While concrete and asphalt are strong, they aren't invincible. If you aren't careful, you might find crumbling edges of your driveway or gouges left by a dumpster. Your driveway can be a beautiful, smoothly paved part of your property, but only as long as it's cared for correctly following these basic rules.

How to Keep Your Driveway in Top Condition

1. Avoid Chemicals

Road salt is excellent for minimizing ice, but it also eats away at your driveway sealant and even the pavement’s surface. Try using a nonchemical alternative like sand. Also, watch out for oil spills; they're difficult to clean up effectively and eat away at asphalt, so handle oil meticulously and check your car regularly to prevent leaks.

2. Perform Regular Maintenance

When water gets into the pavement surface or inside a crack, it can freeze and thaw repeatedly, expanding and shrinking, forcing the crack wider and wider. Your driveway material needs regular sealing to prevent stains and minimize water penetration. You must also repair cracks as soon as they appear.

3. Use It Carefully

The edges of the driveway are the weakest areas and the most likely to crumble. Avoid the edges and don't drive onto or off of the sides if you can avoid it. Also, remember that your driveway has a weight limit. Parking anything large like a trailer or motor home on it can compress or crack the material, just as parking your car in the same place over time can also wear down the pavement.

Finally, metal can gouge the surface. Use a plastic snow shovel, and if you need to arrange a dumpster rental, choose a wheeled dumpster rather than one with harsh metal edges that rest directly on the pavement.

For construction, remodeling, basement cleanouts, and any other situations that require a dumpster, contact Chuck-It Containers, LLC, in Cleveland, OH. Serving the Cleveland and Akron Metro Areas since 2014, they are one of the area's only providers of wheeled dumpsters. Their flexible scheduling and payment options also make them one of the most accessible and affordable companies around. Call (216) 441-3333 or visit their website to get started.