Can Asphalt Be Laid Within The Rain?

Rain – Go away, come again some other day…..Especially If Asphalt Needs Done.

There are many reasons you might want to lay asphalt. Regardless of the reason, the weather should have an affect on when you plan on doing it. The mixture that asphalt contains has specific oils that are meant to repel water, however, if it does not dry before it is meant to, it can leave your asphalt ruined. Let’s dive in to some specifics…. First, let’s talk about what its made of and how that can affect asphalt being laid.

Oils/Aggregates

Black-top is made up of a few components, most of which are called aggregates. Aggregates are little up bits of stone, rock, and sand that are cleared out over from other occupations. Asphalt also contains a little bit of bitumen cement, and oils which means that in many ways it is like cement and cannot be put down with any water present.

The Mix Must Be Hot!

Unlike cement, hot-mix black-top is regularly warmed to between 200 and 310 degrees. When it gets rolled on, the temperature must be between 200 and 300 degrees. On the off chance that the blend temperature falls underneath roughly 185 degrees while its being put on, it’ll harden up and not compact the way it ought to.

Cure!

Black-top has oils in it and when they are uncovered to rain they can rise to the surface. This influences how the black-top cures and the wrapped up result in a few ways. We at LOCO want to help you complete your Pittsburgh asphalting job and we want to ensure that it is delivered in high quality. For more information visit us here or call 412.214.8441

Asphalt Versus Tarmac

The tale of the battle between road surfaces, who will win, Asphalt Vs Tarmac.

Asphalt versus Tarmac, it can be a difficult decision to make if you don’t know what each product has to offer. You may have a driveway job that needs to be done and now comes the time to pick. Both decisions offer many things but at the end of the day you are left to chose one. In this article, we plan to give you better insight into which product may be best for your project. Let’s start by giving you some general information to think about.

General Information about Asphalt and Tarmac

To get started, both are very effective and good products, they look very closely alike, but are made out of different things. Both are strong and durable and last for a long time. Each product has its ups and downs. Below we have touched on a few key points for asphalt.

Asphalt

Asphalt is among the foremost prevalent choices when working on a Pittsburgh extend. Black-top is exceptionally reasonable. Asphalt does provide traction but it isn’t as solid as tarmac.  Another key point to consider is that black-top holds up superior in higher temperatures than landing area. One conceivable drawback is that black-top does not stand up to slide marks. Tarmac, in any case, is more safe to slide marks.

Tarmac

Like we said, tarmac is more resistant to skid marks. This isn’t the only thing its good for though. Tarmac is made when a layer of crushed stone is mixed in with tar. Tarmac is strong and durable. It also provides lots of traction. This type of product also provides a noticeable difference between the road and your driveway, this means they will not blend in together if this is the look that you are going for. 

Asphalting vs Tarmac can be a difficult decision as we stated earlier. This is why we suggest that you seek professional help before making a final decision.

Now that we have summarized some of the key points, we hope that we could give you more information on choosing between asphalt and tarmac. Remember there are many more things to take into consideration when choosing, this was just some key points to look into. If you have a Pittsburgh surfacing project that involves choosing between asphalt or tarmac, we suggest seeking help from LOCO experts. For more information, visit our website here, or call now at 412.214.8441.

Asphalt or Concrete

Don’t let the wrong choice knock you on your AS-phalt 🙂

Are you faced with the choice of whether to choose Asphalt or Concrete? New driveway? Maybe building a new home? Either way, you may have a project that you are looking to get started on and might be wondering which option is the best choice for your situation. There are many things to consider when choosing asphalt or concrete. These include things like looks, cost, and of course, maintenance. Well good news, In this article, we plan to run through our list and give you a better insight into which option we think is best for your situation. So let’s get started on the looks.

Looks

Looks are always something to think about when you are going to choose asphalt or concrete. No matter what option you choose, you will always see the blend of colors throughout the scenery. Asphalt is the traditional black color and cannot be made unique. Concrete, however, can be made unique. You can add patterns and even stain it to not be the boring grey color. Concrete is the more popular option. One other thing to consider is the maintenance you are going to have to do.

Maintenance

If you choose asphalt rather than concrete, you most likely will not have problems with it after it is sealed. Sealing can be done six months after it is first laid and then you are most likely to receive a twenty-year lifetime from it. If you choose concrete, sealing it is not a priority but we suggest it. Sealing it will keep it cleaner and can reduce the risk of cracks. If not taken care of properly, it can be cracked and stained. Fixing it can cost more for you in the long run. Cost is also a big factor in both options.

Cost

It should be no surprise that the cost might be the biggest factor that comes into all of this. Not including what maintenance costs you might have to take of down the road, asphalt is the cheaper route. Concrete, on the other hand, can be more expensive and this does not include if you choose to stain it or add any patterns. Choosing to do so will add more to the general cost. 

As we mentioned earlier, you might have a project taking place and we suggest seeking a professionals help. You always want to make sure you end up with a high-quality project.

Now that we have gone through our list, We hope we could give you more insight when choosing asphalt or concrete. Remember this is just our list, there are plenty of other things to consider when choosing which option is best for your situation. If you have a current or upcoming project and you need help, we at LOCO want to give you a high-quality project at a great price. Visit our website or call us for more information at 412.214.8441