Asphalt Resurfacing in Columbus, OH

Asphalt resurfacing means placing a fresh layer of hot-mix asphalt, usually called an overlay, over the existing pavement. It suits driveways and lots that have turned gray and rough and picked up fine surface cracks, but are still firmly supported underneath. HomeGuide puts driveway resurfacing at about $3 to $7 per square foot and says an overlay typically saves 20 to 30 percent compared with full replacement. The condition of the old pavement decides whether that saving is real.

The base test

An overlay bonds to the old asphalt and follows it. A solid old surface gives the new layer a firm platform. A failed one passes its cracks straight up through the new layer, a problem called reflective cracking, often within one or two winters. Before recommending resurfacing we look for:

• Alligator cracking, a sign the base has failed
• Ruts and depressions that hold water or ice
• Spots that flex under a vehicle
• Edges that are broken or undercut

Scattered failures can be cut out and rebuilt before the overlay goes on. If they are everywhere, we will tell you that replacement is the better use of your money.

How an overlay goes down

We clean the surface, patch the failed areas and seal larger cracks. Where the new layer meets a garage slab, sidewalk, apron or the street, we mill or saw-cut a keyed joint so the overlay ends flush instead of leaving a lip for tires and snow shovels to catch. A tack coat goes down so the layers bond, then the new asphalt is placed and compacted. A typical driveway overlay is about 1.5 to 2 inches thick after compaction.

Height and drainage

Every overlay raises the surface. On a flat Columbus lot that can send water toward a garage door or bring the asphalt up to a door threshold. We check those spots at the estimate and plan joints and pitch so the finished surface still drains away from the house.

Parking lots

For commercial lots, the usual version is mill and overlay: the worn top layer is milled off and replaced, which keeps curb reveals and drainage inlets at the right height. The work is phased so the business can stay open, and lots are restriped afterward to current accessible-parking standards.

Timing

Overlays need warm, dry pavement to bond and compact, so in Central Ohio they are scheduled from spring through fall.

After the overlay

Treat a resurfaced driveway like a new one: keep vehicles off it for the time we give you, avoid turning the wheels while parked through the first hot summer, and plan the first sealcoat once the new layer has cured. Sealing cracks each fall keeps winter water out of both the new layer and the old pavement under it.