Many homeowners seek to cut maintenance costs on their driveways by having a new layer of asphalt installed on the existing surface. A fresh layer of asphalt can enhance your home’s curb appeal, after all. And if your driveway is in good repair – just a few minor cracks – and the roadbed beneath it is still in good shape, another coat of asphalt won’t hurt.

However, although resurfacing may make the driveway look better for a year or two, it’s not the most cost-effective option. Our asphalt experts explain why below.

An Asphalt Overlay Only Fixes Surface Issues

A typical layer of asphalt is 1.5 inches thick.  However, a new layer of asphalt won’t do you much good if the surface beneath it has problems.

If your driveway currently has cracks, dings, or other signs of asphalt damage, those cracks and dings will eventually reappear. It’s called reflective cracking – the top layer reflects what’s going on down below.

This means your new asphalt overlay will someday crack too. It might take years, or it might happen the very first winter after the overlay is applied. Either way, you’ll eventually be back where you started with a less-than-perfect driveway.

What’s the Best Way to Fix My Driveway?

The subsurface of your driveway can shift or change over time, and the wear and tear may go beyond just what you see on the surface. If the cracks in your driveway are more than a quarter-inch wide, dig out and replacement is the better choice.

Like priming your walls before you paint them, surface preparation is the real key to having a long-lasting driveway. A properly graded and compacted subsurface makes all the difference in the stability of the asphalt paving above it.

Contact J&W for Asphalt Driveway Repair & Replacement

A properly installed driving surface is one way to reduce wear and tear on your vehicles. If you’re not sure whether you should replace your Twin Cities driveway, request a quote from J&W Asphalt. We’ll give you an honest answer!