Ask ten neighbors about asphalt and you will hear ten opinions, and a few of them will be wrong. Most of the bad reputation asphalt picks up comes from jobs that were rushed, under-built or ignored for years, not from the material itself. Here are five myths we hear on estimates around Monmouth, Ocean and southern Middlesex counties, and what is actually true.
Myth 1: Asphalt is a short-term surface
A driveway that falls apart in a few seasons usually had a thin top layer laid over soft, poorly compacted ground. The asphalt was not the weak link; the base under it was. When the old material is removed, the subgrade is graded to shed water, a compacted aggregate base goes down, and the hot mix is placed at the proper thickness and rolled tight, an asphalt driveway is a long-term surface. What you get out of it depends on how it was built.
Myth 2: Blacktop is blacktop, so any crew will do
Two driveways can look identical on the day they are finished and age completely differently. The differences are mostly invisible: how deep the excavation went, whether soft spots were dug out, how the base was compacted, whether the mix arrived hot enough and whether it was rolled before it cooled. A crew that skips steps can still leave a smooth, black surface. You find out a winter or two later. That is why it pays to ask any contractor exactly what they do under the surface, not just what the top will look like.
Myth 3: You can always just pave over the old driveway
Repaving, where the worn top is milled off and a new layer of asphalt goes down, is a smart option when the old driveway is still structurally sound. It is the wrong call when the base has failed. If the existing surface has sunken areas, widespread alligator-pattern cracking or spots that pump water when you drive on them, a new layer will simply copy those problems within a short time. Adding new asphalt without milling also raises the height of the driveway, which can create trouble at the garage, walkway or street edge. Milling first fixes that; when the base is gone, full replacement is the honest answer.
Myth 4: Asphalt can’t handle New Jersey winters
The opposite is closer to the truth. Asphalt is flexible, so it tolerates the freeze-thaw cycles we get from December through March better than rigid surfaces. Its dark color also helps snow and ice melt off faster on sunny days. Where asphalt does suffer in winter is where water gets into it. Cracks and open edges let water reach the base, the water freezes and expands, and holes follow. That is a drainage and upkeep problem, and it is solvable.
Myth 5: Once it’s paved, you never have to think about it again
No outdoor surface is maintenance-free, and asphalt is no exception. The good news is that the upkeep is simple:
- Keep water moving away from the driveway with working gutters, downspouts pointed away from the pavement and soil graded so it does not pond along the edges.
- Keep the edges supported with soil or lawn so they do not crumble under tires.
- Clean up oil, gas and antifreeze drips promptly, since petroleum products soften asphalt.
- Avoid parking heavy trailers or putting sharp stands on the surface during July and August heat.
- Have broken areas and holes looked at before winter turns small problems into big ones.
Our post on four ways to maintain your asphalt driveway goes into more detail on each of these.
The bottom line
Asphalt is a durable, flexible and budget-friendly surface when it is built correctly and given basic care. If you want to see why so many New Jersey homeowners choose it, read why an asphalt driveway is a good choice. When you are ready to talk about your own property, our asphalt driveway paving page explains how we approach each job, from tear-out to the final roll, and we are always glad to come out for 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.