Is there a best time of the year to get your driveway done? This drive expert reveals the ideal weather ‘sweet spot’ for the best results

If your drive is looking tired or even damaged, then you might be thinking about resurfacing it to give your home's kerb appeal a boost. But what's the best time of year to get your driveway done to ensure you get the best results?

I asked the experts the most and least ideal times to act on your new driveway ideas, how the material you choose can impact the timings, and the specific conditions needed to ensure your new drive looks its best for as long as possible.

What's the best time of year to get your driveway done?

Later spring and summer are usually the best times to get your driveway done, as weather tends to be warm and dry. ‘The best time to get your driveway resurfaced in the UK is usually between May and September,' says Bill Jarvis, driveway sealing and surface expert at Premium Paints. 'This is because you need reliable weather and temperatures consistently above 10°C for materials like resin, tarmac, and concrete to cure properly.

‘You also tend to get longer dry spells, and most driveway products need at least 24 to 48 hours of dry weather to set properly. Even quick-drying ones don’t do well with surprise rain.'

However, while this might be the ideal time for resurfacing your driveway, the temperature matters, and heatwaves can cause havoc with your plans. Bill explains: ‘Once temperatures hit 30°C or more, resin can cure too quickly and go patchy, and tarmac can soften and scuff more easily. The sweet spot is mild, dry days, somewhere between 12°C and 25°C is ideal.’

Does the material you choose affect the timing?

There are a range of driveway materials you can choose from, and they don't all have the same sensitivity to weather so the best time and conditions for your driveway upgrade might also depend on the material you choose.

'Resin-bound driveways, for example, really don’t like moisture; if it rains while it’s being laid, it can spoil the whole finish,' continues Bill.

'Tarmac and concrete also need warm, dry days to cure evenly and avoid cracking. Even block paving, which you can technically install all year round, still needs dry conditions if you’re planning to seal it afterwards, otherwise moisture can get trapped underneath and cause problems later on.'

What's the worst time of year to get your driveway done?

Between November and February is the worst time to get your driveway done — it's usually cold and wet with limited daylight hours, which can make it harder for your resurfacing material to act as it needs to.

'The mix of cold, wet weather and short daylight hours makes it much harder to get a good result, says Bill. 'Surfaces don’t cure properly, sealants can fail, and frost can cause cracks or lifting soon after the work’s done.'

While you might notice issues with your existing driveway during the winter, it's best to wait until it warms up rather than try and chance replacing it when the weather conditions will be less than ideal. Otherwise, you could find yourself having to fork out for repairs or even a complete redo sooner rather than later. To help your existing driveway last while you wait, make sure you know how to prepare your driveway for winter and how to remove ice from your driveway to avoid further damage.

Heatwaves are also best avoided as the high temperatures can negatively impact setting times leaving you with sub-par results and causing your new driveway to deteriorate faster than it normally would. If you want to improve the look of your existing drive while you wait for temperatures to settle down, then cleaning your driveway with a pressure washer can help make it look better.