These 3 Things Could Be Ruining Your Driveway

There is no reason why your driveway shouldn’t have a long and healthy life, and for that to happen, you have to know how to maintain it.There are many things you can do to keep it new, so here are three things you should be mindful of as they could be ruining your driveway!

DIY Car Washes

Do you like to keep your car spic and span? Are you often washing your car in your driveway? Well, it’s not only bad for your driveway it’s bad for the environment too. When you wash your car on your driveway, the soapy water runs off into the sewer drains. Besides, that water sitting on your driveway can lead to pooling, and if you have existing cracks, this can cause expansion and damage.

Tree Roots

Plants are an excellent way to spruce up your driveway, but it can also be a way to ruin it too! Trees and Bushes close to your driveway can have nowhere to grow, and the roots can begin to expand beneath your driveway causing significant cracks and structure issues. So when it comes time to plant your surrounding plants, make sure you know what you are planting and where to avoid some major driveway issues.

Poor Snow Removal

The first snowfall can be a wonderful thing but the removal, not so much. When it comes to your driveway, you’ll want to be sure that you are fully shoveling everything you can and that any salt placed on it is eventually cleaned off. Salt and water both can break down the top layer and cause cracks and potholes, so make sure you remove it.

Roccie's Asphalt provides driveway installation, repair, repaving, and resurfacing services to homeowners in Fairfield County CT and Westchester County NY. With more than 50 years of experience, don't trust anyone else with your asphalt paving needs. Call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.

Yard Maintenance That Can Make or Break Your Curb Appeal

First impressions are everything, so think of your yard like the first impression of your home. Keep it clean and well kept and you’ll have significant curb envy, but neglect it, and you’ll have some unhappy neighbors. Beyond a well paved driveway and walkway, here are a few yard maintenance tips that can make or break your curb appeal.

Trim Hedges

One way to give your yard that wow look is by adding in some hedges — just make sure you keep them trimmed! Overgrown hedges can not only be a significant eyesore but a safety hazard too. Wild bushes can lead to a obstructed driveway and walkway, and will also bring down the appearance of your home.

Love Your Lawn

A green and luscious lawn is an excellent compliment to your the driveway and walkway, but not all lawns need the same TLC. One of the best ways to keep your grass greener than the other side is to know what the proper mowing length is for the type of grass you have. Keeping your grass at a reasonable height will give you a dense, less weeded lawn.

Seasonal Reseed

If your lawn isn’t looking so green or you're currently living with more dirt than grass — it’s time to reseed. Reseeding in the Fall and Spring will ensure that your lawn has accurate time to grow. Seeding now will allow for the roots to grow strong during the winter and summer months.

Keep it Leaf Free

The change of color and the falling leaves can be festive, but when it comes to your curb appeal, it’s not very helpful. Leaves can not only be an eyesore but if not cleaned up in a timely matter, they can leave a messy damp mess on your driveway and vehicles. So to have a wow-worthy yard, you’ll want to keep up with raking.

Roccie's Asphalt provides driveway installation, repair, repaving, and resurfacing services to homeowners in Fairfield County CT and Westchester County NY. With more than 50 years of experience, don't trust anyone else with your asphalt paving needs. Call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.

3 Signs It's Time to Replace Your Driveway

A driveway is an entryway to your home, and one of the first people notice, and to keep your curb appeal up, you’ll want to keep it maintained. Sometimes a little repair is all you need to get a driveway looking like new again, but sometimes it can just make the situation worse; so here are three sure signs it’s time to replace your driveway.

Cracks

No matter what type of driveway you have, cracks are a sure sign it’s time for an update. Once crack forms, it becomes effortless for the substance to penetrate through and worsen them. If you live in a wet area with lots of snow, these cracks can be the perfect spot for the water to rest, and expand causing more damage in the long run. Some small cracks can be repaired, but it’s better to consult a professional before doing so as width, and depth needs to be considered too.

Drainage Issue

If water is continually pooling or flooding — you might want to look into the damage, it might be doing. Water can increase cracks, and ice can increase potholes, so water puddle is not a desired situation, but it can be fixed. Often the primary cause could be the slope of the driveway when installing and you’ll need to look into drainage options.

The Look

A faded driveway just doesn’t decrease the curb appeal of your home — it’s a sign your driveway is damaged too. Depending on the initial installation and upkeep, the sun could be penetrating your entrance causing it some severe sun damage and eventually weakening its structure. Your best bet is to have a professional look at it to make sure the structure is still in good shape, if not you might need to replace it.

Roccie's Asphalt provides driveway installation, repair, repaving, and resurfacing services to homeowners in Fairfield County CT and Westchester County NY. With more than 50 years of experience, don't trust anyone else with your asphalt paving needs. Call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.

5 Things Landscapers Don't Tell You

Your landscaping is a great way to accent your beautiful paving work. Whether you choose to add a few shrubs or a bed of flowers, the right plants can really up your curb appeal! Whether you're planting yourself or hiring a landscaper — here are five things you should keep in mind before you do.

1. Don’t Overload Your Yard

Having a wide array of colors might seem like a good idea, but plant overload is possible. Adding too many plants might look beautiful now but come next year you’ll have double the work! An overload of plants will lead to more pruning and weed, so remember it's all about balance.

2. Watch How Far You Dig

It’s entirely possible to dig too deep, and it’s actually pretty common to. When you over dig the roots of the plants tend to get burred. Digging too deep can also lead to either suffocation of the plant or water accumulation by the root causing it to rot ; so it's better to under dig than over dig.

3.Consider All Angles

When you are picking out your landscape design, don’t forget about all angles. What might look right from the front porch, might look bad from the street so be sure to check every possible view. Don’t forget to check from your home windows too. You want to enjoy the view no matter where in the yard you view it.

4. Distance Is Important

When planting along the house, you’ll want to keep your distance. It’s often common the planting beds are placed to narrow and too close to the home. To be safe, you'll want to begin your beds at least one to two thirds out from the house's heights.

5. Don’t Block Your View

Planting shrubs around your driveway is a great way to accent your paving work, but it could be hazardous. When you are setting up your accent bushes and tree, keep visibility in mind. Make sure that whether your backing up or pulling in there are no obstructions.

Roccie's Asphalt provides driveway installation, repair, repaving, and resurfacing services to homeowners in Fairfield County CT and Westchester County NY. With more than 50 years of experience, don't trust anyone else with your asphalt paving needs. Call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.

When to Seal Coat Your Driveway | Roccie's

Looking to keep your driveway as fresh and new as long as possible — well you’ll want to invest in a seal coat! Though it might seem like an unnecessary step, a seal coat is an important part of driveway upkeep and will help protect your driveway from the harsh natural elements. So here’s why you should be seal coating your driveway today.

The Benefits

It might seem like an unnecessary step but sealing your driveway is vital to its longevity. When you keep your driveway properly sealed, you are protecting it from its biggest enemy — water! When you add cooler climates and the weight of cars, an unsealed driveway will be riddled with unwanted cracks that will eventually require filling. To prevent as many cracks as possible, invest in a good sealer. Another reason to seal — it protects your driveway from sun damage, and oil spills make it easier to clean than a driveway that hasn’t been sealed.

When To Do It

Seal coating your driveway depends on the wear and tear, but generally, it’s between one to three years. Though if your asphalt driveway is new — you’ll want to wait at least six months before sealing. A new driveway requires curing time, and if it’s sealed too soon, it won’t harden properly costing you significant damage down the road. Don’t forget to check the weather either though — you’ll need at least 48 hours for your sealer to set to make sure the forecast shows clear skies!

When To Call an Expert

Though it’s an easy DIY thing — some driveways will require a little maintenance before sealing. If you are noticing an increase in cracks, chips or holes, don’t attempt to do the job yourself. All minor issues will have to be fixed before sealing, and it’s best you call a professional to do so. A little extra fix now will give your driveway and long and sturdy life.

Roccie's Asphalt provides driveway installation, repair, repaving, and resurfacing services to homeowners in Fairfield County CT and Westchester County NY. With more than 50 years of experience, don't trust anyone else with your asphalt paving needs. Call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.

Here's What Happens to Asphalt During Seasonal Change

As the season changes, so do the effects of your asphalt. To keep your driveway in its best possible shape, and give it a fighting chance against the harsh natural elements, you’ll want to prepare, but before you do, you’ll need to know what you're up against!

Moisture No
Think of rain as your asphalt arch enemy. It can cause major setting issue and in some cases, wear it down over time. If your asphalt is cracked in any way, rain has a better chance of penetrating and causing major structural issues down the road. If you have a steep driveway, the rain can cause the liquid asphalt which is the bonding factor in the asphalt to we rained away. As this washes away, you’ll eventually be left with  just aggregate and rocks.

Temperature Check
The winter plays a significant part in the life and durability of your asphalt. Ever notice that potholes tend to appear more after a big winter storm? As temperatures drop, cracks are more likely to occur, and as rain or snow falls, the water seeps into these cracks. Once the water has made its way into the asphalt, it freezes and expands causing a bigger deeper issue, that can eventually become one big giant flat tire causing pothole. Though warm weather is best for setting a new driveway, extreme heat can still lead to cracks, and though water might not freeze, it can still seep in and result in erosion, air gaps, and possible corrosion and sagging.

Protect and Prevent
Though you can’t control mother nature, you can at least prepare for it! Prepping your asphalt and keeping it properly maintained will allow it to have a fighting chance. Seal coat it every few years, repair cracks when you first see them and when installing a new driveway, be sure to let it sit for a few days, and be sure to redo it on a rain-free weekend!

Roccie's Asphalt provides driveway installation, repair, repaving, and resurfacing services to homeowners in Fairfield County CT and Westchester County NY. With more than 50 years of experience, don't trust anyone else with your asphalt paving needs. Call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.

Keeping Your Yard Safe This Fall

Fall yard clean up is almost here and as you make your to-do list, we have a few things you’ll want to add. Prepping your yard now and keeping it safe is vital and beyond, the leaf clean up, there are a few minor things you can do to make your winter and spring to-do list a bit shorter!


De Summarize
Now that autumn is here — it’s time to get your yard ready for the first leaf fall! As you begin to close your pool and put away your pool floats, don’t forget to keep your electrical equipment in a safe and kid-free area. Drain your garden hose thoroughly, and turn off your outdoor faucets too.

Keep it Leaf Free
One of the best ways to prevent falls and slips is to stay on top of fallen leaves. Whether you use a leaf blower or a traditional rake, you’ll want to keep your walkways and driveways free of leaves. Wet leaves on a path can turn into a slippery situation that might just leave someone on the floor, so avoid the major pile up, and get rid of them as they fall.

Prepare for the First Snow
To keep your spring maintenance low, you’ll want to prepare now for the first snowfall. While you are cleaning your gutters, make sure they aren’t draining on your driveway. If you haven’t already — edge your driveway to allow for snow and drain-off to have a place to go!

Seal Your Driveway 
Sealing your driveway is the best way to get years of use out of it! Just don’t forget to repair any holes or cracks prior. A driveway should be at least a year old before being sealed too. By adding a seal coat, you are ensuring that your driveway can withstand the temperature change and fight of it’s worst enemy moisture. If you are unsure on how to seal coat, an expert at Roccie’s can help!

Roccie's Asphalt provides driveway installation, repair, repaving, and resurfacing services to homeowners in Fairfield County CT and Westchester County NY. With more than 50 years of experience, don't trust anyone else with your asphalt paving needs. Call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.