Easy Steps to Asphalt Maintenance - Arnold Asphalt

A well-maintained, crack-free asphalt surface with a dark coat and crisp lines is an attractive feature enhancing the value of any property. It serves as an invitation to residents, guests and customers, and adds significant curb appeal. Keeping asphalt that way demands consistent maintenance, however. Driveways, parking lots, roads and other asphalt surfaces come in countless shapes and sizes, all requiring the same basic four steps to remain in top condition.

Keep It Clean

The easiest—yet no less important—thing to do is to stay on top of your janitorial duties where your asphalt is concerned. You can’t accomplish any other tasks if debris and garbage are all over your driveway or parking lot. Invest in a leaf blower, and regularly pick up the garbage that may wander onto it (or at least hire a service to do it for you). Make sure weeds and related fauna don’t grow in any cracks, and keeps those clear of the corners of your asphalt as well.

Patching

Once the blacktop has been properly cleaned and prepared for maintenance, the next step is to repair cracks and potholes. An asphalt crack creates a foothold for the elements to begin deteriorating the surface. Left unchecked, cracks can expand, and eventually turn into potholes. Skipping this step would be like painting over a crumbling dam—not exactly fixing the most pressing problem. Sealing up cracks and patching potholes as they occur will prevent further damage and more large-scale excavation and replacement in the future.

Sealcoating

Filling cracks and patching potholes is an effective way of repairing damage that has already occurred, but sealcoating is one of the most important steps to helping prevent future damage to the asphalt surface. That’s because a good layer of asphalt sealer, reapplied every two years or so, keeps the blacktop flexible and creates an important, protective barrier between the asphalt and the elements.

Painting

Line striping is the fourth and last stage of the asphalt maintenance cycle. It’s the process of repainting the lines that direct traffic where to drive and park. If you’ve just sprayed a layer of asphalt sealer over your existing lines, then it’s important to line stripe, immediately. Otherwise, the lot will look unfinished and drivers won’t know where to go, resulting in chaotic and even dangerous situations.

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