Your Residential Asphalt Paving Contractor May Suggest These Driveway Repairs
If you're weighing whether to have a new asphalt driveway installed, the first step is to call a residential asphalt paving contractor to look over your driveway and give you an estimate of the cost. They may also suggest an alternative to a driveway replacement depending on the condition of your driveway. Here are some possible alternatives to putting in a new driveway.
When There Is Minor Damage And Fading
If asphalt fading is your main concern, it may be possible to darken the asphalt again without having to put down a new driveway. Much depends on the amount of damage the asphalt has. If the damage is only minor cracking, the contractor might recommend making repairs and then putting a sealcoat on.
Sealcoating is a black coating that's applied to driveways to protect against sun damage and to restore the dark color. This only costs a fraction of what it would cost to replace your driveway. It's important to understand the asphalt will be black again, but it won't look like new asphalt. Instead, it looks like black paint or a black coating, which it is. It can make your asphalt driveway attractive again so the faded look doesn't hurt your property's curb appeal.
When The Base Is Fine But There Are Deep Cracks And Holes
If you prefer the look of fresh asphalt over a black coating, then you may want your driveway resurfaced. The residential asphalt paving contractor may even recommend resurfacing if the asphalt has deep cracks, a lot of cracks, or potholes. Resurfacing means the contractor puts down a new thin layer of asphalt, so your driveway looks new. It costs much less than installing a new driveway since it uses the existing base. However, the base has to be in good condition for resurfacing to be an option.
When Part Of The Base Is Damaged
If a large part of the base underneath your asphalt driveway is damaged due to soil shifting, tree roots, or poor drainage, you'll probably need to replace the whole driveway so the base can be built back up. If only a small area of the base is affected, the paving contractor might be able to repair that area of the base and then apply new asphalt to the driveway.
This would involve cutting out the damaged area above the bad base, building and compacting the base, and then pouring new asphalt into the repaired area. Since you probably want your driveway to be a uniform color, the contractor may resurface the rest of your driveway too, and your driveway will look new.
Speak to a contractor to learn more about residential asphalt paving.