Asphalt Driveway Maintenance
You’ve heard that all roads lead to Rome, right? But in reality, all roads lead to your home. And the most common material used to pave those roads and driveways is asphalt. Whether you have asphalt paving in Rhode Island or in Rome, with the right maintenance schedule, an asphalt driveway can last over 25 years. Use this guide to asphalt maintenance and repair and extend the lifespan of your asphalt drive.
Walking the Walk
To keep asphalt costs to a minimum, maintenance begins with a daily checkup. Every day you use your driveway—like walking to the mailbox—do a visual inspection of the asphalt. Look for cracks, brittle edges, loose pieces or bits of gravel. These are all signs that your pavement needs to be repaired.
Cracks and Loose Edges
Cracks can be repaired several different ways. Smaller cracks can be repaired using a basic emulsified asphalt caulk. This material is sold in most home improvement centers and hardware stores. Larger cracks may need to be cut out of the asphalt using an asphalt cutting blade and saw. The debris is then removed from the cutout and backfilled with asphalt and then pounded tight with a hand tamper. Multiple cracks may need professional help.
Loose edges should be cut out. At least a two foot wide area should be removed. Remove the aggregate and then tamp tight. Replace and compact with new aggregate. Hot asphalt can then be placed into the cutout and tamped level. A minimum of three inches of asphalt needs to be in place to prevent problems in the future.
Applying Sealcoat
Sealcoat is a cost effective way to resurface damaged or worn out asphalt. Black topping or sealcoating rejuvenates old asphalt with a coat of material that softens hardening asphalt to prevent cracking and breaking. Sealcoating reconnects and bonds brittle asphalt and crumbling edges. Because sealcoating is such a big job, it’s in your best interests to hire a professional asphalt company to do the work. Sealcoating should be done every two-three years to extend the life of your asphalt driveway.
Slurry Sealing
Slurry sealing is like applying a fresh coat of asphalt over your old driveway, without tearing it up and starting from scratch. An asphalt company first applies a tack coat of wet asphalt. They then use a fine mix of aggregates and asphalt emissions to apply a thin layer over your cracked and peeling asphalt driveway. Once rolled flat, it can extend the lifespan of your asphalt driveway for years to come.
