5 Reasons Why Asphalt Is The Best Material For Sloping Driveways
Driveways are always tough to manage, especially if you live in areas with extreme weather conditions. You may need to spend a lot of money, energy, and time to keep the driveway in top-notch condition. Unlike normal driveways, those constructed on sloping plots come with unique and complex challenges. The best way to keep a sloping driveway in perfect condition is to be diligent about every stage of installation and maintenance of the driveway.
Sloping driveways are much harder to construct and maintain when compared to normally levelled driveways. The major reason for this is the movement of the subsurface underneath the driveway and regular erosion. There are several accidents waiting to happen in a sloping driveway due to slippery surfaces and crevices formed due to erosion. This makes constructing driveways on a sloping plot a complex task since there are several considerations to be made, like safety, affordability, longevity, and appearance.
Asphalt for driveways
Whether you are installing a new driveway or replacing an existing one on a sloping plot, it is necessary to choose the best material to have a smooth driving experience. There are numerous materials available for constructing driveways, like concrete, gravel, brick pavers, and asphalt. Among these materials, asphalt is emerging as a popular material for sloping driveways.
Advantages of asphalt
Asphalt has several advantages when compared to other materials used for driveway construction, like concrete. Some of them include:
- It is much less susceptible to cracks and damage when compared to materials like concrete.
- It is less susceptible to damage due to ice melt or salt.
- It is less costly when compared to other surfacing materials.
- Resealing or repairing does not always require the assistance of professionals. Driveway owners can do it by themselves most of the time. This will effectively reduce the cost of maintenance.
Reasons why asphalt is the solution for sloping driveways
Asphalt is one of the most popular materials used for the construction of roads, driveways, and car parks in Australia. The bitumen binder and aggregate (gravel, sand, or granite) are dried and blended to generate a hot mix of asphalt. This is then used as the surfacing material. Many people tend to mistakenly say bitumen when referring to asphalt. This happens commonly since bitumen is used as a liquid binder to hold asphalt together.
Asphalt is the material recommended by experts when it comes to sloping driveways. It has numerous advantages when compared to other materials used for driveway construction, including safety, appearance, and suitability. The major advantages of using asphalt for your sloping driveways include:
Increase the lifespan of the driveway
An asphalt driveway constructed by skilled professionals has impressive durability. Typically, such driveways can last as long as 30 years. Asphalt has a highly flexible nature. This means that it requires very little maintenance when compared to concrete with high-maintenance requirements and limestone concrete with resealing requirements. Asphalt does not need much resurfacing or repairs. Its durability and toughness are making it the most preferred material for constructing sloping driveways. Resurfacing asphalt is a relatively easy and cheap process that can be done in a little time. This is an attractive feature when compared to concrete and brick driveways. These driveways require demolishing, removing, and laying new materials, incurring a huge expense.
Speed up the installation process
The process of constructing a driveway using asphalt on an incline is not as complex as compared to the construction process of other materials. When using asphalt, it can be simpler to produce a level surface than it would be to place bricks or pavers on the slope. You can lay, shape, and level asphalt using a paving machine quite easily and achieve perfect results. Even though there is a wait time of 24 hours before you can drive on an asphalt driveway, this time is very small when compared to the seven-day wait time for concrete driveways.
Increased grip and friction
If you live in a region with wild weather like Perth, constructing a driveway with unsuitable materials can be a disastrous decision. Asphalt has excellent skid resistance for upward and downward sloping driveways. The surface of asphalt driveways does not become loose or washed away due to rain. They also will not have a run-off look as time passes when compared to other common materials used for driveway construction like gravel or recycled materials.
Asphalt provides excellent traction even when it is wet, making the driveways perfectly safe throughout the year, irrespective of the weather. This makes it the most suitable choice for constructing sloping driveways.
Uncomplicated repairs
Asphalt driveways are not only quicker and easier to install but require less frequent maintenance compared to the majority of other surfacing materials. The maintenance charges are also lower and the time taken to repair damages is comparatively less. When concrete driveways get cracked due to tree roots and other disturbances, the raised edge can cause accidents and tyre damage. But this is not the case with asphalt. If an asphalt driveway gets cracked in some way, it often produces an even-shaped hump.
Reduced cost of construction of the driveway
The popularity of asphalt as a material for surfacing sloping driveways has been steadily increasing due to its lower cost. Asphalt can be laid far more quickly than other building materials like pavers and concrete, which results in much lower prices.
In Conclusion
A sloping driveway is liable to become slippery during rainfall. If the wrong material is used for the construction of the driveway, it can lead to slippage and accidents caused due to a lack of proper friction. When materials like unsealed road base, gravel, limestone, or any recycled material are used, it can give rise to slippery, smooth, and loose driveway surfaces. This problem can be solved by adopting asphalt driveways for sloping plots. Before starting the construction, it is also necessary to conduct a gradient inspection to assess the suitability of asphalt for making the driveway. It is easier to clean asphalt surfaces without damaging them. All these features make asphalt the best material for sloping driveways. Get in contact with your local residential asphalt driveway service provider to discuss your options.
