asphalt overlay being applied to a milled road

What Is Asphalt Overlay?

Asphalt overlay is a paving method of applying a new layer of asphalt to a deteriorating surface. Rather than tearing up an old asphalt surface entirely, an asphalt overlay project will use the existing layers as a base for the new asphalt pavement. Some asphalt surfaces with severe damage like rutting, potholes, large cracks, and expansions will need to be milled before an overlay is applied.

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curved asphalt road in the mountain with sunset in the distance

History of Paved Roads

Paving technology has advanced dramatically since the first paved road allowed for wheeled carts. Over the years, builders have used everything from stone slabs to concrete. Some of the earliest roads included feats of engineering that would be difficult to implement, even today.

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shovel in a pile of asphalt ready for repairs

Asphalt Maintenance

Asphalt maintenance like crack sealing, sealcoating, striping, and patching are low-cost solutions that will improve the life of an asphalt surface. If an asphalt surface is not maintained properly over time it can lead to a costly replacement. Use this guide to help you properly maintain blacktop pavement.

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Colored Asphalt

An asphalt surface is typically called blacktop because of the color, but not all asphalt is black in color. This color of roads is determined by the input materials that consist of bitumen, an asphalt cement, and aggregate rock. Bitumen is always black, but there are paved surfaces that use dies and even different colored rock to pave with.

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