Getting a new asphalt driveway put in can be a great day in the life of a homeowner. The smooth, black aesthetics can really make your home stand out and shine. There’s one problem, though, that happens many times and may cause angst for the happy homeowner – tire marks or power steering marks on an asphalt driveway.
The good news? They’re usually superficial and temporary.
If you notice scuff marks or tire marks on your new asphalt driveway, don’t despair! When you have your driveway sealed or you have a new asphalt driveway put in, scuff marks on new asphalt are a common occurrence. It’s normal for most brand new asphalt driveways to have scuffs on them after a short period of time. Most homeowners do not notice them on new roads or parking lots of local businesses, but when they appear in your driveway at home you notice them immediately.
We’re going to let you know what you can do to get rid of tire marks on your asphalt driveway as well as how to prevent them.
Why Tire Marks Happen
When owners of new asphalt driveways see tire marks or scuff marks on their driveway, they often believe it’s due to poor workmanship from the paving company that did the work. They believe that the new driveway won’t last very long. This is not correct. Tire marks on a new asphalt driveway are a minor issue that will not have any bearing on the quality and long-term performance of an asphalt driveway. Tire scuffing is common and it isn’t due to poor materials or bad construction.
How to Prevent Tire Scuff Marks on Your Asphalt Driveway
There are some measures you can take in order to prevent tire marks on your asphalt driveway. First, if you notice the temperature outside is steamy and really hot, the asphalt may become softer and more pliable as it absorbs the extreme heat. A vehicle driving on it will probably leave some tire marks. There’s a simple way to alleviate this. Grab your hose and spray water on your asphalt driveway. This will cool it down and harden it, making it much less likely to have any tire marks or scuff marks when vehicles drive on it.
It’s also important to monitor the vehicles that are going to be driving on your new asphalt driveway. If you are having a new addition put on your house or doing any type of construction, contractors may have heavy construction trucks or other heavy equipment. Do not let them use your brand new asphalt driveway! Heavy vehicles will most likely leave scuff marks or tire marks and they may do more damage than that – so it’s important to know what kind of vehicles will be on your driveway and to make sure heavier ones remain parked on the street. In addition, driver behavior may be the cause of scuff marks. 180 degree turns from a parked position can cause tire marks. Braking really fast and coming to a stop will also cause scuff marks most of the time – so you should not only be aware of heavier vehicles – be cognizant of the drivers that are using your asphalt driveway as well. Our best piece of advice is, if you are turning your steering wheel in the driveway, you want your car to be moving as well. A stationary car with turning wheels will scuff the surface of the asphalt.
Contact Us Today
Tire marks on your asphalt driveway should not keep you up at night. It’s a superficial, impermanent issue that won’t last long and it can be prevented as well.
A. Macchione Brothers is proud to serve hundreds of residential customers in the Northern New Jersey/Northern Bergen County area with reliable residential asphalt driveway paving services. With more than 40 years in business, we’d be happy to provide you with a free estimate and answer any question you may have about asphalt driveways – contact us today.
