5 Drainage Solutions For Your Asphalt Driveway
Posted on: 5 January 2023
Asphalt is a cost effective, low maintenance, and durable option for your driveway. Yet, drainage and standing water issues can still lead to damage and problems down the road. The following are a few drainage issues that your asphalt driveway installer can help correct.
1. Improve the Grade
Many drainage issues are due to a poor grade, or slope. Ideally, a driveway will slope downward toward the street so any sheeting water will flow into the storm drain system. If the grade isn't steep enough or if the driveway slopes back toward the home, water can pool on the asphalt surface and lead to eventual pothole formation. Resurfacing or rebuilding the driveway may be necessary to improve the grade.
2. Install a Firm Base
A poorly constructed base can lead to settling and sinking over time, which can result in an uneven surface that allows puddles to collect following rain or irrigation. For driveways that settled initially but are no longer sinking, you may be able to fix the low spots by resurfacing the asphalt. If the base is failing, though, the driveway may need to be rebuilt from the base up.
3. Add More Drainage
Sometimes there are ways to repair minor drainage issues without repaving or rebuilding the driveway, as long as the problems are not going to cause ongoing structural concerns. For example, regrading may be avoidable by installing a threshold drain where water pools up near a garage, or an integrated drain at a low area where the driveway meets the sidewalk can prevent an entrance puddle. Drains should be routed into the storm drain system.
4. Fix Low Spots
Low spots are the main cause of puddling on otherwise well-constructed driveways. Low spots can be due to the previously mentioned settling, or they may be a result of parking heavy equipment on the asphalt for extended periods. Resurfacing, which is grinding down the top layer of asphalt and installing a fresh layer on top, can be done to smooth out low spots in areas where puddling is a problem.
5. Reroute Water Flow
Although you can't keep all water off a driveway, it's a good idea to reduce the amount of excess water flowing onto the pavement. If water is impacting the driveway from roof runoff, for example, rerouting gutter spouts away from the driveway or into an underground drain is a solution. For landscape water drainage, consider adding French drains along the sides of the driveway to reduce water flow onto or beneath the paving.
Contact an asphalt paving contractor for more information.
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