Frequently Asked Questions


Q. What is asphalt?

A. Asphalt is what you get when you blend bitumen also known as asphalt cement, the heaviest fraction from processed crude oil that is the binder in asphalt pavement, with fine sand and different sizes of aggregate (rock).


Q. What time of the year can you lay asphalt In Colorado?

A. Asphalt is usually laid from March thru November when it is warm. December thru February there is frost in the ground and the ambient temperatures are too cold to get proper compaction in the new asphalt pavement. Paving can be done during mild winters if the ground is dry, not frozen and the temperature is around 40 degrees.


Q. Do you apply any vegetation control?

A. We apply granular herbicide to minimize any growth.


Q. What is the standard thickness for new asphalt pavement?

A. The minimum for new construction a (driveway) is a compacted 2 inches. It is recommended to have 3 inches of compacted asphalt on driveways because most driveways have very little road base or are laid on the existing soil. Most parking lots can be anywhere from 3 to 6 inches thick.


Q. What is tack oil and why do you need it?

A. Tack oil is an adhesive (glue) that adheres the new pavement to the existing.


Q. How long can new asphalt pavement last?

A. Asphalt pavement can last anywhere from 15-20 years with a proper maintenance program. This depends on several factors such as geographical location, soil conditions, type of traffic and how thick the asphalt was laid. Generally asphalt driveways last longer than parking lots with proper maintenance because driveways do not get the traffic of a commercial parking lot.


Q. What causes asphalt pavement failure?

A. There are 2 common causes of pavement failure. Asphalt pavement laid on a sub base that is not structurally sound. The other is water penetration, if your pavement does not drain properly and has cracks in it the water will penetrate the pavement and cause sub base failure by undermining the pavement.


Q. What is commercial crack sealing?

A. Crack sealing is required maintenance for all asphalt surfaces. Crack sealant is a hot poured rubberized material that is used to seal cracks up to 1 inch width.


Q. What is sealcoating?

A. Seal coat is a protective coating for asphalt that has many benefits. There are 3 kinds of sealer: coal tar emulsion, asphalt tar emulsion and oil based. An emulsion sealer is water based. The most common sealers used are either coal tar or a coal/asphalt tar blend.


Q. Can I do any maintenance on my driveway/parking lot myself?

A. Yes you can. You can buy cold patch material for temporary asphalt repairs, crack sealant and sealer at any hardware store.

You can find more information under Asphalt Paving about the work Bradley Asphalt Services provides

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