For homeowners, maximizing usage and minimizing cost is rather important. So how can they get the most out of their asphalt? Indeed, proper asphalt maintenance ensures longevity, durability, and quality. It is true that quality and professional installation contribute to these factors. However, without maintenance your asphalt erodes over time from outside factors. The most common wearers of asphalt are water, sun, and traffic. Here are some top asphalt maintenance tips to prolong the life of your asphalt.

Patching

If you notice issues with pitting or potholes, patching will typically suffice. If you have over driven over a bumpy pavement surface, you know how uncomfortable the ride can be. For the best driving experience, you may want to consider surface milling before patching. If the asphalt foundation is worn or the surface is cracking, you may need to completely remove the asphalt. Then, inspect and repair the foundation as needed and re-pour new asphalt. Any cracks in the foundation show through to the surface layer, sometimes in as little as three months. Therefore, it is important to get the right contractor for the job. They will be honest with you about any repairs that need to be done, and they will make sure it is done correctly.

Crack Sealing

As the seasons change, variations in temperature cause the asphalt to expand and contract. This leads to surface cracking, which fill easily. This will not only provide for a smoother surface, but it will also prevent water from penetrating and damaging the foundation. The foundation, much like any other building project, is the most important layer in your asphalt paving project, so it is important to protect it as much as possible.

Seal Coating

This provides a thin emulsion coating on the surface of the asphalt to seal to pavement from water penetration, darken the asphalt, and give a new, clean look to the surface. As the pavement is typically one of the first things people see, a clean surface that is well marked and bright gives an excellent first impression to everyone who sees it.

Overlay

A step further than seal coating, overlaying is when a new layer of asphalt is placed on top of the old surface, generally 1.5 to 2.5 inches thick. This makes the surface more durable and prevents water penetration and oxidization. This can also help with adding additional strength to the surface and may even correct some minor drainage issues. You will want to repair any old damage before doing an overlay, as the old damage will eventually show through the overlay if not properly repaired. As we discussed before, having the right contractor means that your inspections and repairs will be done properly the first time.

Infrared Asphalt Repair

Instead of having to repair large sections of asphalt, contractors use infrared light. The light heats a specific section of pavements, which allows for localized repairs. Those repairs are also less intrusive.