Homeowners Guide - Proper Maintenance for Asphalt Pavement

Asphalt is the most common paving material used today because of its many favorable qualities. It is flexible, water resistant, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to work with. All of these properties makes it a great material to use. But just like any materials used in construction, it should be treated with preservation and care. Failing to do so would result in short lifespan, instability, fading and other forms of damage. If you are a homeowner, you need to know how to take care of your asphalt pavement. Even if this material is considered strong, it is still prone to damage like many other materials.

Here are some easy tips to properly care for your asphalt pavement.

Asphalt Maintenance

Pavement maintenance is key if you want to sustain the appeal of your asphalt. It also helps in extending its life which is crucial since asphalt renovation could cost a lot of money. You can do the maintenance on your own or hire a professional to do it. Some basic maintenance like cleaning and ocular inspection can be done by your average homeowners. However, some of the more complicated tasks like crack filling, pothole repair, line striping, and seal coating are best left in the hands of trained professionals.

If you have a lot of free time on your hands, you can definitely do some of the more complicated task by yourself. However, take note that maintenance task like seal coating requires certain skill. An improper sealcoat on asphalt pavements may lead to corrosion due to exposure to chemicals and salts. If you are not confident in your maintenance skills, it is best just to hire professionals to do the job.

Seal Coating

Sealcoat is a type of emulsion that is sprayed or brushed onto the asphalt pavement. The aim is to provide a protective layer against moisture and other harmful elements. There are many kinds of sealcoats available for many kinds of asphalt pavements. The most popular sealcoats consist of fog seal, slurry seal, emulsion chip seal, and coal tar. You can find water-based sealcoats if you want to do the seal coating yourself. This kind of sealcoat is easier to apply.

The best time to do a seal coat

If your asphalt pavement is old and is clearly showing signs of old age, a seal coat may actually not be beneficial at all. Many professionals would suggest to replace the whole thing instead of trying to salvage it using a seal coat application. A seal coat is best used for newer asphalt wherein the insides of the asphalt is still unexposed to harmful chemicals. If the asphalt is already exposed and corroding inside, a seal coat won’t save it from its demise.

If your asphalt is still new, a seal coat is perfect for it. Just remember to do a periodic re-sealing to keep the asphalt protected from harmful outside elements. Seal coat fades overtime so it’s better to do regular coating when you can. If you are unsure of what to do to protect your asphalt pavement, it is best if you talk to your trusted paving contractors. They will take a look at your property and advise you the best things you can do to extend its life.

Commercial asphalt paving

Should You Sealcoat Or Repave Your Asphalt Driveway?

Homeowners need to understand the importance of maintenance of their properties – that includes their driveway among other things. Taking care of your properties is definitely no easy task but if know how to do it efficiently, you can save a lot of time and money. Your driveway isn’t always the easiest thing to maintain in your home. You need to know when to seal coat or simply have it repaved. Knowing the right time is crucial in maintaining your asphalt driveway.

Basic Information About Driveway Maintenance

Thankfully, you’ve come to the right article. Your driveway is an important part of your home. Sadly, there is very little information regarding driveway maintenance. If you want to fix your driveway, you need to trust your common sense because there isn’t really that much helpful information out there.

Fortunately for you, Akron Asphalt Paving is here to help you. We will answer all the important questions that our customers would ask. At Akron Asphalt Paving, we offer many different types of services to cater to our wide variety of customers. We are all about maintaining and repairing your driveway using the latest and newest technology available.

The most common question we receive concerns maintaining and repairing an asphalt driveway, obviously. Most of our customers are concerned on whether they only need repair or need a new asphalt driveway altogether.

Renovate or Get a New Asphalt Driveway?

If the area has areas where the pavement is severely damaged or is clearly showing signs of degradation, this is the time where you need to consider getting new asphalt. One of the most obvious signs of severely damaged asphalt is the formation of alligator cracks. This crack is easily spotted because as the name suggests, it looks like the back on an alligator. This is when the pavement gets to the point where crack fill or seal coat can’t fill it anymore.

If you crack fill a patch of alligator cracks, there is a huge change that the pavement will get more damage. There’s a limit to how many crack fillings a patch of pavement can tolerate. A driveway that has been sealed over and over again for many years would cause severe alligator cracks. Some alligator cracks are easily fixed using a crack fill but some alligator cracks are too severe for it.

Commercial asphalt paving