You have three options for your driveway – concrete, gravel, and asphalt. Concrete driveways can bear the heavy traffic, but you cannot give a better look to your outdoor with concrete. In this case, asphalts are the best option because they are flexible, cost-effective, and durable. Plus, you can easily install asphalt residential driveway paving within a week.
What is an asphalt driveway?
Asphalt is an aggregate of stone and sand, and it is a tar-like material made from petroleum. It is also known as hot mix asphalt because you need to heat the asphalt at 300 degree F to liquefy it. Asphalts are available in various colours, and you can design your driveways according to your preference. You must know that hot mix asphalt is not a sealant and you cannot use it to seal cracked asphalts.
Why would you choose asphalt driveways?
- Asphalts are flexible than concrete and they are less prone to cracking. You can find cracks and potholes on the concrete driveway due to moisture and heavy traffic. Concrete is a porous material, and it can absorb moisture, water, dust, grease, and dirt. So you need to repair or replace your concrete driveway every two to three years. You can save this cost by choosing asphalt driveway for your premise.
- Asphalts are less expensive than concrete. If your asphalt driveway is cracked or damaged, then you can partially replace the asphalts, and it will cost you a lesser amount than concrete driveway repair. You can check an average cost of an asphalt driveway here.
- If you live in a cold region, then you must choose asphalt driveways. Asphalts cannot get affected by rock salt and ice melt, and they can keep your driveway safe in winter too.
- You cannot repair your concrete driveway by DIY tools. You need to hire professional concrete services to repair your driveway. But, you can easily use a readymade sealant to seal the asphalts. Water can seep through the cracks and you can seal the cracks or holes of asphalts by readymade sealants. You can find such sealants online and with a caulking gun you can easily fill the cracks of your driveway. So you can easily maintain your asphalt driveway and you do not need to spend a huge maintenance cost on it.
Tips to install asphalt driveway:
If your existing concrete driveway is in good condition then you can easily install asphalts on the surface and seal the asphalts to install a new driveway. But, before you install asphalt on your driveway, you need to consider the height of your garage floors, fences, and other outdoor structures. You can follow the below tips to install asphalt driveways:
- Remove the old driveway and install hot mix asphalt to cover the area. You can apply this liquid to the soil and make a layer of 4-6 inches with this hot mix.
- You can also place a new aggregate on your old driveway to prepare the surface for asphalt. You have to cover the surface up to 4-6 inches with an aggregate and then you can apply hot mix asphalt to cover the top layer of your driveway.
- Once you install the asphalt driveways on your property, it will be ready within 40 minutes next. But, you cannot use the driveway for the next 2-3 days.
Spring and summer is the best time to install asphalt driveway because the warmer temperature can harden your driveway faster. But, it is better to hire the best contractor to install asphalt driveways in your property because you cannot prepare the hot mix of asphalt at your home. Also, if you need to fill in the cracks in your assphalt driveway, you can do it easily using asphalt crackfilling machine. You do not need to buy heavy machines for this installation, and you can save your time and cost by hiring a professional asphalt driveway contractor.
