The condition of your driveway has a big impact on your property's appearance and also on the dust and mud reduction with vehicle traffic on your property. Whether your driveway is paved with gravel, asphalt, or concrete, it is essential to keep it maintained and supported as a durable surface. Here are some recommendations to help you pave and maintain your driveway with quality pavement material for your budget.
Consider Your Existing Pavement
The pavement that you already have installed, whether it is in acceptable or poor condition, can help you determine what pavement material you can use to update your property. Asphalt pavement is a flexible and durable surface, but it can crack and degrade over time from oxidation. But it will provide a durable base layer for adding another surface coating. Just be sure you repair any existing cracks and potholes or grind off the top layer of asphalt material in a milling process to level out the pavement and start with a uniform surface. Then, you can apply a single top layer of asphalt to restore the look and condition of your pavement.
If your driveway is made of compacted gravel, you can add to this for a more solidly built pavement. Gravel is a natural drainage-promoting layer and base structure for either a concrete driveway or an asphalt pavement, and you can build upon the gravel as long as it is compacted and at a proper depth. Talk to your pavement professional for options to upgrade an existing gravel layer or refinish and resurface asphalt.
Look at Repair and Improvement Options
Concrete pavement gives you a sturdy and stable surface, but it can also be brittle and crack in certain conditions. When concrete cracks or shifts from an unstable foundation, you can repair the surface with a re-leveling compound. A concrete professional can also fill any existing cracks or spalling and resurface your concrete to restore it to a brand new appearance and strength.
Asphalt is a mixture of aggregate and tar emulsion, which makes it also great for restoration with a series of different treatments. When asphalt cracks, you can fill the cracks with a liquid emulsion material or hot mix asphalt filler, which can also be used for repairing a pothole that extends deep through the asphalt layers and into the base materials.
Asphalt can then be rejuvenated with a sealcoating treatment, which adds asphalt emulsion to the surface for a restorative coating that aids in the pavement's long-lasting flexibility. You can also add in a chip seal that is compressed into the sealcoating to give your driveway proper traffic traction.
Contact a local paving contractor to learn more.
