3 Asphalt Paving Options

When you think about getting asphalt pavement for your driveway or patio, you might assume that the only option is to have your driveway looking like a parking lot. This is not the case. Here are three asphalt paving ideas that can affect the cost of your asphalt pavement, as well as how your pavement looks.

1. Pavement Using Recycled Asphalt

One option that is becoming increasingly popular as more people take interest in reducing their carbon footprint is to use recycled asphalt, rather than new asphalt. Recycled asphalt is created when an asphalt surface needs to be torn up and redone. The asphalt that is removed is broken into small chunks that are approximately the same size as gravel. The gravel sized asphalt can then be laid into a driveway or other surface like normal gravel would otherwise be installed. Because there is still a great deal of oil in the asphalt chunks, they will bind together over time and become slightly more stable than a normal gravel driveway. Because no new materials need to be used in order to create this surface, recycled asphalt pavements tend to be cheaper than their new asphalt counterparts.

2. Asphalt Pavement Designed to Look Like Gravel

Another option is to have the asphalt that is used to pave your surface mixed with a great deal of stones so that, when it is laid, it resembles a normal gravel driveway. Because there is tar in the asphalt, the stones will be bonded together, which tends to make this type of surface much sturdier than a gravel surface. Since there are so many stones, the surface will be lighter than a normal asphalt surface and won't absorb as much heat. It also tends to be slightly cheaper since you are able to use less asphalt and more rocks, which are simply gathered rather than manufactured.

3. Colored Pavement

Finally, you also have the option of choosing an asphalt that has had color added to it to match your house and be more aesthetically appealing. Even though this type of asphalt is more expensive than any of the options listed above, as well as more expensive than normal asphalt, it might be worth it to you to be able to style your surface exactly the way you want.

For more information about asphalt paving ideas, talk to a company that specializes in asphalt and concrete paving. To find out more, speak with someone like Larry's Asphalt Paving Co Ltd.