How to remove grass from asphalt and why it cracks your asphalt?
Updated: Aug 29, 2021
Even though asphalt is tough, it is not vegetation-proof. Even if you driveway seal every year or two, grass growing in your driveway cracks is an ongoing issue for many homeowners. As weather conditions and age take their toll on your driveway, asphalt surfaces decay and develop cracks where weeds and grasses are going to take root and grow up. While crack filling is a solution to the problem, it won't be effective unless the root of the grass is dead or completely removed. Our driveway care team wants to share some simple, eco-friendly tips and tricks to remove weed and grass from your driveway cracks.
Why weed and grass crack your asphalt pavement?
Let's take a step back and analyze what conditions are mostly required for a vegetation to thrive. It comes down to 3 most common requirements: sun, water, and soil. Your driveway's base consists of some kind of soil. Over time, due to weather conditions and UV rays, you driveway starts developing cracks. Moreover, when your wash your car on your driveway or when it rains these cracks usually fill with water and hence create humid environment. Hence, we already have 2 out of the 3 required conditions. And last condition is access to sun light. Due to winds and many more factors, even a miniscule pollen of any kind of weed when trapped in such crack will thrive. Since it has access to water, soil, and sun. Furthermore, the root will entrench deeper. This whole process is simply the reason why weed grows in your driveway. Let's explore how you can tackle this problem.
How to get rid off weed roots in your driveway?
As soon as you notice new sprigs of grass developing in the cracks, water the grass in the cracks in the asphalt with the garden hose, or wait until rainfall loosens the soil. This should loosen the soil and make it easier to pull of the weed from the crack. The younger the weed the easier it is to pull it off.
Boil a large pot of water and pour it slowly in the crack where the weed grows. The hot water should cause significant stress to the root which plays vital role in any kind of vegetation. Repeat this process for 3-5 days until you see the progress.
Spray the vinegar solution directly on the grass growing in the asphalt. Soak all vegetative surfaces thoroughly until the liquid drips from the blades. Then pour 50-100 ml of white vinegar into the crack. Choose a day where the temperature does not exceed 85 degrees Celsius and there is no strong wind. The hotter the weather, the quicker will the vinegar evaporate and not fully fulfil it's mission in this context.
You can trust our team to take care of your driveway. Ark Services Group offers driveway care packages which come with free Weed Removal service. We visit your driveway once/twice a year depending on the package you chose and remove the weeds as much as we can. Afterwards, we fill in the crack with polymeric sand or with hot rubberized industry grade rubber. Give us a call or contact us to book an appointment and discuss how we can help you maintain your driveway.