Installation And Maintenance Tips To Keep Your Asphalt Durable And Long-Lasting

When installing and maintaining an asphalt surface, there are various qualities to the pavement that makes it durable and long-lasting. When you skimp on one of these components, you can expect your asphalt to fail in its structure, causing cracks, unraveling, and eventual crumbling. Here are three areas of your asphalt you want to keep up on for the best chance at your asphalt's ensured durability.

Foundation

When first building your asphalt pavement, the soil of the site needs to be leveled and you should remove any rocks and other debris. Then, you will need to make sure a layer of angular gravel several inches thick is poured onto the site. Compact the angular gravel with a compacting roller to compress the gravel together in an interlocking layer. This layer provides the durability to your flexible asphalt's top layer. The gravel also provides drainage to the area below the asphalt to help prevent soil erosion and freeze-thaw damage that can occur when moisture is trapped and remains below the asphalt.

Edges

The edges of your asphalt pavement should be finished appropriately to prevent deterioration during the pavement's use. If vehicles drive upon your asphalt's edges that have not been properly finished, they can crack and begin unraveling, resulting in damage to the asphalt's surface.

There are many ways to finish the edges of your asphalt pavement, depending on the landscaping you plan to install around it. You can install concrete edging via blocks or poured concrete abutting the asphalt's edges to prevent any damage to the asphalt's edges. If you don't plan to use concrete or paving blocks, it is recommended to finish the edges by angling the asphalt at a 45 degree angle, then backfilling the edges with soil, gravel or other type of supportive material.

Surface

After your asphalt has been installed, you will need to keep its ongoing maintenance by watching for any signs of surface damage and repair them. This can include cracks and oxidation from the sun, vegetation growth within the cracks, and vehicle fluid damage to the asphalt's surface.

Remove any vegetation growth and seal up cracks using an asphalt crack filler mixture. Any vehicle fluids, you should wash from the surface of the asphalt with an asphalt cleaning solution. As the asphalt dries out and begins to crack and crumble, hire an asphalt company to apply a sealcoating to your asphalt every few years. This will restore the moisture and flexibility of the asphalt and seal its surface. Visit a site like http://www.interstatepavingllc.com for more help.


Share