Restore the natural glow on Asphalt Paving.
Asphalt paving is one of the most common paving option preferred by many homeowners as well as business owners.
It is a cost-effective paving solution, which is relatively long-lasting.
However, there are a few factors that would limit the expected lifespan of your driveways.
A stained driveway, or one with lots of cracks on it, is not attractive.
This is the reason why you will need to carry out routine repair and scheduled repaving tasks.
Each of these maintenance and repair tasks will restore the quality of your pavements, sidewalks, patios, parking lots, and so much more.
But you could be worried about cracks on your driveway.
Moreover, you could be asking yourself why you have cracks on your driveway.
Reasons why my asphalt driveway is cracked.
While cracking on the driveway will deteriorate as time goes by, you can remedy the problems if you knew some of the causes why your driveway would be cracked.
Often, this will be caused by either of;
- Too much moisture
- Too much heat
- Ground movement and other natural factors.
- Aging asphalt, and so much more.
Let us now look at how each of these factors influences how your driveway paving lives years on.
Lots of moisture on your pavements.
Too much water on your driveways will wash away the gravel, and the pavement base.
When more sand is washed away, the surface will shift and break.
Through this shifting, cracks and dents will appear on your pavements.
Even more, water and moisture retention in the crevices and cracks will weaken the asphalt aggregate and thus destroy your pavements.
The heat from the sun.
Even though the reason mentioned above is a cause for cracks on your driveway, the right moisture content is suitable for asphalt.
When the sun is too hot on a normal day, the asphalt will tend to meltdown.
When heavy equipment or loads pass on it, it could be sunken, cause depression, and further weaken your pavement.
Therefore, too much heat from the sun will beat down the asphalt aggregate, breaking away its parts.
This is a common phenomenon in hot climatic areas where the parking lots, basketball courts, and even pavements have more cracks.
Natural factors.
Some of the natural factors that will degrade your asphalt includes earthquakes and seasonal ground movements.
Major storms are also a factor here. Seasonal elements such as frost and much snow will also cause your pavements to crack.
Generally, the base of your asphalt is on a solid base.
This is why it is essential to compact the base properly before laying the gravel and asphalt.
However, annual ground movements will shift this base weakening base.
The gravel will shift and spread all over the base, thus causing depressions and sunken pavements.
As a result, you will find potholes and cracks on your asphalt.
There is little you can do to prevent cracks from natural ground movement.
However, with routine repair and repaving, you can restore the natural glow of your asphalt.
Aging asphalt.
One of the primary reasons why your asphalt will acquire cracks are relative to age.
Certainly, old driveway pavements are less flexible and thus, gravity will exert pressure on it causing cracks.
When your asphalt is aged, you will notice that its edges will crack.
However, the middle sections could also have these cracks.
Each of the cracks and crevices will have water seeping through them.
Excess moisture on the in-aggregate of the asphalt will ultimately degrade the asphalt.
As time passes by, more cracks will appear and thus limit the efficiency of your asphalt.
What to do with cracked asphalt.
Even though asphalt has a limited lifespan, you cannot ignore maintenance and repair tasks.
However, the installation is a key factor.
If the installation is not done correctly the pavements will begin cracking and degrading fast.
But how do you go about asphalt paving repair and maintenance?
One of the best routines is using the right asphalt sealant.
Sealing the crevices and the cracks to limit water seeping through will go a long way into enhancing the lifespan of your pavements.
There is also an option of patching the potholes with new asphalt to restore the condition of the asphalt.
In any repair and maintenance, it is crucial to find the right paving contractor for the job.
NVN paving offers a wide variety of stone, concrete and brick pavers to suit every hardscaping need.
From driveways and inviting walkways to decks, patios and other outdoor living spaces, our staff will assist you in selecting the perfect option to fit your design style.
We offer a large assortment of economical solutions to help you achieve the look you want with results guaranteed to provide years of use.
