Every year homeowners invest their precious time and money to improve their home, but did you know that your driveway has a substantial impact on its total value? For homes that are on the market, driveways are one of the primary exterior features analyzed during an inspection - this is because a well-maintained driveway can significantly enhance a property’s aesthetic appeal and longevity, whereas the opposite can greatly detract from it.
By investing in proactive maintenance such as sealcoating, you can extend the lifespan of your driving surfaces by protecting them from harsh Colorado elements like snow, hail, rain, intense sunlight, and frequent periods of freezing and thawing. At the Asphalt Doctors, we have experience working with all types of commercial and residential driveways - what follows is our comprehensive guide detailing the importance of regularly sealing an asphalt driveway.
Sealcoating is one of the most effective ways to maintain an asphalt driveway, making it look brand new aesthetically and impervious to damage from weather and wear. It involves applying a viscous liquid very similar to asphalt on top of the original asphalt surface, which can be applied in a targeted manner over cracks and chips or across the entire surface. Sealcoating is essentially a protective barrier that shields the original asphalt surface against anything that might wear it down or cause it damage.
Composed of either coal tar pitch or asphalt cement mixed with inert fillers, water, emulsifying agents, and additives, the result is a smooth, black finish that resembles what asphalt looks like when it is new and freshly laid. At Asphalt Doctors, we utilize a specially designed coal tar emulsion sealer that meets all federal government specifications.
There are many reasons why asphalt can fail including poor initial installation, low-quality materials, water ingress (mixed with periods of freezing and thawing), extensive use, overloaded weight, intense UV rays, and more. The most common factor that damages asphalt, however, is surface water that seeps into the asphalt and causes it to expand and contract when it freezes and thaws. Mixed with poor drainage and compounding damage from potholes, asphalt can deteriorate quickly once the damage has begun.
As mentioned above, once asphalt has received some damage such as the development of a crack or a small pothole, further damage can spread quickly in exponential fashion. What starts as a simple, almost invisible crack leads to a larger crack, which then leads to a pothole that eventually grows into an entirely broken section of the driveway.
When your driveway is not properly maintained, therefore, you can expect to see more damage and more costly repairs quickly add up over the course of its life until it needs a premature replacement. The only way to prevent these expensive repairs and replacements is to invest in regular sealcoating of the asphalt driveway.
The benefits of regularly sealing an asphalt driveway include:
You should consider sealing your driveway as needed as well as on a routine basis. If you notice that your driveway is becoming gray and dried out or is forming small cracks and chips, this is definitely a sign that your driveway needs to be sealed before it starts developing even more significant damage.
On the other hand, you should also consider sealing your driveway routinely. Depending on how much the driveway is used and whether it tends to hold a lot of weight or get access to a lot of moisture and sunlight, the frequency your driveway needs to be sealed will vary. As a rule of thumb, we recommend resealing your driveway at least once every two years, and more frequently if you have the means to do so. Despite the added cost, the benefits of routinely sealing your asphalt driveway are worth it, because, in the long run, significant repairs and replacements will end up costing you far more than a routine sealing.
While it is possible to sealcoat your driveway yourself, it is always recommended to hire the help of professional sealcoating services unless you have all the equipment you need and a lot of experience using it. Renting or purchasing seal coating equipment in itself often makes a DIY job more expensive than simply hiring a professional, and if you don’t have experience sealcoating, it’s likely that the end result will be uneven and ineffective at protecting the asphalt driveway.
Conditions must be right to have sealcoating done. The temperature must be at least 45 degrees for no less than 24 hours during and after the application and it cannot be applied if rain is expected in the next 24 hours. No vehicles are allowed on the surface during the application process and must remain off of the surface for 24 hours after the application. Be sure to turn off all the sprinklers as well so the surface doesn’t get wet.
The pavement will be swept and blown clean before being cured and treated with a primer. Two applications of the sealcoat will be applied, and all edging/ small spaces will be hand-applied with a squeegee. The first coat is applied with 30 mesh sand to create a thicker coat, and the second coat is sprayed on by a mechanical applicator to obtain an optimum sealcoat.
Sealcoating is one of the most important elements of a pavement management plan, and it is highly recommended that asphalt driveways are regularly sealed in order to maintain their structural integrity and prevent significant and costly repairs or replacements over time. With summer around the corner, there’s no better time to start protecting your driveway from the harsh Colorado elements - contact the Asphalt Doctors today to learn more or to get started with your sealcoat project!
Potholes can be a significant safety risk. Whether in a private area such as a neighborhood or driveway or in public spaces such as parking lots and highways, they must be repaired as soon as possible. The most common method of fixing potholes is asphalt patching, due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
It’s not worth leaving a pothole to grow and cause more damage! From the experts at Asphalt Doctors, here’s all you need to do about how asphalt potholes are patched.
Any asphalt surface, including parking lots, driveways, roads, highways, and footpaths, can develop potholes. A pothole is a depression in the surface of asphalt where the tar has worn away, most often through extensive use, heavy weight, or weather erosion. Potholes can cause damage to the tires on bikes and vehicles along with a car’s alignment, suspension, and framework.
Potholes can cause a car to swerve or veer slightly, leading to hundreds of road accidents every year. Furthermore, the potholes can grow and size and cause other structural issues if left unattended. It is, therefore, crucial that swift and effective repairs are made.
Potholes can form when cracks develop on an asphalt surface. Heating during the day and cooling at night (along with similar seasonal temperature patterns) can cause the asphalt to expand and contract which causes the cracks to form. Water from rain, snow, and frost enters these cracks and, when the temperature drops below freezing, will cause the cracks to expand, creating more damage. As stress is added with continual traffic and the weight of moving vehicles, these cracks can grow further, developing into larger holes - also known as potholes.
There are several different methods used to repair potholes, including skin, infrared, and full-depth patching.
Skin patching is a quick method for repairing minor defects in asphalt surfaces, such as low areas, depressions, minor rutting, delamination, and slight deterioration. This method replenishes the top layer of asphalt.
Infrared patching is used for critical repairs such as high-traffic area potholes, pavement heaving, uneven surfaces surrounding catch basins, and rough surfaces. This method allows for deep penetration asphalt repair in a short period of time.
Full-depth patching is a patching method for major displacement, faulting, alligatoring, potholes, and other asphalt defects that require the asphalt to be patched at its full depth. This method completely removes and replaces damaged asphalt.
How potholes are patched will vary slightly depending on the solution chosen, but they all follow a general set of steps.
Some asphalt surfaces, such as footpaths, may be different, but most asphalt surfaces are laid on top of a foundation of compacted gravel that sits above the soil layer. An evaluation of the condition of the foundation will ensue before beginning any repair work.
All damaged asphalt will need to be removed including the surrounding space which likely has cracks - any cracks that remain could cause the pothole to reform and become worse. Using an asphalt saw and hammer, a professional team will remove all damaged asphalt, specifically in the shape of a square or rectangle which will last longer than other shapes.
If performing a surface patch for spaces with minimal damage, no asphalt will be removed - a new layer will simply be applied over the surface. If performing an infrared patch, the existing damaged material will be heated and reused on the spot with a mixture of new asphalt material.
Once all damaged material has been removed and the area has been squared off accordingly, the area will be cleaned including all dust, debris, and plant life. Roots need to be carefully removed in order to prevent plants from growing through cracks or the patch.
Now that the area is properly excavated and cleaned, the foundation must be repaired if there is any damage. Top up the foundation with a mixture of gravel and sand, then tamper and compress it accordingly to create a flat surface. Be sure to use a level to check that the foundation is properly repaired.
Surface patching will begin by applying CSS-1H tack coat to the repair surface, followed by a hot asphalt plant mix which is feathered and compacted appropriately. The work is finished by being neatly squared off.
Infrared patching utilizes an infrared heating unit to heat the damaged surface over 6-12 minutes after it has been treated with a reclamite rejuvenating agent. A new hot asphalt plant mix is added to the existing asphalt, and the repair area is raked, tamped, and treated. Finally, the finished product is compacted at least twice in accordance with industry standards and squared off.
Full-depth patching will apply CSS-1H tack coat to exposed vertical surfaces once all damaged asphalt material has been removed. Several layers of new asphalt plant mix are added to the repair area and compacted thoroughly with each application. The job is finished by squaring off the repair area.
After the asphalt surface is repaired, all the old, unused material is hauled away from the repair site in order to be recycled.
All debris resulting from the process will be cleaned and the surface will be fully prepared for future use.
The family-owned team at Asphalt Doctors knows just how important it is that our asphalt surfaces are repaired as efficiently and effectively as possible - that’s why we only use the best practices and materials, and why we hold ourselves to the highest professional standards. We care deeply about our customers, employees, suppliers, and contractors. Contact our team today to schedule your asphalt patch and to learn why our clients love working with us.
Asphalt is one of the most frequently used materials for driveway surfaces due to its durability, cost-effectiveness, and versatility. However, whether it's through heavy use, extreme weather, or even just a long life, asphalt driveways may incur some damage from time to time and require repair.
If you’ve been doing some research, you’ll probably know that there are many different ways to repair an asphalt driveway. Some are better than others, and even our recommended method, asphalt patching, comes in a variety of different forms. From the team of experts here at Asphalt Doctors, here is the best way to patch an asphalt driveway.
Asphalt patching is a broad term referring to the repair of cracks and holes within an asphalt’s surface. Regardless if it is recent or older damage, small or extensive, asphalt patching is the most cost-effective way to repair and protect your pavement. In its most general form, asphalt patching includes the mixing of used and new asphalt that is relaid and paved on top of old asphalt. Damaged sections of the asphalt driveway may be excavated, reheated and mixed with new asphalt, then relaid and tamped down to form a surface that appears and functions like new.
There are several different types of asphalt patching. The first delineation is hot and cold asphalt patching. Cold patching or cold asphalt repairs are fast and don’t require special heavy rolling machines or applicators. Asphalt is simply shoveled or poured into the pothole, crack, or damaged section and tamped down. Cold patching is certainly a temporary fix, but it is much quicker and easier to achieve. This is a great option if you’re looking for a DIY solution for a private road or driveway, but it does not last very long and another repair will likely be due in the not-too-distant future.
Hot asphalt lasts much longer, is much more durable, and provides a more solid base. However, it does require specialist equipment and trained contractors, which makes it a slightly more expensive option. Hot asphalt is the best way to patch an asphalt driveway to ensure longevity and structural integrity, but the type of hot asphalt patching depends on your driveway’s particular situation. Hot asphalt has several different forms that are used in a variety of applications, such as:
Surface “Skin” Patching: this hot asphalt patching method is used for minor defects such as low areas/depressions, minor rutting, delamination or slight deterioration of asphalt. As such, this method is not used for potholes or major breaks.
Infrared Patching: this asphalt patching incorporates a blend of hot-mix asphalt with the original, damaged asphalt. Potholes, cracks, and rough surfaces are excavated, compacted, and reapplied for a seamless restoration. This is a very popular patching method as the infrared rays allow deep penetration asphalt repair and reclaiming without causing burning, scaling, or separation of the asphalt from the aggregate. Infrared patching has additional advantages including cost savings, as the project is completed with fewer raw materials; time savings, as this repair option takes less time than traditional asphalt resurfacing; seamless repairs, as the patch bonds to the existing surface and produces no joints for water to penetrate; and fewer traffic interruptions, as the patch can be driven on almost immediately.
Full Depth Patching “R&R”: Full depth patching is another hot asphalt patching method, used primarily for major damage that requires the full depth of the asphalt to be repaired or replaced. Damage such as displacement /faulting, alligatoring, and major potholes need this type of repair.
There are certain situations when a new asphalt driveway may be recommended over patching. A general rule of thumb is that asphalt driveways will have a lifetime of 15-20 years. If your driveway is at this age or beyond, we recommend a new driveway as the amount of repairs it will need will only increase and a new driveway will be much more cost-efficient. Similarly, if your driveway has cracks and potholes covering one-third or more of the driveway, a replacement will be more cost-efficient than trying to repair it all.
If, however, your driveway is still generally young and the damage is not too extensive, patching will always be recommended because it will be less expensive and much quicker to complete.
Many people might wonder whether the best way to patch an asphalt driveway is to hire the help of a professional contractor or to get it done as a DIY project. The answer to this ultimately depends on your goals. If you want the quickest and least expensive asphalt patch, then a DIY repair will be the way to go. Unfortunately, DIY projects are only able to use cold asphalt mix as hot mix requires extensive experience and heavy machinery that is hard to use and expensive to rent.
If your goal is to patch your asphalt driveway with a solution that will be durable, long-lasting, and structurally sound, then hot asphalt patching with the help of a professional is the wiser choice. If time is your biggest concern, hot mix takes slightly longer to apply than cold mix, but in most situations, a driving surface can still be ready within a few hours!
The best type of asphalt patching largely depends on the particular situation of your asphalt driveway, such as the extent and type of damage. Working with experts such as the Asphalt Doctors will not only be able to provide all the most effective types of asphalt patching, but our experienced team will help you determine the optimal patching method that your driveway needs.
If you’re ready to get started with your asphalt patching project or if you still have a few more questions, don’t hesitate to contact the friendly professionals at Asphalt Doctors today!
Recycled asphalt, or reclaimed asphalt, is among the most common surfacing materials for roads, parking lots, footpaths, and playgrounds. But what exactly is recycled asphalt, why is it important, and how does it work?
Read on to learn all about recycled asphalt from our team of experts.
Asphalt is a man-made material primarily composed of a binding substance (bitumen) and aggregates. Bitumen is a black, viscous by-product of oil, and aggregates are a mixture of crushed rock, sand, and gravel. Combined, asphalt is a durable and cost-efficient material for surfacing outdoor spaces.
There are many benefits of asphalt.
Asphalt is recyclable using advanced commercial equipment. While an existing asphalt surface can be crushed and recycled offsite, new techniques allow asphalt to be recycled and relayed onto the roadway or surface structure without being transported elsewhere. This can include additional recycled asphalt millings to supplement surface repair or as a sub-base material directly beneath the surface.
Recycled asphalt is an economically efficient and environmentally friendly way to repair surfaces, including road shoulders, potholes, utility cuts, etc. Asphalt is chemically composed of residue from the distillation of petroleum (resins and oils) along with compounds of hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and oxygen – being able to recycle these chemical components has a significant impact by reducing the environmental footprint of acquiring more production material.
Asphalt is recycled through hot and cold methods, either offsite at a central processing facility or in-place recycling.
Recycled hot mix is often produced at a processing facility. The process produces a finished granular asphalt product processed to the desired gradation. This product is subsequently incorporated into hot-mix asphalt paving mixtures as an aggregate substitute.
Hot in-place recycling is a process of repaving that is performed as either a single or multiple-pass operation using specialized heating, scarifying, rejuvenating, lay down, and compaction equipment. There is no processing required before the actual recycling operation. One of the most common techniques is called ‘infrared patching.’
The asphalt processing requirements for cold mix recycling are similar to those for recycled hot mix, except the asphalt product is incorporated into cold mix asphalt paving mixtures as an aggregate substitute.
The cold in-place recycling process involves specialized plants or processing trains, whereby the existing pavement surface is milled to a depth of up to 6 inches, processed, mixed with asphalt emulsion (or foamed asphalt), and placed and compacted in a single pass. There is no processing required before the actual recycling operation.
Recycled asphalt is used to construct, repave, patch and repair driving surfaces along with walk and bike paths, parks, outdoor basketball courts, schoolyards, and more. Recycled asphalt saves money on time and materials instead of investing in an entirely new surface, extending the lifetime, safety, and good appearance of an existing asphalt surface.
Recycling asphalt is a process that requires both experience and commercial equipment, such as crushers, infrared heating machinery, screening units, conveyors, and stackers. In addition to these hurdles, asphalt contains potentially hazardous materials that are dangerous if not handled with the proper care, expert techniques, or safety equipment. It is recommended that recycling asphalt is left to professionals.
Recycled asphalt is the best method for repaving an existing surface because it is less expensive, faster, and more environmentally friendly than newly created asphalt admixtures alone.
Asphalt recycling may seem complex at first, but you don’t have to face it by yourself. If you manage an asphalt surface that needs repaving, don’t hesitate to contact the experts in recycled asphalt today!
