Paving West Monroe

Types of Asphalt Paving for Your Home

The best asphalt is by no means a single choice from which you can draw. There are at least three types of West Monroe, LA paving options that utilize asphalt. Fully understanding these choices should make it easier for you to decide which is right for you and which you can ignore. So please make sure to talk to us at Ark-La-Tex Paving right away to understand more about these materials.

Hot Asphalt – Perhaps the Most Common Type

When it comes to asphalt paving, hot asphalt is probably the most common type that you’ll see work crews using. Have you ever passed a road crew spreading a hot substance on roads and using a myriad of spreading devices to get it across the surface? This is hot asphalt. It is kept at a very high temperature to make it easier to spread across a road and ensure that it is as smooth as possible.

There’s a good chance that this is the type of asphalt that you’ll be most likely to use for your home. Why? It is among the most common types on the market and the strongest. And a vast majority of projects utilize it because the intense heat it possesses provides pavement experts with a more natural capability for managing the various aspects of its delivery and management.

Are there any downsides to this type of asphalt? Well, once it starts to cool down – which may happen over a lengthy installation period – it may become harder to work. This problem is usually avoided by using heaters to keep the asphalt warm inside the truck at all times. However, you may find that the end of your project gets harder to do and that the pavement is nowhere near as reliable here than it was at the beginning.

MC Cold Mix – A Temporary Asphalt Option

While asphalt is almost always poured hot, there are times when it may be necessary to use it cold. For example, many paving professionals utilize an MC cold mix to fix various types of problems on driveways and roads. Often, this type of pavement is the best choice for these fixes for a myriad of reasons, though some professionals may tell you that hot pavement should always be used for most of your projects.

So just what is MC cold mix? It is a type of cold-temperature asphalt that is spread on small cracks and other imperfections on your driveway. The lower temperature means that it takes longer for this type of asphalt to cure, which may complicate the process if you are expecting any bad weather. However, it can still be used to produce reliable, if temporary, fixes in areas of your pavement that don’t have a lot of traffic to deal with throughout the day.

As a result, it is vital to make sure that you only use this type of asphalt in specific circumstances because its application benefits are relatively limited. For example, you should never place this type of pavement in an area that is going to have a lot of car or foot traffic. Doing so would likely only cause damage that would rapidly spread throughout your asphalt surface. Instead, it may be better to consider the third type.

UPM – A Stronger Cold Asphalt

The last type of asphalt paving you may want to consider is another type of cold mix that is somewhat similar to MC cold mix. Unlike that option, though, it is designed to be a more permanent repair option for driveways. That’s because it is more robust, can work in multiple weather situations, and can be used to fix holes that are both wet or dry. As a result, this type is often the best type for repairs.

We particularly suggest this option for areas that are likely to be walked or driven upon. Unlike MC cold mix, UPM is strong enough to last under this type of pressure and will last for the life of your driveway. However, you need to make sure to provide standard maintenance processes for these patches to ensure that they stay strong and don’t run into any issues.

Variations On These Pavement Options

Now that you understand these three asphalt paving options, it is crucial to understand different ways that they might vary. That’s because hot asphalt can often be stained, painted, or sealed to make it stronger. The same is true of the cold types, though these steps are rarely taken on MC cold mix. That’s because this type is almost always temporary and more likely to wear away or get replaced.

Importantly, you also need to understand that different supporting materials may be added to some types of asphalt. For example, recycled pavement often uses a myriad of organic materials to increase its density and make it more resilient to wear and tear. This benefit is critical if you want a driveway that will last you for years longer than other types you may be interested in purchasing.

These variations all change up how your pavement is used and the different ways that it is installed. So make sure that you talk to your pavement professionals before getting any asphalt for your home. Failure to take these elements into account could cause issues with the overall structure of your driveway that are very challenging to overcome and which may take years to repair correctly.

Let Us Help You Out

Which of these West Monroe, LA paving options seem like the best option for you? Do you think that hot asphalt is the type that you want, or would colder options be more suitable for your home? If you aren’t too sure, please contact us at Ark-La-Tex Paving to get the help that you need. Our experts will take the time to fully understand your needs and do what they can to help you get what you want.