Paving & Driveways
Paving Your Driveway - the Asphalt Asset
Driveway Materials - Advantages & Disadvantages
Cost Estimates for Paving Options
Paving your Driveway – The Asphalt Asset
Paving an asphalt driveway is well within the skills of most do-it-yourselfers, but it is important to do plenty of research and to determine what is needed to complete the job.
Perhaps the most important part of paving an asphalt driveway is to lay down a good gravel base. A gravel base between 2 and 8 inches thick is sufficient for most jobs. A base that is either too thin or too thick will produce an inferior driveway, so pay careful attention to the base.
Asphalt itself is a mixture of aggregate, and it contains stones, sand and liquid asphalt cement. This cement is a petroleum product which is heated to the point at which it becomes a liquid. This liquid cement and aggregate mixture is poured over the top of the gravel base to create the driveway.
Asphalt will produce a thick, black driveway which absorbs heat in the winter, helping to melt any new snow or ice that falls on the surface. This type of driveway is also quite durable, suffering a minimum of cracks.