Homeowners often struggle with this when it comes to paving their driveway. For a regular driveway which is going to be used by regular cars, bicycles and bikes; 2 inches of asphalt is thick enough. Generally for resurfacing, 2 inches of asphalt is just about right, but if you are going for a stone surface and need a good base, it is better to layer up the asphalt thicker, around 3 inches. This will cover up the stones and provide a good base.
But that does not mean that your pavement will not be damaged over the years of usage; you will need to resurface the driveway every few years if you want to keep it in good condition.
Do Heavier Vehicles Cause Damage To Asphalt Pavements?
Yes, heavier vehicles like big trucks can cause a lot of damage to a driveway that has not been constructed for the use of such heavier vehicles. Driveways meant for heavier vehicles are built in a different way. Those driveways are paved with thicker asphalt ? the thickness can be around 5 inches as well! So when you hire a driveway asphalt contractor in Raleigh, NC, make sure that you let him know what kind of vehicles are going to be driven on the driveway. Also, it is recommended that you hire a soils engineer from an asphalt paving Services Company who can examine the type of soil on the land and based on that decide on a pavement method.
Apart from the thickness of the asphalt, here are a few other things that make a good asphalt driveway
Proper drainage also plays a vital role in the construction of a proper asphalt driveway. There should be no moisture. The water should be drained off completely before you can start paving. Driveway asphalt contractor in Raleigh, NC, makes sure that the pavement has a slope so that the water runs off on its own. They also make use of a French pipe to direct water away from the driveway. Water should be drained off from the surface as well as the sub-grade, to make your driveway long-lasting.
It is highly important to hire an asphalt contractor from a reputed asphalt paving services company so that you get the right asphalt mix for your pavement because not all mixes will suit your driveway. Some contractors acquire asphalt mixes from a local mix plant which may not be mixed right, and you will only end up wasting your money. They might even layer up the asphalt thin, so make sure you are present throughout the construction. Although there are some differences regarding the best mix, ideally the asphalt mix should have a higher percentage of asphalt binder as compared to air voids.
