If you have recently invested in asphalt pavement, you should spend time ensuring you are prolonging its life. The pavement can quickly lose its curb appeal and begin to look a little rough around the edges if you don’t. If you take care of it properly, asphalt pavement can stay in great condition for around 15 years.

Like any material, asphalt is prone to damage from weather conditions, human use, and vehicles. But, with a proper maintenance regime, you should avoid most of the things that would usually start to reduce its lifespan. If you want to prolong the life of your asphalt pavement, here are eight things you can try that should do the trick.

Seal Coating

Coming in first because it’s the most important, seal coating is one of the main things you should invest in if you want to prolong the life of your asphalt pavement. You’ll know if an asphalt pavement has been seal coated because it will have that deep black color of fresh pavement. Sealcoating services in Raleigh are popular due to the high UV index throughout the year and the increased sun exposure that the asphalt pavement is subjected to. This causes UV ray damage and oxidation of the materials, creating a dull appearance.

That’s where seal coating comes in to rescue the day. The coating creates a beautiful black finish that’s very appealing. It’s vital to pick the timing of your seal coating. It’s only worth doing when the previous seal coat has worn off from traffic. Doing it too often can actually cause more damage than it can good.

Asphalt pavement should typically only need sealing every few years. You’ll know when it’s time because you’ll see chunks of the previous seal coating gone. In addition, the oxidation caused by sun exposure can cause water to seep underneath, which damages the structure of the pavement.

Remove Oil Stains

Oil stains are not aesthetically pleasing, but they are pretty hard to avoid. As traffic drives over the pavement, especially from large vehicles, such as trucks, it’s easy for oils to spill out and sit on the pavement. But, it’s not just the aesthetics that you’re going to have a problem with. Oil stains also damage the structure of the pavement by softening it. If you notice the oil stain quickly, oil stain removing solutions will usually do the job.

Of course, it’s not always easy to spot a problem quickly unless you’re watching the pavement all day. If the oil stain looks old, then there’s a chance it has been sitting there for a while, giving it a chance to seep down into the structure of the pavement and begin to damage it. In this case, a stain remover will not work. You would then have to treat the area as if it were a pothole. This would involve using specialized services to cut out the damaged area.

A professional would then recompact the base and fill the hole. That’s why it’s essential to find a solution to a problem with your asphalt pavement efficiently. The longer you leave it, the more damage will be caused. Ensuring that the pavement is free of oil will also help to prevent water damage.

Pothole Corrections

Nobody likes potholes. Whether you’re behind the wheel or the one maintaining asphalt pavement, potholes are an absolute nightmare. Potholes happen as the water within the pavement expands and contracts once it has seeped below the surface. That is why it’s so important to prevent water damage where possible.

As water freezes, it expands and creates more of a surface area, which forces the material to bend and crack. The expanding surface area begins to compromise the structure of the asphalt pavement. This then causes chunks to come away from the surface, leaving a crater beneath. It is so important to get potholes corrected sooner rather than later. Potholes won’t go away on their own, and they will get worse if they’re left alone.

Once a pothole has formed, the added weight from vehicles and further water damage causes more potholes to form and potholes already present to get bigger. Not only does it look bad, but it can cause damage to vehicles as they travel over it. Potholes are fixed by purchasing a seal that temporarily fills the hole. Or, for a more permanent fix, the area is cut away and recompacted. Those working on fixing it will usually put something like these plastic safety barriers around the area to mark the area off so that cars don’t drive into the hole and workers are able to get on with the job even when cars are on the road. In any case, temporary fixes should only be a solution while you wait for a permanent solution.

Preventing Water Damage

As you can tell already, water is asphalt pavement’s biggest enemy. Water damage is costly, but how do you prevent it? You can’t put a raincoat on the pavement and hope for the best. It’s exposed to the elements all year round. As mentioned above, water damage is the cause of potholes, so it’s crucial to try and find a solution.

The best way to prevent water damage is to invest in excellent drainage solutions. Proper draining of water will prevent puddles from forming on the surface. If left, the puddles would be detrimental to the structure of the pavement. If you feel like you could have a better drainage solution, work with contractors to implement one.

You can also prevent water damage by sweeping dirt and debris from the surface of your pavement. Dirt and debris can block the water’s natural flow to drainage areas, causing water to, instead, build up on the surface. You will find that you’ll only have to do this during the months of fall and winter when there is more likely to be debris such as leaves and branches on the ground.

Fill in The Cracks

You’ll often notice a crack before you do a pothole, so it is vital to consider filling in any breaks in the pavement when you find them rather than waiting for them to develop into something bigger. But you should know, although you can fill in a crack, you’re most likely only temporarily fixing the problem. A crack indicates a bigger problem with your asphalt pavement because the structure is compromised.

In general, sealing cracks is one of the best ways of prolonging the life of your asphalt pavement, and it’s far more cost-effective than waiting for a bigger problem to arise. The problem that you have with cracks is they’re a gateway for water to get deep into the structure of the pavement. That then causes water damage which you now know is one of the reasons why potholes form.

Regularly Sweep Up Debris

There are a couple of reasons why you would need to sweep up debris often. The first has already been discussed. A build-up of debris on the road can block the natural water drainage path, causing a build-up of water on the surface.

Not only this but sweeping your asphalt pavement regularly also helps to keep it looking nice. You will have invested a lot of money into your asphalt pavement, so it is good practice to spend some time making sure the pavement looks nice. It will also give you, or someone you employ to do it, time to really inspect the pavement to check for any damage or cracks.

Control The Loads

The larger the vehicle, the larger the load. Larger vehicles, such as garbage trucks, place such a high load on the asphalt pavement that can cause damage. If the structure of the pavement has already been compromised due to potholes or cracks, the chances of damage from a larger vehicle are higher. One thing you can do is move your garbage bins to a location away from the pavement to prevent the trucks from using it. If you have to have them use it, you can purchase concrete pads that help to take the load off the pavement.

Consider Replacement

If your asphalt pavement has seen better days and you’ve done all you can to repair and replace parts, it might be time to consider a replacement. A replacement is a costly investment, but perhaps not as costly as constantly repairing potholes because there is water damage that can’t be fixed. Or, if seal coating is not having an effect anymore, it may be time to consider investing in a complete replacement.

You might find that it’s unsafe and impractical to keep repairing! Once repaired, you will have another 10 to 15 years’ worth of asphalt paving. The actual life expectancy will depend on the location of the pavement and how well it’s maintained. The cost of brand new asphalt pavement will depend on the size of the area that you need covering and the company you’re using.

Asphalt pavement, when maintained properly, can look amazing and be very useful. It’s one of the best pavement solutions due to its durability, and it creates a smoother surface for vehicles to drive on. You’ll find asphalt pavement needs far less maintenance than concrete would need to have.