Your asphalt driveway can have a long life and look nice as long as you keep up with repairing cracks and holes. A residential asphalt paving company can help maintain your driveway so it doesn't fall into disrepair.

Since your driveway is one of the first things guests see, you want it to be in good shape and have a nice dark color. Fading and cracks are two common problems with asphalt driveways. Here's what a residential asphalt paving contractor can do to help with these problems.

Restore Color To Faded Asphalt

Asphalt fades due to sun exposure. The sun dries out the binder and the aggregate can start to show through. This gives your driveway a neglected, faded look. There are a couple of ways to make an old driveway dark again. One is with sealcoating and the other is with resurfacing.

Sealcoating involves painting a thin coating over the old driveway after all the cracks are repaired. It's a good idea to have a new coating applied before the old one wears away. If you keep up with sealcoating, your driveway can stay black throughout its life. Plus, the coating protects the asphalt from sun damage.

Resurfacing is different. This involves applying hot asphalt over your driveway instead of a thin coating. The new asphalt makes your driveway look new since it will have a rich black color. Resurfacing is often done to add more years of life to your driveway, so you should talk to your residential asphalt paving contractor to see if sealcoating or resurfacing is right for your driveway.

Fill In Cracks And Holes

Your asphalt contractor can patch nearly any type of asphalt damage. However, when a large part of your driveway is covered in cracks, the contractor may recommend resurfacing the driveway instead. Cracks can be filled with asphalt crack filler.

The contractor can use a machine that applies hot rubberized patch material to the cracks. The patch material can be poured in holes and over larger areas of alligator crumbling. Alligator crumbling might suggest the base under the cracks isn't stable. Your contractor might want to check the base, and if it's washed out, they may cut away the alligator crumbles to expose the base so it can be repaired before covering it with new asphalt or patching material.

A residential asphalt paving contractor will consider your finances and how long the repairs are expected to last when deciding on the best way to make repairs. In some cases, temporary repairs may be suitable, but other times, you may want repairs that last the lifetime of your driveway even if they cost more.

For more information about residential asphalt paving services, contact a local company.