An asphalt driveway boosts the value and curb appeal of your property. But asphalt can deteriorate due to moisture, UV radiation, and other elements. As a result, you should consider applying asphalt surface treatments to your asphalt driveway to extend its lifespan. 

Asphalt surface treatment refers to the reconditioning or rejuvenating of an asphalt surface. Thus, consider asphalt surface treatments if your asphalt driveway is deteriorating. 

Here are three types of asphalt surface treatments that can help extend its lifespan. 

1. Asphalt Rejuvenation

Asphalt rejuvenation is an asphalt surface treatment that aims to replenish petroleum maltenes. In simple terms, petroleum maltenes are a substance that gives petroleum its adhesive properties. This substance holds the asphalt together. 

However, petroleum maltenes degrade when exposed to direct sunlight for a long time. Hence, your asphalt driveway starts to develop cracks when the petroleum maltenes begin to break down due to UV radiation and heat. 

As a result, it is advisable to have an asphalt rejuvenation treatment done to replenish petroleum maltenes. The petroleum maltenes rejuvenation treatment helps add adhesion to the asphalt and prevent further cracking. 

Hence, an asphalt rejuvenation treatment can help extend the lifespan of your asphalt driveway. 

2. Crack Sealing and Filling

When cracks develop on an asphalt driveway, they allow moisture to penetrate the asphalt. When winter arrives, the moisture in the asphalt freezes and expands, thus causing the cracks to enlarge. As a result, neglecting minor cracks on an asphalt driveway could result in the rapid deterioration of your driveway. 

So, schedule a crack filling and sealing treatment if your asphalt driveway has started to develop minor cracks. Crack filling involves adding a mixture of asphalt, emulsion, and cutbacks to fill the grooves of the cracks. Once filled, the top of the cracks gets sealed with a moisture-resistant seal coat to prevent moisture penetration. 

As a result, the surface of your asphalt driveway no longer allows water to seep into the cracks. Hence, even during winter, your asphalt driveway is safe from the damaging effects of moisture. 

3. Chip Sealing

Chip sealing treatments create a new surface on asphalt. The chip sealing process involves spraying the asphalt driveway with an asphalt emulsion, then adding crushed aggregates. The asphalt emulsion spray acts as an adhesive agent that helps the crushed aggregates stick to the surface of the asphalt driveway. Afterward, the surface of the asphalt driveway gets rolled to ensure the chip seal is level. 

Chip sealing applies for asphalt driveways that have begun to lose traction and develop minor cracks. Hence, a chip sealing treatment adds traction to the driveway and helps prevent raveling and moisture penetration. 

Reach out to a company such as Pavement Surface Coatings to learn more.