Exterior Contractors in Madison WI provide paving services for residential and commercial customers. Some concentrate only on asphalt paving rather than including concrete or gravel surfaces. They prefer to specialize in a material that is immensely favored throughout the country for roads, parking lots, bike trails, athletic courts and long driveways.
Asphalt vs. Concrete
Asphalt is less expensive to install than concrete, and the material is better equipped to handle bitterly cold temperatures as well as repeated freezing and thawing. Although patching may be necessary at times, asphalt is unlikely to suddenly develop a large crack all the way across the driveway. This is something property owners worry about with concrete.
Adding Subgrade and Leveling the Surface
Before paving contractors can get started on a driveway, they must add subgrade material, such as gravel, if none is already in place. The area must be leveled as much as possible, at least from side to side. There is not much to be done about the lengthwise area of a driveway on a relatively steep slope, but people don’t want their vehicles tilting to the side. They also don’t like the potential fall-related hazards when getting out of a vehicle that is not level. Heavy machinery may need to be used for this purpose if the driveway is particularly long.
Weather Conditions
The subgrade must be completely dry before exterior contractors in Madison WI begin the installation of asphalt. It’s important for the customer to be a bit flexible about timing because of this. A 10-minute unpredicted cloudburst can ruin plans to lay asphalt on any given day, but the contractors can reschedule the job for the next day if weather conditions are favorable.
Amount of Asphalt Mix to Be Installed
For best results, companies like Tri-County Paving Inc. typically add three inches of asphalt mix on top of the subgrade. It’s possible to get by with two inches, but the material then is not as durable, and it also won’t look as attractive. When three inches are added, the bottom two can be a coarser mix with the top layer a finer mix that gives the blacktop more aesthetic appeal.