How to Best Take Care of Your Asphalt Driveway

Congrats on your new asphalt driveway! New driveways are investments that require maintenance and care. With some easy care precautions, the new driveway will stay performing and looking like new for years into the future.

Keep Off!

It is perfectly okay to walk on a driveway after it’s paved. However, keep all car traffic off it for at least three days, five days if the outdoor temperatures are higher than 80 degrees. Furthermore, it is better to wait up to fourteen days to park on the new driveway. Usually, new asphalt takes 6 to 12 months to cure and harden, so the driveway will stay slightly pliable and soft until that time. During the curing period, don’t park in the same space every time you pull inside the driveway.

Prevent Spills and Leaks

Asphalt is a material that is oil-based and motor oil, gasoline, power steering/transmission fluids, and antifreeze may cause serious damage to the pavement. Those spills may dissolve the surface of a driveway and cause deterioration. It is better to just not park leaking cars on the new driveway, whatsoever. Clean up all spills using absorbent materials in order to prevent damage. If any of those spills leave a hole, it must be filled using a cold patch.

Seal Coat Application

In order to maximize the lifespan of a new driveway, it is recommended that you seal coat it after you install it. But applying a seal coat too early may cause the driveway’s surface to lock in foreign solvents and oils. The ideal time to seal coat your fresh driveway is   around ninety days after it was paved, but absolutely within one year. In doing so, it’ll protect it from the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays and prevent an overabundance of oxidation from happening. Asphalt sealer provides a protective coating that is impervious to antifreeze, road salt, oil, grease, and gasoline. Plus, a seal coat can fill hairline cracks and keep the driveway looking gorgeous with a jet black finish. An unsealed driveway remains porous, dries out, and becomes rough a lot quicker than those that are seal coated.

Don’t hesitate to call us with any queries you might have regarding asphalt driveways. The pavement pros at Kissner Paving have the expertise and training to provide you with exceptional results at affordable rates.

Kissner Paving
Chattanooga, TN 37402
(423) 634-1920