South Jersey Asphalt Driveway Paving

Since the liquid asphalt in blacktop needs time to harden and cure (which takes 6 to 12 months), your new South Jersey driveway may remain somewhat soft and pliable during that time. You may walk on your new driveway immediately, but keep automobile traffic off it for at least 3 days, or longer in hotter temperatures. Although not as hard as concrete, your asphalt driveway has many advantages and when fully cured will be very durable.

Your new asphalt driveway will soften and harden as temperatures rise and fall. Watering down your driveway with a hose on hot days will cool and temporarily harden the asphalt, which is helpful (but not required). If soap suds should appear, don't be alarmed; this is just a reaction between the diesel fuel found in asphalt and a high chlorine content found in some city water.

During the first 6-12 months after your South Jersey asphalt driveway has been installed, it's still curing. So during this period, don't park your car in the same spot every time, and don't turn your steering wheel back and forth when the car is not moving. And your new driveway can be scarred by vehicles pulling in or out too quickly, turning around in tight areas, or just driving too fast.

Excessive weight from large, heavy vehicles can put a depression in your new asphalt driveway. Keep oil trucks, concrete trucks and other heavy vehicles off your new driveway. When storing campers and boats for long periods of time, place a piece of plywood under both the jack and tires.

Lawn chairs and bicycle & motorcycle kickstands exert weight on concentrated areas and will create holes and depressions in your new driveway. Especially watch out for pointy high heels during the warm months when your driveway is new. And avoid using jack stands or car ramps on your asphalt driveway unless a piece of plywood is placed under them to help distribute the weight.

The edges are the weakest part of your driveway due to the lack of side support. Avoid driving on the edges as this can cause them to crack and crumble. We suggest building up the sides of your driveway with topsoil to approximately one inch from the top of the driveway to allow room for sod growth and water drainage. This will support the edges and enhance the appearance after the grass is grown.

Your driveway may look smoother in some areas than in others because of the makeup of asphalt. Blacktop has various sizes of stone, sand, liquid asphalt, and other ingredients which can cause a varied texture of the surface. Also, driveway areas that have been raked and spread with hand tools may appear different in texture from those spread by machine. And although every effort is made to avoid puddles in your driveway, some small ones are inevitable depending on the natural slope and drainage of your ground.

Grass and weeds can have deep roots, so although efforts are made to remove and kill grass and weeds before your driveway is paved, they could still push up through your driveway at some point. A spot weed killer can correct this.

Avoid gasoline, oil, anti-freeze, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid spills and leaks on your new asphalt driveway. Any holes left by these spills should be filled with cold patch. And any hairline cracks that may have developed over the winter due to natural contraction and expansion of the ground should be filled with crack filler or sealer, which we can apply for you.

To help preserve your new South Jersey asphalt driveway, it should be sealed after it has been paved. Unprotected driveways remain porous and can dry out, become rough, and lose their life rapidly. This results in deterioration, ridges, and upheaval due to frost and freezing. Asphalt is also softened and broken up by gasoline, lube oil, grease, road salts and anti-freeze which drip from vehicles. Sealer protects asphalt with a coating that can protect your asphalt driveway from these harmful elements and also fills and seals hairline cracks. Sealing too soon, however, may cause damage to your driveway. Contact us for our recommendation on the best time to seal your driveway. With a professional job and scheduled maintenance, you can preserve the life and beauty of your new South Jersey asphalt driveway for many years to come!