Asphalt has always been the most preferred choice of many homeowners and business owners planning to install a new parking lot or driveway in their residence and business spaces.
Asphalt solutions are numerous due to asphalt unique characteristics; hence, most contractors preferred it for the various paving projects needed in commercial, residential, and public spaces.
But what solutions does asphalt offer residential, public, and commercial spaces?
Asphalt’s ability to bind aggregate together creates a durable, smooth, and appealing surface for both parking lots, driveways, roads, walking paths, etc. It can also be used to fill cracks and potholes formed on pavement, including pavement resurfacing.
Additionally, asphalt offers comfort during the harsh winter season, as its black color efficiently absorbs heat caused by the sun, keeping roads free from snow and ice during the winter. This implies that the snow melts quicker, thus lowering labor cost and the effort of upkeeping it.
Furthermore, asphalt offers practical solutions to erosion, water storage, flood control, and other conservation problems.
But is asphalt used only for residential and commercial purposes?
Certainly not! Lots of architects make use of asphalt in an aquatic application, including the construction of reservoir liners, groins, dikes, dams, parks, and sea walls to prevent soil erosion in fish hatcheries, beaches, and industrial retention ponds.
Besides, farmers use it in livestock contaminants pens and to line the retention ponds’ bottom, where they raise fish. Asphalt solutions also involve vehicle manufacturers, as they depend on asphalt to prevent road noise and rust in fenders and hoods of vehicles.
Residential Paving
Asphalt is one material commonly used for paving residential surfaces. It doesn’t matter if you plan to install a new parking lot, roadways, walkways, driveway, or resurfacing new ones. Asphalt can offer the most effective solutions that guarantee durability, smoothness, and aesthetic appeal you can ever dream about.
Driveway Installation
A driveway is the most popular residential asphalt paving project that lots of homeowners usually carry out. Paving or resurfacing your asphalt driveway can enhance the appearance of your home and surrounding landscape as the glassy asphalt blends in well with the surrounding environment.
Additionally, asphalt driveway offers your home a seamless and welcoming entrance for visiting guests and family members. It is normally less expensive to install than concrete driveways, but they require a little more maintenance. Your paved driveway will look great for years if you carry out routine seal coating and good maintenance.
Advantage of asphalt driveway
The benefit of installing an asphalt driveway can never be overemphasized. Its unique characteristic has become a top choice of many paving contractors for driveway projects. The advantage of asphalt are listed but not limited to the following;
- An asphalt driveway is less costly to install
- It stays attractive always with routine maintenance
- Asphalt driveway offers a smooth and comfortable riding experience
- It is easy to maintain and repair
- An asphalt driveway can last for a protracted number of years
- An asphalt driveway can hold up salt treatment used during the winter months to clear snow and ice.
Commercial Paving
The commercial paving project is also one of the asphalt solutions. As you know, commercial paving is an integral part of the corporate world, and it isn’t just for the sake of appearances alone.
If your parking lot is poorly built, it can be challenging to navigate and create huge safety hazards. Hence, if you want to boost your company’s first impressions and have a secure, friendly environment for employees and customers alike, prioritize your business lots’ condition.
Business Parking Lot
The first thing that customers see when they drive down your business premises is your parking lot. And how they feel or what they think about your business is the message that the condition of your lot passes to them.
Thus, a well-paved parking lot, free from cracks and potholes, makes your customers feel you are concerned about appearances. It also says you are prioritizing customer safety and would always want to protect their vehicles from any form of damage when they pay a visit to your business.
So, if you care about sending the right message to your customers, then make a lasting impression by paving your business lots with asphalt.
Advantage of an asphalt parking lot
The list below highlights the benefits of an asphalt parking lot
- Asphalt parking lots can last for a very long time with occasional maintenance.
- It is environmentally friendly due to its recycling characteristics
- Asphalt parking lot requires low maintenance
- It is inexpensive to install and maintain, thus saving money
Public Works Paving
Asphalt is also an ideal material used in paving high traffic public surfaces, like highways, churches, schools, hospitals, etc. Due to its tendency to withstand high traffic, it is often preferred by most paving companies over other alternatives on the market.
Asphalt Roads
Construction of roads, major highways, and other public areas are also part of asphalt solutions. In fact, there is no place you go that you won’t see that glassy, deep black surface. Before now, concrete has been used for various pavement installations, but as time proceeded, most contractors switched to asphalt because of its many advantages.
Advantage of asphalt roads
- Properly paved roads reduce erosion, maintenance, and watershed pollution
- A properly constructed paved road can serve you for years without maintenance after constructing it.
- Since asphalt is black, it takes advantage of the sun’s natural heat to help keep the roads clean following storms.
- Heat absorbed by asphalt provides a perfect environment for melting snow and evaporation of moisture
- asphalt roads improve road safety, as they are skid resistant with better traction
- It takes less time to lay an asphalt road
- Asphalt road offers a smoother and quieter ride even when it’s relatively new
Common Asphalt Repair services
Regardless of how well you maintain your asphalt pavement, it will inevitably need repair due to the damaging effects of weather, traffic, emissions, and, particularly, if it is heavily used daily. As time goes on, you will begin to observe some signs of normal wear and tear on the surface.
You ought to maintain your asphalt pavement routinely to avoid minor damages on its surface from becoming severe. Inspection of the pavement for minor damages like cracks, potholes, raveling, etc., is a vital aspect of maintenance.
The most challenging aspect of repairing asphalt is deciding which form of repair method is needed. After that, you can obtain the appropriate materials and equipment for the job to achieve satisfactory and long-term results.
Some asphalt solutions, like repairs, are more costly than others, but having to redo or patch a bad asphalt repair job is the greatest waste of money. With that said, let’s look at some of the most common asphalt repair services.
Sealcoating
Since significant damage to asphalt parking lots or driveways can be difficult and expensive to fix, maintaining it is the best and least costly way to avoid making significant repairs. So, if you want to prolong your pavement life, seal coating is your best bet.
Sealcoating is a simple and low-cost method of keeping your pavement in good shape, extending its service life. It can add a layer of shield, keeping harmful elements like water, oils, and UV rays out. Furthermore, seal coating also offers a slip-resistant surface with a dark black polish that brightens the parking lot or driveway when applied according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
If asphalt isn’t sealed, sunlight, wind, and water can cause it to harden and oxidize over time, making it more fragile and susceptible to cracking. It would be best if you occasionally seal asphalt pavement to prevent severe damage over the space of a few years.
Crack Filling
Sadly, cracks can appear in your pavement at any point during its lifespan. Small cracks in your asphalt’s surface may appear to be insignificant at first, but they’re actually a sign of a much more severe issue.
A crack filling also falls under asphalt solutions. Cracks are often the product of long-term asphalt deterioration caused by heavy vehicular and even pedestrian traffic. So, if you find cracks appearing on your asphalt, don’t ignore them.
You should look into the problem and figure out what’s causing it. In the meantime, cracks ought to be fixed before they transform into potholes, which are less attractive.
If cracks are not filled, rain and moisture can flow through the surface, eroding the base materials and eventually causing potholes and pavement failure. Filling cracks with filler helps keep rain and moisture out of the pavement, preventing corrosion and failure.
Pothole repair
A pothole is a form of asphalt pavement defect induced by the presence of water in the fundamental soil structure and traffic traveling through the area affected.
Potholes often begin as cracks in the driveway or parking lot. And during the winter months, these cracks expand and contract due to freezing and thawing cycles. As cracks expand or become more prominent, more moisture – rain and melting snow – penetrates the pavement surface.
Moisture erodes the base and subbase, and when it loses power, it may change as traffic passes over it, resulting in potholes.
It’s critical to fill potholes as soon as they appear to avoid even more road deterioration. Potholes, if left unchecked, can lead to wider areas of pavement failure and vehicle damage, including potentially costly liability for your property.
Although potholes are almost inevitable, it’s important to remember that they can be reduced with proper pavement design, construction, and a routine maintenance program that includes crack repair, seal coating, and timely overlays. Asphalt solutions for pavement repair and installation are reliable and have been tested and proven to be ideal for all paving projects.
What is the difference between asphalt crack filling and crack sealing?
Cracks present a much greater danger to the health of asphalt parking lots and driveway than many people know. A base lies underneath the pavement, giving it the strength to withstand the weight of traffic.
So, suppose water passing through open cracks clears away or dislodges the base materials. In that case, the structure may be jeopardized, leading to the formation of alligator cracks, huge cracks, potholes, etc., on the pavement.
Repairing all of these issues would be more costly than repairing a crack in a timely manner.
The following highlights the only difference between crack sealing and crack filling;
- Crack filling is a technique that involves inserting filler material into a carefully cleaned and prepared hole. Since filler material cures to a rigid, brittle state with little flexibility, it can become eroded during seasonal temperature variations. As a result, this method is normally just a temporary remedy that must be replicated yearly.
- Crack sealing utilizes a material treated or coated with rubber that flexes with the shifting of the pavement. While sealants may be applied within cracks, they are often applied over the top of the crack and spread about 12 inches onto the surrounding pavement.
Asphalt crack sealing is the best approach for fixing working cracks since it lasts longer.
How Does Sealcoating work?
There are various types of seal coating materials, but they all follow the same process of cleaning and patching the old surface before applying a liquid sealer to the entire surface of the asphalt. This creates an impenetrable barrier once dry. The various asphalt solutions for both residential and commercial use pave the way for effective seal coating.
Sealcoating shields asphalt from the effects of sunlight, wind, and water, which may weaken and harden it, causing it to crack and crumble if the surface seal coat is left untouched
Benefits of asphalt seal coating for driveway
- Sealcoating act as waterproof to your asphalt pavement against damage from harmful elements
- It shields your driveway from the effect of UV rays
- It protects your driveway from contaminants such as gas, oil pill, etc.
- It is cost-effective to apply
- It helps your driveway to last for a long duration of time
- It is easy to maintain
- It offers appealing sight to your driveway
Conclusion
Asphalt is often used for many purposes, including residential, commercial, and public pavement, due to its excellent characteristics. It is also frequently used to address the various parking lots, driveway, and roadway challenges, such as cracks, potholes, etc.
Hence, if you are planning a new pavement installation or fixing the existing one, asphalt can efficiently and correctly take care of that. You may also contact a professional paving contractor to advise you on the type of asphalt that best suits your paving project.