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Is Asphalt Right For Your Residential Paving Applications?

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Wondering what material you should use in your next residential paving project? Asphalt is and continues to be the material of choice for residential pavement construction. But before you use it in your home, you should know its various advantages and disadvantages to determine if it's the best choice for you.

Read along to discover the many benefits that it offers as well as some potential drawbacks.

Benefits Of Asphalt Paving 

Asphalt paving appeals to many homeowners because of different reasons. Some top reasons to consider using asphalt for your residential project include the following:

  • Versatility – different types of asphalt, such as hot-mix, warm-mix, cold-mix, perpetual, and porous, are available to suit different paving applications. As a result, asphalt can be used for virtually any paving project, be it new driveway installation or fixing the potholes in your car parking lot. 
  • Speedy construction, maintenance, and repair – since asphalt mixes don't require adding water, asphalt road surfaces tend to cure faster than their concrete cousins. As a result, they can be driven over much sooner than would be possible with concrete roads.
  • Affordability – asphalt pavements are generally cheaper to use than comparable concrete versions. This makes asphalt a suitable paving option if you're on a tight budget.
  • High Performance – asphalt pavements provide smooth surfaces that are quieter and more comfortable to drive on than their concrete counterparts. They're ideal if you wish to maximize the ride quality of your vehicle. 
  • Sustainability – asphalt is a green pavement option as it can be fully recycled to minimize the overall impact of the road construction industry.

The aforementioned benefits of asphalt paving explain why asphalt is a popular choice in the residential market. However, asphalt does have drawbacks as a paving material.

Drawbacks Of Asphalt Paving 

Like other paving materials, asphalt is not indestructible. Daily exposure to environmental factors, such as direct sunlight, rain, ice, and extreme heat or cold can cause asphalt to degrade quickly, shortening the life of your paved surfaces.

As a result, asphalt pavements generally require more maintenance and don't last longer than concrete. For example, you need to reseal your asphalt more frequently than you would for concrete. In the long run, the high maintenance requirements and low durability of asphalt when compared to concrete may offset the financial savings realized initially. 

The best way to get the most out of your asphalt paving projects is to ask an asphalt company for assistance with asphalt installation, maintenance, and repairs.

Contact residential asphalt paving services to learn more. 


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