Richfield Blacktop Minneapolis St Paul MN

New Asphalt Driveway Paving in Minneapolis St. Paul, MN

If you’re thinking about replacing an old, deteriorated driveway, you’re probably looking forward to getting rid of an unsightly problem in the appearance of your home. You may have seen how great your neighbor’s new driveway looks. Many people describe their new asphalt driveways as a smooth, black carpet for their home’s exterior. At Richfield Blacktop, we know that appearance is important to our customers, so we are glad to tell you about how our driveways look, both right after paving and for years thereafter.

Once the expert craftsmen of Richfield Blacktop pack up their gear and drive away, your new, carefully applied asphalt driveway will look very smooth and be a very dark, black color. There will be warning tape at the end of the driveway, telling everyone to keep off the surface during the initial curing phase of the asphalt. You can walk carefully on the new surface, though, and give it a closer look.

New Asphalt Driveway Paving Minneapolis St Paul MN

Here’s What to Expect

Appearance – The mixture of liquid asphalt with various sizes of stone and sand, along with the compaction process, will produce slightly different textures in different parts of the driveway. This is completely normal. In some areas, too, where the big roller compactor can’t reach, the texture will also vary. A few areas and some edges may have been spread with rakes and hand-tamped, so they will look a little different, as well.
Driveway Edges – Where your driveway edges meet lawns, they may have been finished with an angled, hand-tamped edge. This helps prevent edge deterioration. After curing, you can backfill these areas so the grass will grow up to the edge of the driveway. Where the edges of the driveway butt up against walls, walks, and other features, hand tamping may have been necessary, and the texture may be slightly different. If you’ve chosen Permaloc Aluminum AsphaltEdge as an option, the edges of your driveway along lawns, etc., will be full thickness and you’ll see the metal edge. In all cases, the edges of your driveway will be smooth and straight or follow the proper curves smoothly.

Your Driveway Through the Years

Over time, weather and usage will alter the appearance of your driveway. The driveway will wear slightly, exposing more of the aggregate in the asphalt, and the color of the driveway will lighten, becoming a more gray or tan color. If you sealcoat the driveway every three years or so, using a thin coating of a high-quality asphalt sealer, you can maintain your driveway’s dark color to look more like new. Careful attention to repairing any cracks that develop over the years and avoiding driving near or across the edges of the driveway will also help maintain its beauty and integrity. See our Driveway Maintenance and Care page for even more tips for keeping your new driveway looking its best.

Richfield Blacktop – Building New Driveway for the Twin Cities

The highly skilled, experienced crews from Richfield Blacktop are your best assurance that your new driveway will look as terrific as you expect, both right away and for years and years to come. By building driveways the right way, and paying attention to every detail, we create each driveway as if it were leading to our own garages. Our reputation is on the line with every driveway we create, so we’re always working to make every driveway the best it can be. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation driveway consultation and estimate. We’d love to show you why a Richfield Blacktop driveway is a great investment for your home.