Driveways are private pieces of land that you are responsible for and are commonly used as paths to houses, business and garages. They are often necessary if you own a car so it is a superb idea to have a good quality one. Here are our best reasons to get an asphalt driveway on your property:
Asphalt is a black and viscous liquid or semi-liquid form of petrol. It’s mainly used in road construction where it is employed as a binding agent for aggregate particles to create asphalt concrete. Other uses for this substance are as bituminous waterproofing products, like the production of roofing felt and for sealing flat roofs. Asphalt is also known as ‘bitumen’ and both words are used when referring to the manufactured and natural forms of the substance.
Asphalt is the surfacing material for more than 95% of all British roads as well as the main substance used when building playgrounds, cycleways, footpaths, and car parks.
Even if your house is the nicest and best maintained on your street, a ragged old driveway can make your property look a state. Driveways can last for years and years but, once they get old, a number of things can start developing that you won’t appreciate.
Here are four reasons why you should consider redoing your driveway:
Cracks that start forming in driveways is a common problem that is usually caused by oil, petrol and other substances slowly entering the driveway’s surface. Water penetrating the material and then freezing during the cold winter months is another major reason why cracks form. Cracks in their early form don’t really cause that much trouble besides looking unsightly but can steadily lead to greater issues as they expand and expand.
Cracks, however, are small fry when compared to potholes. As soon as a pothole appears on your driveway, you are risking the health of your car’s tyres, suspension and more. When you consider that you probably risk driving over the said pothole twice a day (assuming that you use your car every day), this can soon add up to extensive damage to your vehicle.
Just like cracks, small potholes can usually be repaired. However, even a fixed pothole doesn’t solve the issue of the ground below it contracting and expanding, so it’ll probably emerge again in the future. Getting a new driveway can be a great solution to this.
Driveways should be resealed every couple of years. If you do not do this then the cracks in the road may be too severe to repair. In this case, redoing your driveway might be inevitable.
Water will not affect your driveway greatly if it is in good nick but can lead to severe damage if not. Slopes and uneven surfaces can cause water to run down and pool in areas which can create cracks and potholes.
The Benefits Of Asphalt Repair
Having a high-quality driveway means that a high skid resistance is maintained and spray is reduced.
Even with the quiet and modern cars of today, a Ford Focus parking up on your driveway at 11.30 at night risks waking people up. With a smooth, good quality driveway, volume levels are reduced which can help people sleep and keep the neighbours happy.
Cracks and potholes on the approach leading to your home don’t only risk damaging the tyres and suspension of your car – it can lead to a rocky and uncomfortable ride. If you live in the country and your driveway is long, nobody wants to be knocked around driving over a rocky and uneven surface, especially if you don’t own a Land Rover. A good quality asphalt driveway can give you a smooth drive.
When it comes to driveways, the major alternative to asphalt is concrete. Concrete is made using aggregate (sand and crushed up rock), along with water and cement. The cement performs as the binder in concrete, holding the aggregate together. As it dries, the concrete builds a hard, solid that is liable to cracking, which is exacerbated by the ground’s surface being uneven. Asphalt is the better option when it comes to driveways, however because of the following reasons:
Asphalt is definitely hard-wearing and strong but it is also quite flexible, unlike concrete. Because of this, it means that it can easily accommodate imperfections in its underlying surface.
When a part of an asphalt driveway is damaged, it needs to be removed so that it can be replaced. Thankfully, the inherent qualities of asphalt means that it can be removed quickly and easily compared to concrete.
The cost and effort to repair an asphalt roadway is far less than its cement’s equivalent. Minor repairs, such as filling in small cracks, can be performed by homeowners without getting a professional involved. This can improve the longevity of an asphalt roadway and save you money in the long run. If an asphalt driveway requires more significant repair, getting a professional in to do the work is also cheaper and quicker than paying one to repair a concrete one.
As asphalt is a material that is easy to use and manipulate when someone installs your new asphalt driveway you’ll be surprised how soon it will be finished. Concrete takes far longer to work with which means that you’ll be able to use it a lot sooner and stop having to hunt for parking across the street!
If you care about the environment, asphalt is the best choice for your new driveway. This is because asphalt is completely recyclable and as a result will not lead to the material taking up limited landfill space.
Ever since 1971, Hazell & Jefferies have been offering quality skip hire throughout Oxfordshire. We offer a vast range of expert services including surface dressing, tarmacing, surface sealing, asphalting work, road planning, civil engineering services, skip hire and recycling. All of our staff are highly motivated and have the experience and expertise to complete any job in a competent manner.
We are proud to be based near the world-famous historical city of Oxford and have been serving the local area for almost fifty years. Some of the other areas that we serve include Abingdon, Didcot, Henley-on-Thames, Wallingford and more. At Hazell & Jefferies, we stock an extensive range of skip sizes to fit your needs and will speedily drop off and pick up your waste when you or your company is finished with our product.
Over the past four and a half decades of operation, Hazell & Jefferies are honoured to have worked with many different and varied clients, both large and small. We are confident that our reputation as affordable, competent and hard-working is shared by the wider industry – which is why we have been so successful and long-lived.
The health of the planet is something that we at Hazell & Jefferies take very seriously. This is why all of our waste materials are sorted at our own recycling centre so that any customer of ours can be confident that their rubbish is being disposed of or recycled in the best possible way.
To hire our services or seek clarification on any questions that you might have, why not give us a quick call on 0118 984 2684? Alternatively, send us over an email via office@hazellj.co.uk and one of our friendly customer service staff will get back to you as soon as possible
