Asphalt paving looks great when it is brand-new. Over time, the black color fades, and it looks roughshod and worn. If you want to restore the blackest-black look to your asphalt surfaces, here are three ways to make it look new again without ripping it all out and starting from scratch.
Sealcoat It
Sealcoat is blacker than black coating used to seal asphalt against the elements. It fills in all of the pores in the blacktop that you cannot see unless you are lying prone on the pavement. Along with coating it and sealing it, the seal coat makes asphalt look brand-new again, giving it that much-desired very black, blacktop look.
Thin Coat with Asphalt
Bitumen, which is the main part of asphalt, can be made to spread in a thin layer. It is akin to applying a fresh coat of nail polish over a chipped or scraped nail; it covers the flaws makes the whole thing look flawless. Ask your paving contractor for the asphalt thin coat treatment. As long as your paved surfaces do not have a lot of cracks and potholes, the thin coat will work beautifully to restore your asphalt surfaces.
Asphalt Milling
Asphalt milling takes a grinding machine, cuts long, thin, narrow troughs into the asphalt surface to prepare it for fresh asphalt, and then coats the whole milled area with fresh asphalt. It is a thicker layer of asphalt than the thin coat treatment mentioned above, but it is not as thick as an entirely new-poured asphalt surface. It also cost less than ripping up the old asphalt to lay down new, which is why a lot of customers prefer this to the complete replacement of their asphalt. Again, it is a good option if you do not have really deep cracks and/or massive potholes in your asphalt.
Pricing for the Above Options
Pricing for all of the above options is in order from least expensive to most expensive, with the most expensive option still costing far less than a total replacement job. You can talk to several paving contractors to see which option they would recommend based on the current appearance and condition of your asphalt surfaces. If any and all of the above options are acceptable because your blacktop is still in fairly good shape, then you can choose the option that is most affordable and best fits your budget this time around.