It might feel a long way off, but summer is coming (eventually).
And when it does finally get here and it is safe to take off your thermal vest, it might actually get a bit hot.
We all know about using protection in the summer sun, when it comes to our skin, because of the damage that UV rays can do to it.
But did you know that the sun’s UV rays can do more than pose a risk to your beauty regime? It can also be harmful for your asphalt driveway as well.
As asphalt paving contractors, we are often called to rectify the aftermath of the harsh summer sun on clients’ driveways.
But how can you prevent the damage from happening in the first place?
WHAT THE SUN DOES TO YOUR ASPHALT
Unfortunately, almost as soon as the asphalt has been laid, the sun begins its assault on it.
UV rays mix with oxygen and the chemical binding agents which make the asphalt strong, begin to weaken and break.
The more the sun shines, the more the UV rays are actually destroying your precious asphalt, so that it becomes delicate and breakable.
However, this process doesn’t happen immediately, but over a period of time.
So, the good news is, that if you haven’t had the chance to seal your driveway yet, then there’s still time to do it.
Don’t leave it too long though, prevention is always better than the cure and your driveway needs some TLC now, before the summer sun gets to work on it.
… THEN THE COLD MAKES THINGS EVEN WORSE
It is not just the sun’s rays that makes its mark on your asphalt.
Then, the winter rolls around and makes everything even worse.
Snow, hail, frost and ice – the deadly freeze-thaw cycle gets its claws into your asphalt and weakens the already fragile and damaged driveway further.
HOW TO SPOT THE SIGNS OF DAMAGE
Spotting the signs of damage before it is too late, will help you minimize the harm that the sun does to it.
OXIDATION
Oxidation is detrimental to your asphalt driveway.
It is doubly dangerous to asphalt that doesn’t have the right sort of asphalt binder or essential oils in it. In other words, an asphalt layer that hasn’t been sealcoated.
The sun will speed up this process without the driveway being protected with sealcoat.
CRACKS
The next thing to look out for as a result of sun damage, are the dreaded cracks.
There are lots of reasons for your asphalt driveway cracking, but one of them is weather damage and top of that list comes the sun’s rays.
The UV rays beating down onto your asphalt driveway are a prime cause of cracks.
Not every cause of cracking can be so easily guarded against as sun damage can, but this is one problem that can be easily rectified – so take action before the cracks appear!
MELTING TAR
When the asphalt becomes really heated, the tar starts to melt – oozing stickiness and ruining the look of your neatly laid asphalt driveway.
Don’t allow this to happen to your driveway!
THE CURE
There are four main approaches that an asphalt paving contractor can take in order to protect your driveway;
SEAL COAT
A seal coat helps to strengthen the asphalt against the sun and rain with an anti oxidation ingredient.
SLURRY SEAL
Similar to a seal coat – but with the addition of aggregate, this improves the appearance of your decayed pavement.
Within 24 hours you should be able to drive over this surface.
MICROSURFACING
A bit like a slurry seal, micro-surfacing has a higher quality aggregate and will set faster than a slurry seal.
TIRE RUBBER MODIFIED SURFACE SEALER
TRMSS is something that is extremely efficient to help preserve the life of asphalt.
It is so effective it is used on highways and airports.
The oils in the TRMSS seal in the loose aggregates and stop oxidation taking hold.
We would use this for a five-star protection.
