down to the base of the driveway. Small cracks can be easily repaired with crack filler. Allowing cracks to remain will cause them to grow and turn into potholes.

7. Apply driveway sealer regularly to maintain the water resistance of your driveway. You should seal concrete driveways every 3 years and asphalt driveways every 2 years.

Tips & Warnings

• Use thicker pours of concrete and asphalt to help prevent moisture for seeping into the base. For example, rather than have a 4-inch-thick concrete driveway, opt for a 5-inch-thick one.
• Potholes can be caused by water even when the temperature doesn't get to be cold enough to freeze water. Given enough time, the water underneath the driveway can shift the dirt and gravel base.