Subdivisions, gated communities, and master-planned neighborhoods in Austin have a lot to offer their residents. However, the people living in your community also expect a great deal from their homeowners association or advisory board. Residents expect a clean, safe, well-maintained environment that will help them protect themselves as well as their property values. If you or your residents are chagrined by the condition of the streets within your subdivision, you may be wondering whether to investigate the topic of an asphalt overlay.

What Is An Asphalt Overlay?

Asphalt overlaying is what many contractors refer to asphalt resurfacing. The asphalt overlay process involves milling the surface of the pavement to remove it to a sufficient depth to take out most or all of the damage. If the milling process exposed some flaws, your Austin asphalt overlay contractor will make any necessary repairs. After the milled surface is prepared properly, your contractor will install multiple courses of fresh overlay, compacting each before placing the next.

What Are the Advantages of An Asphalt Overlay?

When the work is performed by a reputable contractor, an asphalt paving overlay will look and function almost exactly like a rebuilt pavement. However, an asphalt overlay in Austin is just a fraction of the cost of a reconstruction. Furthermore, the asphalt overlay process is faster, so there will be less disruption to your residents. Since the contractor replaces the asphalt that was ground away with an identical depth of paving, curbs, transitions, catch basins, and other features are retained at their original elevations.

What Are Three Signs That Asphalt Overlaying Might Be Advisable for My Subdivision?

If the pavements in your subdivision have become unsightly, unsafe, or damaged, an Austin asphalt overlay may be an excellent choice.

1. Check the color of your asphalt. When your pavements were first installed, they were a rich, dark color. Over time, exposure to the sun can turn asphalt pavements an unappealing shade of gray or brown. However, while the sun is bleaching your pavement, it is also making it brittle and more susceptible to damage. Sealcoating can frequently rejuvenate the asphalt’s color, but if the sun has already turned the pavement friable and hard, sealing it may not help. An asphalt paving overlay can typically remove the dry, brittle layers, so you can prevent frequent repairs and protect the safety of your residents.
2. Evaluate the potholes in your community. You want to know how many there are, but you also need to determine how deep they go. Potholes do not mend themselves. Instead, they will continue to expand in all dimensions until they pose a serious hazard to cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians. Furthermore, as the potholes get deeper, the risk of severe damage to the foundation increases.
3. While you are evaluating the potholes in your subdivision, make a note of both repaired and unrepaired cracks. Open cracks and unrepaired potholes pose similar dangers to the structural integrity of an asphalt pavement. However, if your pavements have been given numerous crack repairs over the years, their aesthetics have likely been severely impaired.

If you are interested in learning more about an asphalt overlay in Austin, get in touch with RDC Paving. We are experienced paving professionals with impeccable references and an exemplary reputation. We offer a wide variety of asphalt services, including asphalt overlays, asphalt crack repairs, sealcoating, asphalt driveway paving, asphalt milling, and asphalt patching and repairs. In addition, we offer concrete repair and the construction of concrete parking lots, curbs, ADA features, driveways, sidewalks, and ramps. We also offer parking lot striping as well as individualized parking lot maintenance programs. If you are interested in receiving a free quote, you can call our Hutto headquarters at 512-920-9155. If you would rather, you can either submit our online form, or you can email Ryan@RDCPaving.com.