Welcome TO Bethlehem Paving
Bethlehem Paving is a full service commercial and residential asphalt paving company severing Bethlehem, Easton, Allentown and other areas of the Lehigh Valley. Full service means we complete all the work related to a paving job including: paving, paving repairs, sealcoating, striping, milling, resurfacing, excavation and grading, with expertise, experience and skill. Besides being focused on our craft, we are focused on providing our customers with the best customer experience possible with free detailed estimate and prompt attentive service. Please get in touch today if you have any paving needs.
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How to Maintain AsphaltRegular maintenance of asphalt extends its useful life significantly. Where unmaintained asphalt start to noticeably show it's age by becoming brittle and weak, asphalt that is well maintained can last with reasonable strength and flexibility well into it's 20s.
Asphalt maintenance is about repairing cracks before the grow larger and spread. There are four phases to maintaining asphalt: cleaning, repairing damage, sealcoating (similar to what is used for paver sealing) and allowing the sealcoating to set. Cleaning can be accomplished by with sharp tools, pressure washing, sweeping or a liquid degreaser, however it's done the goal is to clear the area to be repaired of all debris. This step is critical because if any debris is left in the area to be repaired it can impede the repair by block space. After the area is thoroughly cleaned, cracks can be filled with crack filler and the right crack sealing equipment (professional asphalt repair companies have this equipment, but if you are doing it yourself you can rent one). With the choice of crack filler there are two kinds, cold and hot. Cold crack fillers work fine for very narrow cracks but do not last as long as hot crack fillers. Hot crack fillers are longer lasting than cold ones because they are harden as they cool. After repairs have been made, it's time to sealcoat. Sealcoating is the application of a coating made up of water, mineral filters, water and dissolved asphalt that protects asphalt by forming a barrier against wind, dirt and weather. Sealcoating should be applied every two years to fend off oxidation and deterioration. Sealcoating should only be done after repairs to cracks have cooled not before. Cracks just sealcoated by themselves will only grow larger unprotected. After the repair and sealcoating work has been done, the area that has been worked on should be blocked off to allow everything to cure. |
What to look for in a Paving COntractor?
First and foremost, in searching for a reliable contractor you should be sure that they provide services you need. All paving contractors will say they can take on all projects but that simply is not true. Most pavers work with asphalt, and from the largest to the small, smaller residential jobs are all within their capabilities. Just about any paver can do a decent job on things like driveways, patios, ball courts and the like. One differentiating factor for residential paving however is the kind of equipment they use and how experienced they are. The more professional the equipment and crews the more likely it is you will be dealing with a good paving company. A good paving company should also be able to tell you about their process. How do they prepare the ground before paving? How do they decide on whether to recommend pavement be replaced, repaired, resurfaced or patched? The ability of and fluency in responding to theses and similar questions really demonstrates a paver companies expertise.
Where paving companies really set themselves apart with regard to craft though is in commercial service. Commercial paving jobs can be several magnitudes larger and more complex than residential jobs. More sophisticated equipment and with that training is required to successfully operate it is required. When it comes to commercial paving, companies that have it as a large part of their business tend to be more full services, in addition to paving, they offer excavation, grading, striping, sealcoating, and milling services services. Good commercial paving companies tend to compete on quality and service and not price, since commercial clients cannot afford to cut corners or have jobs drag out beyond deadlines.
When it comes to service a good paving company must fundamentally should answer the phone. They should be able to answer all of your questions about what the can do and their business. It is a must that they are properly licensed and insured and able to provide proof of that upon requests. They should offer free estimates and not take two weeks to get out to your site to do one. Quotes should be formally in writing with clearly explained pricing and fair and honest warranties. If a paving company is not willing to stand behind it's work enough to provide a warranty, that's a big sign about their the quality of company they are.
Where paving companies really set themselves apart with regard to craft though is in commercial service. Commercial paving jobs can be several magnitudes larger and more complex than residential jobs. More sophisticated equipment and with that training is required to successfully operate it is required. When it comes to commercial paving, companies that have it as a large part of their business tend to be more full services, in addition to paving, they offer excavation, grading, striping, sealcoating, and milling services services. Good commercial paving companies tend to compete on quality and service and not price, since commercial clients cannot afford to cut corners or have jobs drag out beyond deadlines.
When it comes to service a good paving company must fundamentally should answer the phone. They should be able to answer all of your questions about what the can do and their business. It is a must that they are properly licensed and insured and able to provide proof of that upon requests. They should offer free estimates and not take two weeks to get out to your site to do one. Quotes should be formally in writing with clearly explained pricing and fair and honest warranties. If a paving company is not willing to stand behind it's work enough to provide a warranty, that's a big sign about their the quality of company they are.
HOw long does an Asphalt Surface Last?
How long asphalt lasts depends on several factors including climate, traffic and how well the asphalt is maintained. For example very hot climates speed up the oxidation of asphalt causing it to become brittle faster than a more moderately hot climate. A very rainy climate accelerates the erosion of asphalt by seeping underneath it to the side that contacts with the soil, slowly eating away it from below. This process is hastened by soft soil types. On the side of increasing longevity, regular maintenance can extend the life of asphalt beyond twenty years. Without it, by the 20 year mark, asphalt will have lost over half of its original strength. Regularly resealing an asphalt driveway increases it's life considerably.
Another way to think about how long asphalt lasts is to compare it to other building materials one could use to hardtop say a driveway, like stone or brick masonry or concrete. Brick paved driveways last about 25 year if regularly maintained, depending on climate. The structure of brick is basically the same a sponge so it takes on moisture easily and if there are large changes in temperature, lots of ice, rain, and snow, they will wear down faster than that. Brick also needs to be regularly sealed and pressure washed at lease annually; this will help to mitigate the effects of weather on the brick. A properly installed and maintained concrete driveway can last around 30 years. Like asphalt concrete also needs to be sealed, though not as frequently. You can get away with going over it with a sealing agent and a roller every three to five years. Paving contractors like us who only deal in asphalt do not work with masonry or concrete, but many concrete companies do. You'd want to look for a masonry service or concrete service to have that kind of work done.
Another way to think about how long asphalt lasts is to compare it to other building materials one could use to hardtop say a driveway, like stone or brick masonry or concrete. Brick paved driveways last about 25 year if regularly maintained, depending on climate. The structure of brick is basically the same a sponge so it takes on moisture easily and if there are large changes in temperature, lots of ice, rain, and snow, they will wear down faster than that. Brick also needs to be regularly sealed and pressure washed at lease annually; this will help to mitigate the effects of weather on the brick. A properly installed and maintained concrete driveway can last around 30 years. Like asphalt concrete also needs to be sealed, though not as frequently. You can get away with going over it with a sealing agent and a roller every three to five years. Paving contractors like us who only deal in asphalt do not work with masonry or concrete, but many concrete companies do. You'd want to look for a masonry service or concrete service to have that kind of work done.
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