Look down almost any street in Monmouth County and you will see the same material on most driveways and nearly every shopping center lot: asphalt. That is not an accident. Asphalt handles the conditions New Jersey throws at it, goes in quickly and is practical to maintain over the long haul.
If you are deciding how to pave a driveway or a lot, here are six reasons asphalt deserves a hard look.
1. It Flexes With New Jersey Weather
Asphalt is a flexible pavement. The liquid asphalt binder that holds the aggregate together lets the surface move slightly as the ground beneath it expands and contracts. In a state where temperatures can swing from below freezing at night to the forties by afternoon, that bit of give helps the pavement tolerate freeze-thaw cycles rather than fighting them.
Flexibility is not a substitute for a good base, but on a properly built base it is a real advantage.
2. Installation Is Fast
Most residential driveways are paved in a single day once the base is prepared. The crew removes or mills the old surface, grades and compacts the base, lays the hot mix with a paving machine and rolls it smooth. After that, the surface mostly needs time to cool and harden.
You can usually walk on it the same day and drive on it within a few days, depending on the weather. For a business, that speed matters even more. A parking lot can often be phased so part of it stays open while another section is paved.
3. Renewal Is Straightforward
When asphalt wears out, you are not always starting from scratch. A worn surface on a sound base can be milled and repaved with fresh hot mix instead of being torn out entirely, and failed areas can be cut out and rebuilt as part of that job. Drainage and edge problems can often be corrected on their own before they cause wider damage.
That path lets you deal with problems as they come up, on a budget you can plan around, instead of facing an all-or-nothing replacement.
4. A Clean, Finished Look
A freshly paved asphalt driveway has a deep, uniform black color and a smooth finish that makes the whole front of a house look sharper. It provides strong contrast against lawns, plantings and light-colored siding. For commercial properties, a clean, even lot tells customers and tenants that the property is cared for.
Dark asphalt also helps snow and ice melt a little faster on sunny winter days, since it absorbs the sun’s heat.
5. It Can Be Recycled
Asphalt is one of the most recycled materials in the country. Old pavement removed during milling is commonly processed and reused in new mix or as base material. When a driveway or lot reaches the end of its life, much of it does not have to go to waste.
6. A Smooth, Quiet Ride
Asphalt gives a smooth surface with no joints. Cars roll in quietly, kids can ride bikes and scooters on it, and shoveling is easier without seams to catch a blade. On a parking lot, a smooth surface is also easier for customers to walk across and for sweepers to clean.
What Makes It Last
Every one of these benefits depends on the work done before the asphalt shows up. Proper excavation, grading for drainage, a compacted aggregate base and the right finished thickness are what separate a driveway that lasts from one that starts failing in a few winters. That is where we spend our time on every job.
If you want to see how that process works on a home, take a look at our asphalt driveway paving page. For a homeowner’s angle on the same question, read why an asphalt driveway is a good choice, and if you have heard that asphalt is messy, short-lived or high-maintenance, our post on debunking common asphalt myths sets the record straight.
When you are ready, we will come out, measure and give you a free estimate.
Need this done right?
Dan The Paver handles asphalt driveway paving across Monmouth, Ocean (Toms River and north) and southern Middlesex counties. Free on-site estimates.