If you’re looking to build a new driveway for your home, there are certain things that you should keep in mind when it comes to construction. Homeowners should realize that driving over old driveways can cause damage to their vehicles. The driving surface can become uneven and lead to suspension and tire damage. If you have owned an older house for more than 20 years, the driveway may have deteriorated so much that it becomes unsafe to drive on. Over time, as rainwater seeps into cracks in the concrete or asphalt, rusting occurs within metal reinforcing bars inside the concrete or between pavement layers. As a result of this corrosion, cracks can appear in the driveway, creating valleys and hills that make for a bumpy ride for your car. Potholes can develop with enough erosion from water and weather conditions, causing vehicle damage and expensive repairs. As a result, if a driveway is over 20 years old, it should be replaced. A new driveway makes the house look clean.
Many different materials are available for homeowners who want modern driveways, but information on how they work together tends to get lost in the shuffle. This article will cover tips on how asphalt driveway contractors can easily layout your asphalt drive to protect your driveway from collapse or severe damage. This should help reduce the chances of cracks forming while also making sure that there’s no way any part of the surface can wash away due to water build-up underneath.
With these tips, you’ll be better prepared to build a driveway that everyone will talk about. You won’t have to worry about minor details because you’ll understand why they are important and how they can affect your family over the years. With a bit of work and research, you should have no problem preventing all sorts of damage from occurring:
Use Sand and Gravel to Create a Base
The first tip of building and maintaining a strong and modern driveway is using sand and gravel to create a base. Here are several benefits of this material and how it can help you create a nice-looking and long-lasting driveway.
The first benefit is that sand and gravel are natural products, meaning they don’t contain anything that would harm the environment if used for construction purposes. Unlike concrete or blacktop, these won’t contribute towards contaminating any landfills with toxic waste. Another great thing about using sand and gravel when working on your asphalt driveway paving is that you can do most of the hard work yourself. All you need is a large truck of both materials and a couple of strong helpers, and you can use them to create a nice-sized area that will be perfect for driving on.
An added benefit is that sand and gravel are relatively cheap compared to many other materials used in construction projects. This means it won’t cost too much money to get the materials, even if you have a larger job. If you’re working on your own, it will take a lot less time to create your base with sand and gravel than some other alternatives – so long as the ground underneath has been leveled off first.
Make Sure to Use the Right Sealant
Sealing your driveway with the appropriate seal coat offers several benefits for homeowners, including decreased weed growth, protection against erosion damage due to poor drainage, elevated strength against heavy vehicle traffic, and an increased overall appearance by excluding stains and discoloration.
Driveway seal coating service categorizes topical sealants into three different types: acrylic, wax, and asphalt. Each option varies in price and benefits, but all three serve as an essential part of your driveway’s maintenance program to increase its lifespan.
Acrylics are among the most popular choices for driveway seal coating because they offer a very durable finish. It is recommended that you use an elastomeric acrylic for maximum protection against cracks, discoloration, and other damage caused by ultraviolet rays, which cause oxidation and fading over time. The longer your sealed driveway endures, the less you’ll have to repave or resurface it when doing repairs. Elastomeric acrylics come with a much higher price tag than most other sealants.
Asphalt-based sealer is typically used in asphalt paving repair, but it can also be applied to concrete slabs to protect against discoloration and damage from chemical spills. It leaves behind a dark tint on your driveway, which helps it blend in with the surrounding surface while reducing its reflectivity, which causes temperatures underneath to lower slightly once sealed. Asphalt-based sealers are the cheapest option with the lowest price tag of $3 per gallon for application and around $1,000 as the total cost of materials.
Wax-based sealers are applied to concrete surfaces where water runoff is expected. They offer basic protection against most stains and moisture penetration with a very low price tag which ranges from $2 per gallon for application to around $750 as the total cost of materials. The disadvantage of using a wax-based sealant is that it does not offer any extra chemical resistance or heat insulation once applied on your driveway, making it more suitable for smaller residential driveways than commercial properties.
After applying your desired topical sealant to your driveway’s surface, always remember to give it ample time to dry. Allowing the sealer to dry for a minimum of 24 hours before driving on it ensures maximum results with all three types. Seal coating your driveway requires time, patience, and money but proves to be worthwhile when you can enjoy its benefits for years without having to repave or resurface it again.
Test The Asphalt Before Laying It Down
One thing homeowners often overlook when hiring a contractor to install their new driveway or when they’re having repairs made is asking the asphalt driveway paving company to test out the asphalt before it has been laid down. There are several benefits, so those who haven’t already requested such a test should consider doing so. Once that asphalt has been tested and approved, it can be placed as soon as possible, and you won’t have to worry about any problems with your brand-new driveway right away.
However, this isn’t something that should just be done once – instead, all contractors need to perform regular tests on any products they use regardless of whether they are making repairs or installing something new. This will ensure that you’re getting good-quality asphalt. It will also prevent the pavement from deteriorating even further. Even if you aren’t concerned with having a driveway installed right now, this piece of advice is still relevant to anyone who might need to call on the services of an asphalt company sometime in the future, so they should keep it in mind for next time.
Handle Cracks Right Away
Great care should be taken when building or maintaining your driveway. There are many things to consider when creating or repairing one, but it all boils down to taking care of your investment. Most people think about their car’s paint job when they want to keep something in great shape, but where would the road be without proper upkeep of the asphalt, such as driveway and sidewalk cleaning? Cracks can lead to massive problems with your driveway.
Cracks are unsightly, but they also cause serious structural damage to your driveway. Even if you don’t think it’s a serious issue, try dropping a coin in the crack and listen for how much noise it makes when it hits bottom. That should give you an idea of how deep the cracking goes into the surface below. To fix this, use a cold-patch material meant for fixing potholes on streets. Use a blow dryer to heat the area before applying the material to go in easier and stick better once cooled down.
Don’t Forget About Drainage.
Before you start building your new driveway, there are a few things to consider that can make the difference between a good and bad driveway. One of the most important things that will affect the strength and durability of your future driveway is drainage. Many people overlook this simple yet effective method for strengthening and prolonging the life of a drive. If you want to lessen the chance of rutting and potholes appearing in your new asphalt, proper drainage should be considered before beginning construction.
Building a high-quality drainage system for your driveway can be safer, stronger, and less expensive in the long run. Using the right equipment and materials on your asphalt parking lot will avoid unnecessary costs that come with tearing up areas of your driveway to replace sections that have begun to break down or become damaged. By designing an effective drainage system on your new asphalt, you increase its life expectancy, ensure safe footing even in inclement conditions, and avoid future costs associated with car maintenance caused by rutting or potholes found throughout the area.
Allow For Multiple Layers
If you expect high amounts of wear near the garage or driveway, then consider allowing for at least three layers before applying another form of paving over them. It’s also very important that these are applied at different times so that the material can dry before adding another fully. If you try to lay everything at once, you’ll have problems with the asphalt sticking together and tearing up your soil underneath it.
Make Sure There Is No Excess Water
Even if you’ve properly drained your driveway, you might have problems with excess water building up underneath. This is more common than you think, so you must get rid of any sections that are somewhat higher than the rest of the lot. Decide on the highest point and cut away at it until things can be leveled out. It may require some work, but this will prevent any further damage from occurring in the future.
Keep The Temperature in Mind
If there are spots where your driveway is nice and smooth without cracks or other issues, you need to keep the heat in mind so that this pattern stays consistent over time. During the summer months, it’s likely that these areas will experience significantly more heat than others because they’re not covered by shadows cast by trees or buildings around you. Asphalt expands when heated up while also contracting when cooled down, which can cause all sorts of problems like cracking or expansive gaps between each section.
Test Out Any New Mix Before Continuing
Before laying down more asphalt on top of your existing driveway, you must ensure that everything can mix properly with the other substances you’ve already applied. You can slowly mix the asphalt with water and other elements before working it into your driveway. This will let you know if everything will work as expected before continuing with what could be a very time-consuming job.
Use Professionals If You Want to Be Sure It Gets Done Right
Hiring an expert is a good idea when incorporating different pavements such as an asphalt or driveway brick paver. If you’re unsure about this, it’s best to hire out the work to rest easy, knowing that it’s getting taken care of properly without any issues arising later on down the line. It might seem like a lot of extra money to spend, but in reality, it will cost fewer pennies than what you’ll have to deal with if anything goes wrong with the asphalt itself and requires major repairs. Just make sure you get multiple estimates before making up your mind about what company or person is going for it so that way there are no disagreements further down the line when one thing or another doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would.
It would be best if you now had a clear idea of what it takes to build and maintain a driveway for your property. With the right preparation, materials, and techniques and knowing how to take care of your newly laid pavement, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to create a driveway that will serve its purpose for many years without issue. Remember, however, that you should always make sure to do your research when it comes to the particular material that you’re using for your surface; different materials will all have their benefits and drawbacks for your situation.