Asphalt sealcoating is a process that is designed to keep asphalt surfaces water-tight and protected from the elements. Think of sealcoating as a protective “paint” that goes over the surface of a driveway or parking lot, giving it a jet black hue while also keeping the asphalt in tip top shape. Asphalt is just a bunch of rocks that are glued together with a petroleum-based binder under a high heat. When installed and compacted, asphalt surfaces give the appearance of being a smooth, impenetrable surface. However, micro-pores exist between each individual rock that makes up the asphalt mix, allowing moisture to find its way through the asphalt layers. Water, being one of the most destructive forces on planet earth, is not something that we want to consistently penetrate asphalt. With moisture in the asphalt layers and in the sub-base underneath, the asphalt is susceptible to damage, especially during the winter months when the ground freezes and thaws. When asphalt gets sealcoated, the sealer fills up the micro-pores in the asphalt and allows water that hits the surface to “shed” versus get absorbed. The goal is to have as much water shed off the surface of the driveway or parking lot as possible to reduce the amount of moisture in the asphalt layers.
March 29, 2022
Two-Phase Paving Process — Remove and Replace
A remove and replace (R&R) is a complete rebuild of the existing driveway or asphalt area. To understand what constitutes an R&R, we must first learn the different layers (materials) that make up an asphalt surface: the sub-grade is the native soil found under the ground (think clay, sand, loam, silt); the sub-base is the layer of compacted material installed on top of the sub-grade, creating the foundation for the eventual installation of asphalt (think runner-crush stone); and the asphalt concrete layers — also known as blacktop, pavement, and macadam — are the drivable surface, installed in two layers, a binder course and a top course. When undergoing an R&R the driveway is completely ripped out to the sub-grade. The sub-grade is then covered with geo-textile fabric and the sub-base is rebuilt with new runner-crush stone. When the new runner-crush stone has been compacted, the asphalt layers are re-paved, starting with the binder course and finishing with the top course.
March 29, 2022
Resurface — What Is A Resurface?
A resurface is installing a new layer of hot-mix asphalt over an existing layer of established pavement — giving the driving area a new surface without doing any excavation or sub-base work. Technically, any pavement can be resurfaced, but resurfaces have to meet a certain set of criteria to be effective and last. First, the existing asphalt cannot have any sub-base failure — which shows itself in tire rutting, alligator cracking, and severe settling. Remember, asphalt is only as good as the foundation that’s underneath it. Second, there shouldn’t be any extensive cracking that runs down to the sub-base, because asphalt “reflects” what is underneath it. Resurfaces are best applied to driveways that have good surface conditions but have sunk at fixed-elevations — garage floors, sidewalks, roadways, curbing, and concrete culverts that the driveway should be flush with. By adding another layer of asphalt over the existing surface (usually 2-inches thick), the driveway can once again be flush with the fixed elevations that it touches.
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