Tips on having your driveway paved

by | Apr 8, 2013 | Construction and Maintenance

A paved driveway is a great way to add value and curb appeal to any home. Driveway paving in Middletown CT is a method of providing a surface which is safer, resistant to damage and much easier to maintain and keep clean that a gravel drive. Paved driveways are fast to lie; are a reasonable cost and pay for themselves in damage reduction to both vehicles and people. To make sure you get a quality product there are a few things that you need to know about the asphalt itself and the contractors that do the job.

As with everything else, you need to fully understand what it is you’re buying before you proceed. In this instance, we are looking at asphalt that will be used for Driveway Paving In Middletown CT. There are things you need to pay attention to and there are certain rules to be followed. Learning a bit about asphalt will help you decide how it is to be laid and how to make sure you are getting the most capable company to do the job.

The types of asphalt drives:
There are two types of drives; asphalt and chipped seal. Both of these surfaces are put down over a base of leveled gravel. The base is very important in assuring an excellent driveway surface. The base material must be kept at a minimum of two inches and a maximum of eight inches, the thickness of the gravel base depends on the sub-soil. The idea of an excellent base is to make sure that the Driveway Paving In Middletown CT will not crack, settle or get lumpy.

Asphalt, which is one of the two surfaces is a mixture of stone, sand and bitumen, which can be considered as a cement. The bitumen is heated until it reaches a liquid state and then mixed with the aggregate of stone and sand. The resulting material is spread evenly over the base and rolled until the surface is hard. Asphalt drives are ideal if your home is in an area where there is snow on the winter as black absorbs the heat from the sun and helps to melt any ice that has formed on the surface.

The other surface is called chipped seal. This type of drive is created when about a third of the bitumen which is used in asphalt is replaced with water. As this mixture is being laid, the heat evaporates the water. As the evaporation is taking place, a thin veneer of crushed stone is put over the surface. When the stone is rolled, the resulting surface is a unique texture.

Either of these two surfaces makes a long lasting, easy to maintain drive which adds appeal to your home.

For professional driveway paving in Middletown CT you are invited to contact Sullivan Paving Co., Inc. They have been handling both big and small paving jobs since 1965.

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