3 Important Tips For Properly Installing A Functional Asphalt Driveway

Posted on: 12 May 2021

If you want to install a new driveway, you will want to ensure the driveway is created in a highly practical way. With an asphalt driveway, there are a few things you need to make sure you do right to ensure your driveway lasts.

Install the Asphalt Driveway on a Warm and Dry Day

If you want your driveway to last, you need to install your driveway under the right conditions. The best conditions for installing an asphalt driveway are when the ground has been dry outside for a few days and when the temperature outside is warm but not smoldering hot. If the ground is wet, you will want to reschedule the paving for a dry day. If the temperatures are creeping up to the hundreds, you will also want to reschedule. When it is dry and mild outside, the conditions are perfect for laying the asphalt and the asphalt to cure properly. If you lay down asphalt when it is too hot or cold outside, the asphalt will not cure correctly and will be more susceptible to damage over the long run. Getting the conditions right will improve the long-term prospects of your driveway.

Use Full-Depth Asphalt 

Second, you are going to want to use full-depth asphalt. Full-depth asphalt is a driveway made entirely of asphalt and doesn't use a different material for the driveway base. By using asphalt for the entire depth of the driveway, the driveway will be strong and flexible, and capable of keeping water out. You are going to want a driveway that is around five to six inches thick.

Set Up the Drainage

Third, you will want to ensure that you set up your asphalt driveway so that water drains properly. You will want to grade your driveway, which essentially means sloping your driveway in a manner that allows water to flow away from your driveway. You may want to add a French drain, so deal with any water that runs under your driveway. If you have any nearby downspouts, be sure they are located over the driveway and not the edge, where things can get worn down.

If you want to install an asphalt driveway built to last, get your driveway installed on a warm and dry day. Install a full-depth asphalt driveway, and be sure to set up the right drainage system so that your driveway is not damaged by water over time.

Contact an asphalt service near you to learn more.

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