Overlays – A Cost Saving Alternative
While we don’t usually recommend an overlay for residential driveways, there are times when it can be a viable option and a cost saving opportunity to get a few extra years our of your larger driveway or parking lot.
What is an Overlay?
An overlay is essentially installing a new layer of asphalt directly on top of your existing driveway or parking lot. It is not usually cost effective for normal sized residential driveways, but there are times and places where they are the best choice.
With an overlay, we first install a “level course” in low or weak areas to provide a smooth surface on which to pave the new layer.
Next, we install a new layer of asphalt – typically thinner than a normal driveway right over the old. It is compacted just like a new driveway and will look brand new. The life of an overlay can be somewhat shorter than new construction due to “reflective cracking”, which is where the areas above the old weak areas begin to fail in the same manner as the base. Despite this, there are certain jobs which are perfect candidates for overlays. Call today to find out if your project is one of them.