Different Types of Asphalt: Which Type Is Best for Your Driveway?

How They’re Used and What the Differences Are

Asphalt is a common material used for driveways. But did you know there are different types of asphalt? Different types have different properties, which can affect your driveway’s durability, level of maintenance required, and more. Asphalt Repair Grand Rapids can help you choose the right type for your needs!

Pavement is a type of asphalt that is poured onto an existing surface and allowed to cool into a pavement-like substance, minus any aggregate material. It must be applied on top of a compacted road or driveway base before being brought to required thickness by screeding (or dragging heavy machinery with steel blades). The lack of aggregates makes this type more flexible than most other types, but it can also make it susceptible to rutting from vehicle traffic as well as cracking if water gets beneath it. This property often makes pavements less suitable for driveways unless they are installed in conjunction with another type such as blacktop. Pavements can either smooth surfaces or exposed aggregate finish.

Blacktop is an asphalt-aggregate mixture that has been compacted and then rolled to create a smooth surface. Like pavements, blacktops do not need aggregate material because their surfaces have already been mixed with the aggregates at manufacturing time. This makes them more durable than pavements as well as less susceptible to rutting from vehicle traffic such as cars or trucks; however, they are very sensitive to water damage and thus easily damaged by rainwater runoff or flooding if drainage isn’t properly maintained on top of it (and sometimes even when proper maintenance procedures are followed). Blacktop driveways usually require regular sealcoating in order for the paving slab to be protected against weathering and UV light exposure. They can either come with a smooth finish or exposed aggregate.

Asphalt Repair Grand Rapids

Rubberized asphalt is another great option for driveways, usually combined with blacktop to create rubberized blacktop . This type of mixture has been laid and rolled in the same way as standard blacktops; however, it also contains recycled vehicle tires (which are chopped up into small pieces) which reduces its cost while simultaneously increasing wear resistance and making it more resistant to damage from weathering such as rainwater runoff or UV light exposure. Rubberized asphalt can come either with a smooth surface or an exposed aggregate one just like other types of pavement/blacktop mixtures. It does not need regular sealcoating because there’s no top layer that could be worn off by environmental factors before the base asphalt underneath has been worn down.

Rubberized blacktop is a good choice for driveways that are subjected to heavy vehicle traffic, especially because it can last up to 40 years when installed by an expert asphalt contractor using quality materials and methods. It’s also easier on the wallet than other types of asphalt while providing pretty much all their benefits (durability, resistance to damage from environmental factors such as rainwater runoff or UV light exposure, etc.) without requiring additional surface sealcoating like standard blacktops do in order to protect them against weathering effects.