FAQ

PAVING AND PARKING LOT EXPERTS IN HILLSBOROUGH, NJ

Q: How do I care for my new driveway?

A: After 1 year you should have your asphalt driveway professionally seal coated by Brandt's Sealcoating. A quality sealer will fill in the small voids or pores in the new asphalt. This prevents water, oil, gas and other solutions from penetrating the surface and damaging the driveway. Furthermore, seal coating prevents from losing the sand and small aggregate in the asphalt, keeping your blacktop looking smooth for years. Upon completion of your job, Brandt Construction Company will give you an information sheet on "caring for your new driveway." This will emphasize the do's and don'ts and offer some important tips and recommendations from us.

Q: When repaving, is it necessary to excavate the old asphalt from my driveway or can it be resurfaced?

A: Older paved driveways become brittle, causing them to crack, paving over a severely cracked and deteriorated surface will cause premature failure to the new asphalt. Therefore, it is best to excavate the old asphalt, re-prep the base and repave. If your driveway only has a few cracks and the pavement is +/- 7 years old, it can be resurfaced. We install petro mat fabric over the cracks, apply tack coat, and repave with 1 ½ -2 inches of new asphalt.

Q: Why are some new driveways rough or "stony" looking?

A: Asphalt is comprised of stone, sand and liquid asphalt. The sand in the mix makes the driveway appear smooth after it is rolled or compacted. The average contractor will not fine rake the material after it is laid by the machine. This results in large voids in the asphalt finished surface and makes it look rough or "stony." Also if the sand is not on the surface, the stones will come loose. Brandt Construction Company fine rakes all material, so whether it's machine laid or areas done by hand, our finish work is as smooth as it gets and will not fall apart.

Q: How thick is the Top Coat of asphalt? And is this enough material?

A: Typically, a Top Coat of asphalt is 2 inches thick after compaction. Top is a finish or final layer of fine aggregate (3/8") hot mix material put over a solid stone base. This is an average or standard asphalt driveway. We offer and strongly recommend a double layer asphalt driveway. A Stabilize Base Course, which is a hot mix asphalt comprised of large aggregate (3/4"), is put over a stone base. Then the Top Coat is applied. This is the best way to construct an asphalt driveway. Stabilize Base provides an extra layer of extremely durable material. This is a step which is far too often skipped and should be seriously considered when paving your driveway. If we install a double layer driveway, the thickness of the Stabilize Base is usually 2 inches thick and the Top is 1 ½ inches thick. This gives you 3 ½ inches total compacted thickness of asphalt and it is comprised of a coarse or strong layer and fine or finish layer. Do not be fooled by contractors wanting to put the Top Coat at 3 ½ inches. It is not the same job. When you get a Base and Top driveway, you will find a greater return on your investment in the long run. The driveway endures heavier traffic, you will notice less movement and settling of the asphalt, less cracking, and overall a longer life span of your driveway.
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