Will Heavy Rainfall Damage My New Asphalt Driveway?

Asphalt paving is dependent on temperature and weather conditions majorly. On the days of heavy rain, it is very obvious to worry about paving. Heavy rains have always been the worst enemy of the asphalt. 

This blog explains the possibility of the damage to the new driveway paving done through asphalt.

The rains can make the newly paved driveway crack-down. The reason behind this is that rain weakens the asphalt foundations by getting beneath it. Also, heavy rains often wash against the sides of the driveway and seep into the ground. This can cause the newly paved asphalt driveway to sink!

This is followed by cracks and potholes abruption as a consequence.

What is asphalt?

Asphalt is an aggregation of bitumen, binder, filler, and gravels that are used for a range of construction purposes. 

The asphalt is used to pave driveways, railway tracks, ports, airport runways, construction of sidewalks, and many more. They are usually in the form of crushed rock, gravel, sand, and slags. 

How does rain become an enemy to the asphalt?

Falling of rain on a new asphalt driveway may invade the facet of it, as it absorbs in the material and tends to expand in the cold. 

Covering the driveway and sealing the surface during the rainy season, will prove favorable.

Asphalt cannot get damaged with light rainfall, especially if the driveway is properly installed. But, the major destruction of the driveway happens when the rainwater has enough time to stand on it. So, basically, water logging is a prime concern for asphalt driveways.

Sometimes asphalt shrinkage exposes out the gravel components of the driveway or pavement, leading to enough accumulation and seepage of water. 

Can rain harm the new asphalt?

Absolutely yes! 

As mentioned above, rain is an enemy to the asphalt. The old driveways lose their volatiles and lighter ends by the time. In the case of new asphalt driveways, their pavements have lighter ends of the tar which leach out upon reacting with rain. This means more destruction to newly paved driveways.

Another big construction loophole is the sloping of the roads. If there is no slope to drain the water, then there is an abundant chance for waterlogging and seepage beneath the roads. Also, water may run off to the sides and penetrate inside them.

How to prevent asphalt damage?

There should be necessary steps involved in longing the life of the driveway. 

Rain on fresh asphalt can be very dangerous and can put a stop on all your construction plans. What happens is, the fresh asphalt contains liquid black tar which upon reacting with water cannot harden. So, it is advisable to seal the driveway during monsoons. 

Practically this is not possible as the area is large enough to be covered manually. 

Proper drainage can always help, at least it won’t let water stand on the driveway.

Let us know the practical approach that can be adopted for eliminating the asphalt driveway damage.

A drainage system well planned

The drainage system should be given a lot of priority while constructing a driveway. This is an important step to get rid of water pooling in your driveway. The use of slope is mandatory in this case to direct water into the drainage.

Crack-sealing the asphalt

If you are a proactive person in terms of maintenance, you will always have a concern for the damage that may occur. So, detecting the damage at the initial phase will save a lot from future damages and investment in correcting it. 

That’s not a problem even if you could not check this loop in your driveway, you can still repair it easily. 

With the help of professional asphalt paving company, you can use the hot rubberized asphalt sealer to prevent water from percolating the subgrade layer. This method is quite effective and prevents water from sinking beneath. 

Final thoughts

The concern for your driveway should be well handled before the monsoon arrives. It is recommended to seal the driveway 3 months post proper construction. This is considered as the best method to escape from the possible damages of the road. 

Main Infrastructure is a well-established company in Toronto, that serves a budget-friendly asphalt repair and assistance. It provides a wide range of construction and maintenance of services that are worth trying.

For a better driveway, one needs to be active enough to look into the correct construction of roads and opt for a genuine professional asphalt company to aid you in it. 

Take care when the monsoon is around the corner and plan out a driveway that can breathe adequately.