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Maintaining a driveway depends on the material your driveway is made of. Concrete and asphalt should be sealed to protect against water and freeze-thaw cycles. Cracks and expansion joints should be filled with a flexible polyurethane caulk or asphalt sealer. Before you apply a sealant to your driveway, consider pressure washing the surface. It will take off any loose sealant and any grime that might have caused a stain. Sealing over dirt and stains will trap it under the sealer.

If you live in colder climates, consider using sand rather than salt to de-ice. Sand helps melt the snow and ice without speeding up the freezing and unthawing process of your driveway, which helps prevent cracks from forming from the constant fluctuation of temperatures.

Like all driveway materials, asphalt can crack in the wrong conditions and with age. Many things can cause asphalt to crack, including shifting soil or settling under the foundation. Other common causes are driving oversized vehicles on the asphalt, tree roots, and using rock salt during the snowy season. Proper installation and sealing the driveway every 10 years can help prevent cracks.

In general, crack fillers last for about two years on average. That timeline can be shorter if you have extremely harsh winters or longer if you live in a mild climate. Luckily, this product is pretty affordable at the hardware store (about $10 to $30) and easy to DIY, so redoing it every few years shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.

If your driveway is cracked, you can repave it with a process called asphalt overlay. Overlay is more cost-effective than a full replacement but is better suited for minor cracks and issues. If you have major cracks or other problems like water pooling, asphalt overlay isn’t your best bet. Plus, paving over a cracked driveway only extends the lifetime by about 10 years, whereas replacing it would start the clock over completely to give you up to 30 years.