Tips on the Maintenance Required When Paving With Asphalt

Many homeowners opt for asphalt paving to finish their driveway and provide a clean, durable surface for their vehicle. This product provides a subtle beauty that blends in well with any exterior finish including brick, siding or stucco. Best of all, asphalt is affordable. But what type of maintenance is required to keep paved driveways looking good year after year?

Quality Installation Is Key

It is essential that your asphalt paving be laid by an experienced contractor. This will ensure the area has been properly excavated, an adequate base has been laid for drainage and the very best practices have been applied to installing the asphalt. When a driveway is paved by an inexperienced company the results are substandard and much more maintenance is required from the outset.

The very best contractors will offer you a thickly laid surface that has been laid, compacted and rolled using the proper machinery. They will also offer you top grade asphalt mix that has been proven to last based on other projects and driveways in your area. Experienced staff, quality materials and the proper equipment are all absolutely necessary for a top quality driveway paving job.

To Seal or Not to Seal Your Driveway

Whether or not you should seal your driveway is a long-debated argument. Those companies that offer the sealant are keen on pushing the advantages of their product - including an added layer of protection over the asphalt helping it to last longer and resist staining or deterioration as a result of oil and gas spills.

However, when you speak to an experienced paving contractor they will often tell you the sealing is not absolutely necessary.

There are two reasons that a homeowner could choose to seal their driveway: for a clean, attractive appearance; or to protect the asphalt from damaging spills such as gas or oil. Both of these reasons are understandable and many homeowners appreciate the appearance and protection that driveway sealants offer.

You can DIY this project easily with a long handled roller and a can of sealant. However the products used by companies that do professional sealing tend to have a base containing higher levels of liquid asphalt, which provides better, thicker protection. Also the sprayers used for application allow for thicker coverage. Although not entirely necessary, sealing your asphalt driveway should allow it to look better longer.

Tackle Weeds Right Away

It's important that you immediately eliminate weeds that are growing through or into your asphalt. It may seem unlikely, but even small weeds can seriously deteriorate the overall quality of your driveway. With simple procedures such as physical removal, chemical elimination and installing barriers you can effectively stop weeds from infiltrating your driveway space.

It is much easier to eliminate one or two weeds at a time, since this will allow any asphalt that has been lifted or cracked to settle back down once the weed has been taken out. When you allow the weeds to spread or bunch up, the damage can be much greater.

Driveways finished with asphalt paving are very low maintenance. Be sure to have them installed by a qualified contractor and you can look forward to a quality job. Decide whether or not sealing the asphalt is desired and keep a close eye out for weeds. With these simple steps you should be able to count on a good looking, reliable asphalt driveway for years.

Posted by: TrustedPros