Asphalt Resurfacing in Elizabeth, CO
Plenty of driveways around Elizabeth look worse than they are. The surface is gray, cracked, and rough, but the base underneath is still solid. In that situation, resurfacing with a new layer of hot-mix asphalt over the existing pavement gets a nearly new driveway for considerably less than tearing it out. Elizabeth Asphalt Paving resurfaces driveways, private roads, and small lots in Elizabeth and the older neighborhoods toward Ponderosa Park Estates and The Pinery.
What Resurfacing Is
Resurfacing, also called an overlay, means placing one and a half to two inches of new hot-mix asphalt directly over an existing asphalt surface after repairs and preparation. The old pavement becomes part of the base. The result is a new surface with the strength of the combined layers, and it is the standard way road departments and property owners extend the life of pavement that has aged but not failed.
Overlays are also used to correct minor drainage problems by adjusting the grade of the new layer, and to raise a surface that sits slightly low at the garage or the road.
How We Resurface a Driveway or Lot
The existing surface is inspected and any failed areas are repaired first. Alligatored or sunken sections are cut out and patched to the base, because an overlay placed over a failed spot will crack along the same lines within a season. Large cracks are cleaned and filled so they do not reflect through.
Edges where the new layer would create a step, such as at the garage slab, a sidewalk, or the road, are milled or feathered so the transition is smooth. The old surface is swept clean and a tack coat of asphalt emulsion is sprayed on so the new layer bonds to it rather than sliding.
Hot mix is placed with a paver or by hand on tight areas and rolled while hot to the finished thickness. Edges are compacted and the shoulder is brought up to the new height so the edge is supported. The driveway can take passenger traffic after a couple of days of curing.
- Patch failed areas down to the base
- Clean and fill wide cracks
- Mill or feather edges at transitions
- Sweep and apply tack coat
- Place and roll new hot-mix asphalt
- Raise shoulders to support the new edge
Resurfacing vs. Replacement: How to Tell
An overlay is the right call when the existing asphalt is firm underfoot everywhere, the cracks are mostly straight or block-shaped rather than webbed, and drainage is working. It is the wrong call when more than about a quarter of the surface has alligator cracking, when there are soft spots that flex under a vehicle, or when sections have settled because the base washed out. In those cases the base has failed and a new layer on top would fail with it.
An overlay also adds height, so if the existing surface already sits high against the garage slab, a door threshold, or a drainage path, replacement may be required to keep grades right. We check all of this on the site visit and tell you plainly which option fits.
Reading a Worn Driveway in Elizabeth
Around Elizabeth, surface wear and base failure have different causes, and telling them apart is what decides whether resurfacing will work. Surface wear, meaning gray color, raveling, and straight cracks, comes from UV oxidation at 6,500 feet and years of freeze-thaw on an otherwise sound base. That is overlay territory. Base failure, meaning alligator cracking, heaving, and sunken areas, usually traces to the clay pockets common in Dawson Arkose soils or to water getting under the pavement. That needs rebuilding.
Established neighborhoods such as The Pinery and the older parts of Ponderosa Park have driveways reaching the age where an overlay makes sense, and the eastern edge of Castle Rock has aging lots in the same situation. Drives off Delbert Road and the other county roads should also have their approaches checked, since gravel tracked onto the pavement wears the first few feet faster than the rest.
Common Questions
Where can I get asphalt resurfacing near me in Elizabeth?
Elizabeth Asphalt Paving resurfaces driveways and lots in Elizabeth, Ponderosa Park, The Pinery, Franktown, and the surrounding Elbert and Douglas County area. Call (720) 555-0147 or send the form with your address and we will schedule a site visit to confirm an overlay is the right fit.
How thick is an asphalt overlay?
Residential overlays are typically one and a half to two inches of compacted hot mix. Thinner than that is hard to compact well and tends to ravel; thicker is used where the surface needs leveling or heavier traffic is expected. The written estimate specifies the thickness.
Will the old cracks come back through the new surface?
Straight cracks can eventually reflect through an overlay, usually after several years. Cleaning and filling them before paving slows that considerably. Alligator cracking will reflect through quickly, which is why those areas are cut out and patched to the base before the overlay goes down.
How long does resurfacing take?
Most driveways are repaired, prepped, and overlaid in one to two days, with another two to three days of curing before vehicles use the surface. Lots take longer and are often done in phases. The estimate lays out the schedule.
Can you resurface a driveway that has been sealcoated many times?
Yes. Old sealcoat does not prevent an overlay, but the surface is swept thoroughly and a tack coat is applied so the new asphalt bonds to the old. If the sealcoat is peeling or heavy, additional cleaning may be needed.
Where We Offer Asphalt Resurfacing
Find Out if Your Driveway Is a Resurfacing Candidate
Send a few photos and we will give you an initial read, then confirm it with a site visit. Call (720) 555-0147 or use the form below for a written estimate.