Your new asphalt paving project is complete. Now what?
New asphalt pavement is a significant investment. It’s likely that your business shelled out thousands of dollars to have it installed, so the last thing you want is to affect it in some way that damages it or reduces its lifespan.
Fortunately, you have a great level of control when it comes to determining the life of your pavement. Here are the biggest dos and don’ts to be mindful of after a new asphalt paving project has been completed!
What to DO After an Asphalt Paving Project
Allow the new pavement to fully cure
While asphalt is known for its fast drying times, it’s important to steer clear of it for the first 24–48 hours—and perhaps a little longer if your hot-mix asphalt is installed during the summer. This will give the asphalt plenty of time to harden so that it can support heavy loads. It will also prevent unsightly shoe or tire marks!
Create a routine maintenance schedule
Timely maintenance is the key to long-lasting asphalt pavement. If you’re a business owner or high-level manager, however, you may struggle to remember when various maintenance tasks are due. A maintenance schedule can help combat this. By asking your local asphalt paving company to build out a schedule, you will be reminded whenever simple tasks are due!
Sealcoat your asphalt surface
Sealcoating is an important maintenance service that will help safeguard your pavement against various types of damage—such as spills, stains, and damage caused by UV rays. This thin protective layer should be added a few months after new asphalt has been pavement, and roughly every 2–3 years following.
What NOT to Do After an Asphalt Paving Project
Ignore pavement damage or issues
One of the fastest ways to negatively impact the life of your pavement is to ignore issues when they arise. While asphalt is a very durable material, it is not immune to stains, cracks, potholes, and other types of damage. Unfortunately, these issues will only become worse if they are not addressed. Call up your local asphalt paving contractor as soon as you spot them!
Drive fast on new asphalt pavement
While new asphalt can be driven on roughly 24–48 hours after it has been paved, drivers should use caution for at least a few weeks afterwards. Avoid fast driving, aggressive braking, and sharp turning, as these efforts will help prevent asphalt scarring.
Abuse the edges of your pavement
Of all of the areas of your new asphalt pavement, the edges are most vulnerable. Driving over them puts unnecessary pressure on your surface, potentially causing it to weaken or even buckle. Avoid driving on these areas, and once the pavement has had the chance to fully cure, support the edges with topsoil.
Do you need high-quality asphalt paving, along with timely maintenance and repair services? Be sure to contact Empire Paving today and receive a FREE quote for your upcoming asphalt paving job in Toronto!
We were very pleased with the professional job done by Empire Paving this fall.
Luciano and his team were very reliable, knowledgeable and able to handle all issues that arose during completion of this project. We would highly
recommend Empire Paving for any paving job!