A smooth surface of asphalt pavement on your property provides you with an attractive and durable surface that protects your vehicles from mud and dust. Over the years of wear and tear from weather and use, your pavement can start to show signs of aging and sometimes fail due to an improper installation, which is something you can avoid with the right tips. Here are some recommendations to help you get your asphalt driveway installed properly with the right preparation and set-up.
Evaluate the Location
If you are installing a brand new asphalt driveway, you will need to consider the slope and the site of the driveway to determine the potential drainage from your pavement's surface. Too much moisture that is allowed to settle and remain on your pavement's surface will cause degradation and cracking of the pavement and failure of the base layers.
Your asphalt professional will evaluate the existing soil on your property to find out if it needs to be replaced with more sturdy and durable drainage material. For example, if your driveway's site contains a lot of soil containing clay, this is not an ideal material to go beneath your pavement's construction and should be removed and replaced with good drainage gravel or sandy soil.
Then, also look at the level of the site for your asphalt pavement, and look at if it contains a slope or is completely level. A level driveway surface will decrease the ability of your pavement to drain water from its surface and water will pool. Therefore, be sure a central ridge with a slight slope is built into your driveway. A professional pavement service should be able to arrange for this proper installation to make sure your driveway lasts for as long as possible. For a driveway that is already going to be on a sloped site, this will promote natural water drainage off to the end of the driveway, where you can install a gutter system to keep the flow of water exiting the area. A concrete gutter, gravel drainage swale, or a French drain are all good options to maximize your pavement's drainage.
Use the Right Edging
After you have installed your pavement over a sturdy base, be sure you finish the installation with good edging materials for the pavement. The edges of your asphalt are going to be flexible as the surface is, and if you don't secure the edges with a good slope and strong edge resource, your edges will crack and unravel shortly. Build up the edges with a stone or brick edging layer or look at a more durable concrete curbing to hold the pavement in place.
Contact a local asphalt service company to get more tips.