You just bought your first home and you don’t like the look of your driveway. It was something that made you almost not buy the house, but other elements made it too good to pass up. As a result, you should seriously consider asphalt paving in Springfield, Illinois to improve the look of your driveway and your home in general.
Thankfully, this process doesn’t have to be a confusing one that first-time homeowners struggle to understand. A myriad of professionals exist who will provide you with the high quality asphalt driveway that your home deserves. Just as importantly, these experts will ensure that your driveway lasts for years after installation to make sure that your first home is a place you stay for a while.
Removing any Existing Paving Materials
When you get asphalt paving for your first home, you need to take the time to remove any items that may exist on your driveway. For example, you’ll need to break apart any concrete or asphalt that may have been there from the previous owner. This step is smart, even if the paving is in good condition. You never know how a past tenant treated the asphalt, and replacement ensures you can start over correctly.
This process typically requires heavy machinery that breaks apart the pavement and a variety of forklifts to haul away the debris. Some professionals may use heavy hammers by hand to break apart harder-to-reach areas. In most cases, your paving experts should be able to break apart all of this debris in an afternoon and give you easier access to your driveway.
Another part of this process is the grading and sloping, which typically occurs after any type of driveway installation. The slope must be at a specific grade to ensure that the asphalt dries appropriately and creates a stable surface on which your cars can drive. Typically, this process takes around an hour or so and is usually done by hand to ensure complete accuracy.
Preparing the Sub-Base
After your driveway has been prepared for your asphalt paving, your pavers will then work hard to get your sub-base adequately installed. The sub-base is the area on which your pavement will rest and is, in some ways, the most essential element of your driveway. The sub-base must be strong enough to support your pavement for the rest of its life and must also resist various forms of damage.
Even more importantly, the sub base helps to protect your driveway from freezing and thawing damage and will ensure that it is sturdy and resistant to various types of damage. The sub-base will also keep your pavement from shifting while it sets. This shifting is a significant problem because it may cause the asphalt to crack and could cause other issues that may be hard to manage correctly.
At this point, most paving companies will then add a proof roll to ensure that the surface is as stable as possible. A proof roll involves pushing the surface with a large truck to compact the sub-base and the dirt beneath it. This process not only helps to prepare your sub base but tests its strength at the same time and will ensure that your driveway is in great shape for years to come.
Binder and Asphalt Surface Installation
By now, your paving experts have probably been working for 2-4 hours and are ready to start the full paving process. As a first-time homeowner, it can be hard to sit and wait for these experts to finish, but this process takes some time and you can’t rush it. After the sub-base has been adequately prepared and tested with the proof roll, you’ll need a binder element installed.
The binder is an aggregate of materials, including various types of oils, that make up the majority of your asphalt paving. This process requires your paving experts to pour in the asphalt slowly and to spread it along the slope of your new driveway. Most of the time, this process will occur more quickly than you might think and should add less than an hour to the total installation.
Though the binder makes up a majority of your new asphalt driveway’s support, the surface is also an important consideration. The surface uses a different aggregate – including sand, oil, and various small stones – to make your surface stronger and more beautiful. This surface asphalt also creates a shinier and more attractive surface that will make your new driveway match your home’s style.
Finishing Up
At this point in the process, your asphalt paving is nearly complete. However, your paving experts need to perform a few finishing steps to ensure that your driveway is protected. The first of these is to smooth the transition from your driveway to the road. Often, this requires compressing or cutting away some of the surface asphalt to ensure that there are no bumps when you enter or leave your driveway.
Next, the asphalt needs to get a variety of butt joints along its edges to ensure that the grading and water run-off are both accurate. Typically, this process requires building up various areas of the driveway or smoothing them down to make your surface more level. Most professionals should have little difficulty finishing this step in 30-45 minutes, though time may vary.
Lastly, the asphalt experts will wait for a few hours to see how your paving material dries. In some cases, heat or cold may cause expansion or contraction that ruins your asphalt. They will make any adjustments necessary during this process to ensure that your driveway is protected. This step is particularly crucial for first-time homeowners who have never gone through this process before.
Make Your Home Flawless
As you can see, the process of installing a new asphalt driveway will take around 7-8 hours or so, which will vary depending on the speed of your paving experts and their finishing touches. Try to find professionals who take their time, as people who rush are more prone to make mistakes. And try to find an asphalt stain that matches your home or compliments its style.
So if your home needs services for asphalt paving near Springfield, Illinois that you can trust, make sure to turn to us to get the great driveway that your home needs. Our professionals will work with you to evaluate the nature of your driveway, the benefits of asphalt, and help determine which kinds of maintenance procedures you will need if you ever run into any cracks or breaks in the surface of your pavement.