Inspect damage to driveways, sidewalks after harsh winter
It鈥檚 no secret that driveways and sidewalks take a beating during the snowy winter months, but what local excavators are saying may surprise you.
With spring rounding the corner, many homeowners may wander outside to find their driveways laced with potholes, and their sidewalks cracked and shifted.
Though this is a common discovery for many, excavators say there aren鈥檛 really any cheap fixes.
鈥淭he damage is done,鈥� said Eric Thompson, owner of Nitro Excavating. 鈥淭here aren鈥檛 really any ways to prevent the damage, and there鈥檚 nothing you can really do to fix it.鈥�
Thompson said he sees most of the damage along driveways and sidewalks that are close to the main roads.
鈥淭he chemicals they鈥檙e using to clean the main roads, the calcium chloride鈥t鈥檚 eating away the concrete,鈥� he said.
One of the first signs of damaged concrete is that the top layer will flake.
鈥淥nce the surface starts to peel off the concrete, it鈥檚 pretty much done,鈥� Thompson said.
The best homeowners can do to protect their walk and driveways is to try to keep them clean after it snows, and pressure wash in the spring, he suggested.
Bob Savage, owner of Bob鈥檚 Plumbing and Excavating, agreed with Thompson, saying that cheap fixes are not the answer.
Savage suggested that homeowners try to stay away from salting their walks if possible, adding that salt eats away at asphalt driveways too.
鈥淧utting down salt is the worse thing there is,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you can shovel the snow off, and let the sun do it鈥檚 job, you鈥檒l be much better off.鈥�
As salt eats away at concrete and asphalt layer by layer, many homeowners take to certain bonding agents to repair the lost concrete, but Savage said these are only temporary fixes.
鈥淭he bond eventually pops back off,鈥� he said. 鈥淒amaged sidewalks and driveways will eventually have to be replaced.鈥�
Savage also cited freezing and thawing to cause cracks and uneven levels in concrete sidewalks, deeming them tripping hazards.
Less serious damage includes scratches and gouges caused by shoveling and plowing drive and walkways, Savage said, adding that these damages will also lead to deterioration over time.