What Is Damaging Your Asphalt Driveway In Springfield?
Nothing improves your curb appeal more than an asphalt driveway in Springfield. A properly installed driveway offers decades of beauty and reliability. However, contrary to popular belief, asphalt driveways aren’t immune to damage. In fact, your driveway paving is up against countless damaging factors that threaten its appearance, durability, and safety. Here are some of the most common causes of damage for Springfield driveway paving.
Can Poor Installation Lead to Later Damage for an Asphalt Driveway in Springfield?
Unfortunately, not all driveway paving companies will deliver a final product that lasts. Driveway paving may seem simple, but it requires significant planning and engineering. Even a straightforward asphalt driveway in Springfield needs expertise to construct.
Driveway paving companies should go the extra mile, testing the soil before taking steps to prepare the subbase layers. All properties are different, but subbase preparations typically involve amending the soil, compacting it to increase load-bearing capacity, and adding consecutive layers of aggregate to build up a foundation that lasts. If asphalt paving companies skip any of those crucial steps or fail to engineer the surface to meet your needs, damage will occur.
The finished product may look fine, but poor installation can lead to significant issues with your asphalt driveway in Springfield in the long run.
What Impact Does Harsh Weather Have on Driveway Paving?
An asphalt driveway can withstand decades of exposure, but that doesn’t mean that weather can’t or won’t cause harm. Harsh conditions can take a toll, especially in Southwestern Missouri. Snow and cool temperatures can lead to freeze/thaw damage. Meanwhile, rainfall can erode the soil below your pavement. Even exposure to the sun causes issues as those harsh UV rays cause the binders within your asphalt driveway to oxidize, turning your once pliable surface into a brittle, crack-prone disaster!
Fortunately, there are many ways that asphalt paving companies can protect your driveway from harm. Services like sealcoating act as a shield against tough weather, keeping your driveway paving in excellent shape regardless of the conditions.
Can Excessive Loads Damage Asphalt Paving?
Driveway paving companies build surfaces to support the intended traffic load. Every step of the driveway paving process changes based on the types of vehicles and how much weight the finished surface must accommodate. For instance, typical Springfield driveway paving is just two to three inches. However, a high-traffic parking lot may have six inches or more of asphalt!
Exceeding the weight limits of your asphalt driveway has its consequences. If asphalt paving companies engineered your driveway to hold only standard consumer vehicles, using it to carry heavy machinery or RVs will cause damage. The excessive weight causes the asphalt to buckle and lose its shape, resulting in depressions, settling, potholes, cracks, and more.
Do Oil Spills and Road Chemicals Harm Springfield Driveway Paving?
Don’t ignore those oil spots that develop on your asphalt paving! Leaking vehicle fluids, such as refrigerant and oil, can harm the binders within your asphalt paving, causing rapid oxidation and deterioration. The same applies to road chemicals, such as de-icing salt. Any substances your tires collect on the road can accelerate the freeze/thaw cycle, weaken the binders in your asphalt, and cause other forms of damage.
Clean your pavement regularly and address chemical spills as soon as possible to minimize their impact. You can also work with driveway paving companies to get regular sealcoating that protects your asphalt.
Can Standing Weather Create Issues for an Asphalt Driveway in Springfield?
Standing water can wreak havoc on Springfield driveway paving. Asphalt paving is naturally water resistant. However, standing water can contribute to issues like raveling. It can also weaken the material. In the worst-case scenario, water can seep into the cracks of your asphalt paving, damaging the foundation. When that happens, water can erode the soil, weakening those crucial underlying layers to the point where potholes and eventual structural failure occur.
There are several steps that asphalt paving companies can take to prevent these issues. Contractors can make drainage improvements, preferably during the paving process. Achieving the proper slope and installing French drains go a long way to avoid standing water.
Frequent crack filling and sealing, combined with regular sealcoating, can also help prevent water-related issues.
Need help preventing and addressing damage to your Springfield driveway paving? Action Asphalt has you covered! We’re among the most trusted driveway paving companies serving Southwestern Missouri, including Springfield and the surrounding areas. We offer various services to meet your needs, including new paving, repairs, sealcoating, resurfacing, and more. At Action Asphalt, we have the expertise to solve repair issues of all sizes and scopes, all while providing services to help you mitigate the effects of damaging elements.
Let us take care of your asphalt driveway. Call Action Asphalt at (417)815-0185, email actionasphalt417@gmail.com, or use our online form to get a free, no-obligation quote today!
