Question: How long before I can park my car on the new asphalt?
Answer: The normal time is 24hrs. However on extremely hot days, for the first week, only park in the evenings when it is cooler weather. This is more for residential. Commercial asphalt is more resilient and stands up better but is coarser.
Question: How come I can see stones in the asphalt, isn’t it supposed to be smooth?
Answer: Asphalt is made from sand, stone and liquid tar. Without the stone, asphalt would not have any strength. Residential driveways are paved with HL3A asphalt.
This is a sandy mix, but it still must have stone in order to give it some strength, and it is difficult to hide the stone completely. HL3 is a road mix and has lots of pea gravel type stone, when the sand in the mix wears away the stone is exposed and this is what we see.
Question: Should the granular base be allowed to settle for a couple of weeks before repaving?
Answer: No, if the compaction is done properly with the right equipment then there is no need to let the granular base settle.
Question: Can I put a layer of asphalt over concrete or on existing paved area?
Answer: Yes. The area must be swept clean, and any damaged areas should be repaired first. One thing to keep in mind is that existing cracks, in the concrete or existing asphalt will eventually reflect through the new asphalts.
Question: Why does my car leave tire marks when I turn my steering wheel?
Answer: Asphalt is made from sand, stone and liquid tar. The tar is heated to liquid and when it cools, it hardens. On hot days, the new black asphalt will heat up, and soften on the surface. To reduce tire marks, make sure your car is moving while you're turning the steering wheel.
If there are any other questions please feel free to call us at (416) 749-2584
Atlas Paving Company Inc.