Angie's List: Should you seal your driveway?

We often think of a driveway as being just a place to park our cars.

But if you don't take care of it, a driveway will fall apart quickly, as homeowner Mark Pitts learned.

"The driveway was breaking up, the asphalt was breaking up so I just decided to replace it to and I decided to go with concrete because it's more long lasting and more durable."

Our partners at the consumer guide Angie's List say many people neglect their driveways, and end up with cracks, chips, and holes after just a few years.

Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List, said "a driveway can last anywhere from 25 years for an asphalt driveway and up to 40 years for a concrete driveway, if it's properly maintained. You need to take care of cracks and holes as you see them develop because a maintenance call might only cost a couple hundred dollars and it could increase the longevity of your driveway."

Angie says the best prevention is sealing, every 2 to 5 years, to keep out water, which causes most problems.

Contractor Michael Mays said "that's the number one thing you can do. That's a proactive thing in that if you do it on a regular basis you can head off or slow down the deterioration - that's the big thing that we are really trying to do here."

Even with regular maintenance, though, the life of a blacktop driveway is limited. If you need a new one, asphalt is the least expensive to install, and should last around 20 to 25 years.

Concrete driveways can hold more weight and last 25-40 years, but are more expensive, usually twice the price of asphalt.

Finally, Angie says avoid fly by night driveway crews who knock on your door and claim they were in the neighborhood. They often take your money and run. Instead,

• Verify the contractor is licensed and insured.
• Ask for references of previous jobs
• Get a written estimate.
• Check him out at the Better Business Bureau or with Angie's List if you are a member.

Finally, you can save some money by coordinating your driveway project with a neighbor. The company may provide a price break if they do two neighboring homes at once.