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Asphalt Paving & Asphalt Pavers – Preparation and Maintenance

Asphalt Paving, a Wise Choice
Whether new construction or renovating existing property driveway design, many project owners opt to install asphalt paving. When a property needs driveway or road building, utilizing asphalt paving is a wise choice for several reasons:

• Like its concrete cousin, asphalt paving material can be stamped with decorative design patterns.
• Asphalt offers mud-free traction in wet weather and easy snow removal in winter.
• A quality constructed asphalt driveway or parking lot increases cosmetic appearance as well as market value of the property.

Asphalt Advantages over Concrete

Asphalt has advantages over concrete. Since asphalt is a petroleum-based product, it is more flexible. Therefore it is less apt to heave and crack. Secondly, asphalt driveway paving cost is substantially less than paving with concrete.

A vogue new approach to road building material is the use of cobblestone (granite) or man-made paving stones (pavers); installed in an interlocking fashion on a bed of sand.

While the cost of granite cobblestones is astronomical, homeowners can save a few dollars using asphalt pavers. Lower in cost than granite, asphalt prices are still nevertheless costly. If a paving contractor needs 10,000 pavers for a project, the cost runs about $3.00 each. Therefore, the cost for just the pavers is $30,000 dollars, in addition to any other costs incurred by grading and paving the project, plus labor.

Maintenance Considerations

Maintenance for roads and driveways surfaced with asphalt pavers is easy and economical. If a paver breaks or is moved out of place, the maintenance process is simple. It is simply removed, a new one adjusted into place, and then sand swept over and around it.

Maintenance for asphalt paving is more involved. It requires periodic sealing with an asphalt sealer; usually about once every year or two. The surface must first be prepared by sweeping or power washing away loose soil and debris.

If the asphalt has been damaged by a fuel spill, special attention must be given to the area by washing it with a detergent-based product developed for that purpose. Cracks should be cleaned out and filled with special patching compound and given time to cure Once these tasks have been completed, the surface is ready for application of the asphalt sealer.

By properly preparing and grading for standard asphalt paving on a road or driveway, cracking and heaving can be further minimized. Road building and driveway projects require four basic steps:

1. Stripping away top soil, roots, or any other vegetation.
2. Preparing the sub-base soil. If sub-base soil is an unacceptable type with high clay or shale content, it must be replaced with usable soil before preparation. Preparation involves grading to the desired elevation, then compacting before adding road base material.
3. Adding, grading, and compacting road-base material. Thickness should be at least 6-inches for small, light vehicle traffic; up to 10-inches for large, heavy vehicle traffic.
4. Paving the surface with a “crown” or slightly higher elevation in the center; gently sloping away to the edges at a rate of at least ¼-inch per foot, to insure proper drainage.

Swampy areas with drainage problems may need the addition of a geo-tech fabric installed between the sub-base and road base material for added stability.

Finding the Right Contractor for the Job – at the Right Price!

When it comes to proper preparation, grading and paving, a reliable and experienced asphalt paving contractor or excavating contractor will be up to the task. While most asphalt paving contractors also do the required excavating work, keep in mind that many excavating contractors are not equipped for asphalt paving.

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Project owners sign up for free, and begin receiving competitive bids from local contractors for their project in days – even hours. Project owners can view and critique contractor profiles, references, and photo albums online 24-hours a day. All with no contact with individual asphalt paving service providers, unless they so choose.

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