Asphalt DO's and DONT'S
Asphalt Curing Time
Asphalt contains liquid tar which needs time to harden and cure. Your driveway will be fully cured usually within 24 months; until then it will remain pliable and soft. We recommend keeping automobiles off for at least 7 full days, and longer in hot weather. Even when cured, asphalt can sometimes soften in extremely hot weather and harder as temperatures fall. To temporarily harden hot asphalt, you can water it down with a garden hose. If soap suds should appear, do not be alarmed. This is a reaction between the diesel fuel found in the asphalt and the chlorine found in some city water.
DO allow your new asphalt driveway time to settle
Once the driveway is in place, keep objects off of it (especially if the outside temperature is super hot), like:
•Cars and other vehicles
•Lawn chairs
•Bike kickstands
•Ladders
•High heels or any sharp objects
Here’s why: asphalt may appear strong, but it’s actually a soft, porous material that’s quite malleable, so sharp objects can puncture the asphalt. Keeping it free and clear of items for a few days will enable it to harden a bit, thus allowing it to better withstand the weight of objects on top of it.
DON'T drive on the edges of your new driveway
Sometimes, when you’re pulling in and out of your new asphalt driveway, the wheels may straddle the edge between the driveway and your lawn.If you can, don’t do it.The strength of asphalt lies within the base underneath it. So if a great weight (like from a car tire) is placed unevenly on a thin edge of asphalt, it may crack from the pressure.There are two ways to avoid this from happening:
1. Don’t drive on the edge of your asphalt driveway (as already mentioned)
2. Make sure that your lawn edge is built up so that it’s even with your driveway, so that if you do drive along the edge, the weight is distributed equally across two even surfaces.
DON'T sharply turn your car's wheels on it
Also, don’t turn the wheels of your car while the it is stationary. Or else, what will happen is that the friction, pressure and grinding from the wheels will create gouges on your new asphalt driveway.Exercise caution when driving and turning the wheels on your driveway. Use smooth movements while the car is in motion, not abrupt turns when the car is standing still.
DO park in different areas on your driveway
Visualize it this way: when parking a heavy vehicle in the same spot day-after-day, is bound to compact the asphalt underneath it and create depressions in your asphalt driveway. No matter how thick the asphalt has been applied. Fortunately, this is an easy one to follow through on. Simply move your vehicle around slightly on the driveway when you park it. This will help distribute the natural wear and tear and usage your driveway will experience over a wider area, instead of a small spot over and over again. Don't park extremely heavy vehicles in your driveway, such as dump trucks, busses, ect.