After a new asphalt surface has been installed, specific guidelines should be followed while the asphalt "cures", or hardens.

As a rule of thumb, don't drive on your new asphalt for 3-5 days, and don't park on it for 7-10 days.  This length of time depends on several factors, and some asphalt surfaces can be designed for immediate use within 1-3 days.  Ask the job foreman or superintendent to be sure.

The new asphalt surface will be more stable during the cooler hours of evening and early morning.  The new surface can also be cooled with water from a garden hose.

Avoid turning the steering wheel while a vehicle is not moving.  If you forget, you may cause some displacement, or "shoving" of the new asphalt surface.  If this happens, you can cover the impacted area with a board and hammer the surface back into place. Parking in exactly the same spot every day can cause some displacement.  This impact can be reduced by parking in the shade or by varying your parking spot even just a few inches.

Bicycle kickstands, lawn chairs, trailer hitches and ladders have small feet that easily sink into new asphalt.  Place a board under small feet like these to spread out the weight.  Or keep these items off your new asphalt altogether.

In a state like Minnesota with frequent freeze-thaw conditions, thermal cracking will occur.  Cracks can be minimized by installing a solid base under your asphalt.  A paving base can be stabilized by making it deeper, by choosing high-quality materials, and by reinforcing with a geotextile product.

Some cracking is inevitable.  Filling cracks is important.  Generally, any crack over a 1/2" wide should be filled.  A hot rubberized crackfiller provides the longest-lasting solution.  This is the material that you see used on city streets.  This material can expand and contract, and it can withstand plowing.  An alternative is a cold pourable crackfiller.  You will most likely need to replace this cold-applied material on a yearly basis.

2-3 years after your new asphalt is installed, we recommend sealcoating with a cold asphalt-based emulsion sealer.  An asphalt-based sealer is a flexible product that moves with the asphalt as it expands and contracts.  Most asphalt surfaces are coated with a coal-based sealer that is rigid and develops unattractive hairline cracks.  Sealcoating should be repeated every 2-5 years, depending upon the porosity of the surface, exposure to sun, usage, and personal preference.

A hot rockseal, or chipseal, can be applied to provide another wearing surface.  Generally we only recommend chipseals for parking lots and to add traction on steep driveway inclines.  The hot oil and small rocks will stick to shoes on a hot day, and may cause tracking.  Spreading sand over those areas will minimize the tracking.  A fractured aggregate should be used rather than a pea rock.  Using a granite stone is less dusty than a traprock.

Enjoy your new asphalt and call us with any other questions you have or if you would like help in maintaining your surface.