Asphalt Driveway Installation:

Considering a new asphalt driveway? Which driveway surface is best when choosing between asphalt, concrete, pavers and stone material? What type of ongoing maintenance will you face with an asphalt driveway?

The further North we travel in the United States, the more likely we see asphalt driveways. The further South we travel in the United States, the more likely we see concrete and paver driveways. This is due to the amount of freeze and thaw cycles. Asphalt is pliable therefore it can handle heaving from freeze and thaw cycles much more than concrete or pavers.

Of the 4 types of driveways, an asphalt driveway is a number 3 on the cost chart! (1 being the most expensive, and 4 being the least expensive!)

Asphalt driveways however, require the most amount of ongoing maintenance!

A new asphalt driveway can be installed by a driveway paving contractor in a relatively short amount of time and can generally be driven on 24 hours after installation. However, new asphalt can take years to fully cure, so minor scarring of the surface can occur from sharp turns, power steering divots, tractor tires, snow blades… all kinds of things. It’s really not a big deal if you just be careful on hot sunny days.

Scarring from sharp turns will eventually disappear if it’s limited to just the immediate surface. Power steering divots will pretty much always be visible, but if their attended to right away, they can be minimized. This can easily be done with a piece of wood and a hammer on a hot sunny day.

Tractor tire tracks or snow blade damage… these are permanent issues so you'll want to be very careful when using them on your new asphalt driveway. As a matter of fact... avoid it at all costs if you can! If driving a tractor on a new asphalt driveway is absolutely necessary, the optimum time would be in the morning or in the evening when it’s cool outside, but there’s still no guarantee that tracking won’t occur.

If you intend on parking any vehicles on your new asphalt driveway for any long period of time such as campers, RV’s, boats, trailers, or broken down vehicles, be sure to put a piece of plywood underneath each tire to keep divots from forming. Any consistent movement from wind or daily in and out of one of these vehicles can cause divots to form in the asphalt.

These unsightly divots are virtually impossible to repair without spending hundreds of dollars. Even then still, you may always be able to see the repair due to discoloration.

Also be sure to keep any vehicles from leaking oil or gasoline onto the surface of the new asphalt. Put a piece of wood or cardboard beneath any leaky vehicles.

Under no circumstances… **Never Ever** spill diesel fuel on asphalt! Diesel fuel dissolves the binders in asphalt and will destroy it permanently! If you spill diesel fuel on asphalt, unfortunately the only repair is saw cut, remove and replace.

So... how do we choose between an asphalt driveway and the other 3 types of driveways?

Take into the consideration these things: Budget, curb appeal, the climate you live in, and the amount of maintenance you would like to limit yourself to.

Whether you call it an asphalt driveway, an asphault driveway, a blacktop driveway, tarmac or macadam... their all the same!

Take the guesswork out of hiring a contractor to install your asphalt driveway...

Visit our Trusted Contractor Resource Center to find a reliable asphalt installation contractor!

Asphalt Driveway Maintenance:

Of the 4 types of driveways, an asphalt driveway requires the most frequent amount of ongoing maintenance. A properly installed asphalt driveway with regularly scheduled maintenance can last up to 20 or even 30 years! That variation in age can be determined by the stability of the sub-grade, the quality of the installation, the type and frequency of maintenance, and the climate.

Types of maintenance services you can expect to perform on an asphalt driveway?

Patching, treating oil spots, sealing cracks, weed control, edging, and seal coating.

Asphalt should be sealed every 3 to 5 years and the cracks sealed every fall. This will help slow down the process of deterioration of your asphalt driveway helping to make it last a lifetime!

However, only a quality commercial grade asphalt sealer is recommended and applied either by you or a reputable seal coating contractor. Find a Asphalt Maintenance Products Supplier that we recommend near you!

For more detailed information about the maintenance of a concrete driveway, enter your name and email address into the form on this page, choose your driveway topic and we’ll send you our library of FREE videos right away!

Check out some Colorful Design Ideas and learn how to spruce up your old worn out concrete driveway!

You can also find a reliable Asphalt Maintenance Contractor by visiting our Trusted Contractor Resource Center

Or if you would like to learn how to perform maintenance services on your driveway yourself or get some "Do It YOurself" colorful design ideas, visit our "Do It Yourself" Training Center for great tutorial videos and eBooks!