TIPS FOR MAINTAINING YOUR NEW ASPHALT DRIVEWAY
- Since the liquid asphalt in blacktop needs time to harden and cure, usually 6-12 months, your
driveway will remain soft and pliable until then. You may walk on your new driveway immediately,
however, please refrain from automobile traffic for a minimum of 24 hours (longer during hotter
temperatures). Even after the blacktop has cured, do not expect it to be as hard as concrete.
- Your new blacktop will soften and harden as temperatures rise and fall. Watering down your
driveway with a hose on hot days will cool and temporarily harden the blacktop. This is helpful,
but not mandatory.
- Blacktop is scarred by automobiles starting out to fast, pulling in to quickly and just plain driving
too fast. During the first 6-12 months, while your driveway is curing, try to avoid parking in the
same spot every time. Do not turn your steering wheel back and forth when your car is
not moving.
- Avoid using jack stands or car ramps unless a piece of plywood is placed under them to help
distribute the weight. Excessive weight from large heavy vehicles can depress your new
blacktop. Keep oil trucks, concrete trucks and any other heavy trucks off your new driveway.
When storing campers for long periods of time, again, place a piece of plywood under the
tongue jack and also under the tires.
- Lawn chairs, bicycles and motorcycle kickstands exert weight on concentrated areas and can
create holes or depressions in your new driveway. Especially watch out for those pointy high
heels during the warm months when your driveway is new.
- The edges are the weakest part of your driveway due to the lack of side support. Avoid driving
on the edges as they will crack and crumble in time. We suggest building up the sides of your
driveway with topsoil. This will support the edges and enhance the appearance after grass is
grown.
- Your driveway may look smoother in some areas than in others because of the makeup of the
blacktop. Blacktop has various sizes of stone, sand, liquid asphalt and other ingredients which
cause a varied texture on the surface. Also, blacktop areas that have been raked and spread
with hand tools may appear different in texture than those spread by machine.
- Avoid gasoline, oil, antifreeze, power steering and transmission fluid spills and leaks.
These will dilute the liquid asphalt in your blacktop. Any hole left by these spills should be filled
with cold patch. Any hairline cracks that may have developed over the winter due to the
contraction and expansion of the ground should be filled with crack filler. These products can be
purchased from your local building supply store.
- To preserve your new driveway, it is advisable to seal coat it after it has been paved. Sealing
too soon, however, may cause damage to your new drive. The best time to seal is 6-12 months
after it has been paved and every 2-3 years thereafter. Because blacktop is naturally porous,
water can seep into and through the paving. This not only causes deterioration, but results in
ridges and upheaval due to frost and freezing. Blacktop is also softened and broken up by
gasoline, lube oil, grease, road salts and antifreeze which drips from cars. Sealer protects
blacktop with a coating that is impervious to these harmful elements. Unprotected driveways
remain porous, dry out, become rough, and lose their life rapidly.
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