Asphalt Paving Thickness – Is 2 Inches Enough for a Driveway?

Asphalt is the best material for the most cost-effective and long-lasting solutions for driveway paving. But,

How thick should an asphalt driveway be?

Is 2 inches of asphalt enough for a driveway?

Lets find out

Well, the consensus around Asphalt Driveway Paving Thickness invariably varies based on the advice of different experts. Some consider 2 inches thickness to be the standard while others consider up to 11 inches to be the best industry practice.

Why do the figures are so different for the same project type?

Well, in reality, asphalt driveways can be 2 inches, 4 inches, or even up to 9

So, without further ado, lets take a detailed look into Asphalt Paving Thickness to know what you might need to consider when getting a new driveway.

-11 inches thick. The final choice depends on the specific use of the driveway and what youre looking for in terms of durability.

Whats important is you talk out the project specifications beforehand to know whats best for your driveway.

So, without further ado, lets take a detailed look into Asphalt Paving Thickness to know what you might need to consider when getting a new driveway.

Asphalt used for paving your driveway is usually a mix of aggregates like stone and dust and chemical binders. And for an optimal mix of these components, you need the asphalt to be of a minimum thickness.

The road needs and region also play a vital role in deciding the amount of layering and asphalt components. Youll have a better understanding of this as we go further in the blog.

Moreover, the question of deciding the Asphalt Driveway Minimum Thickness seems to be the most troubling for homeowners.

Well, in some cases, yes it can be. Its considered to be a good option for a regular driveway with minimum to average traffic load of regular car and bikes. But theres a caveat here.

If you do happen to live in an area like Toronto, temperature fluctuations and freezing conditions are bound to happen.

In such a scenario, we do recommend a driveway thickness of minimum 4 inches to withstand temperature changes. Further, such a thickness will also be able to take more regular traffic.

And thats about it when we are talking about Asphalt Thickness for Residential Driveway. But things get more technical when it comes to deciding the asphalt thickness for a commercial driveway.

Well, a commercial driveway receives anywhere from medium to heavy traffic on any given day.

Is 2 inches of asphalt enough for a driveway in the case of a commercial establishment?

Clearly no.

Instead, it seems 6 inches is the Standard Asphalt Driveway Thickness in the case of a commercial parking lot.

The thing is asphalt driveways should always be built to accommodate the traffic load. A residential driveway may not need a thickness of more than 4 inches. But commercial driveways or municipal roadways have to deal with a totally different kind of traffic overload.

And experience tells heavier vehicles can cause a lot of damage over time. This significantly hikes up the Driveway Paving Cost and you may have to install an entirely new driveway.

Thats why commercial driveways built for heavy vehicles such as a big truck use a thicker asphalt for paving. Further, its important to inform your contractor of the expected traffic load and other requirements before they start the work.

In the case of municipal roadways, thickness may vary between 6 to 9 inches or it can even go up to 11 inches. Here, the Average Asphalt Driveway Thickness will vary depending on the standards of different municipalities.

With this, it should be pretty clear that the Types of Asphalt Driveways

With this, it should be pretty clear that the Types of Asphalt Driveways also have a great impact on the ultimate thickness.

You can go for 2 inches of asphalt thickness but only in some cases. This may include the scenario when youre just overlaying the surface with asphalt.

Moreover, you can choose to either overlay or mill and overlay the surface. This will depend on the present conditions of your driveway.

Asphalt overlay is only laying an additional coat of asphalt over the surface. On the other hand, mill and overlay is milling the previous surface and then laying the two inches of asphalt over it.

Well, asphalt contractors would decide on which method to choose depending on the damage in your surface. Generally speaking, more damage needs mill and overlay to repair the surface.

If the surface does suffer from minor damage, we highly recommend you to opt for overlay. It can significantly drop down the total project cost when compared to a completely new paving installation.

In fact, 2 inches of thickness is the golden standard if youre just overlaying the asphalt surface.

However, dont go below 2 inches even if youre just overlaying. A surface course thats too thin may not be able to bond properly with the binder course.

Such a driveway may not be able to uphold the traffic enough to prevent cracking and other asphalt issues.

Contact Asphalt Repair Company to Fix Inadequate Asphalt Thickness

NOTE: Other things you can do to ensure a good driveway is fixing the drainage system and maintaining the right pavement slope. This helps the water to run off the sides instead of getting pooled on the surface.

As different locations and driveways need unique care when laying asphalt, you need to hire a professional asphalt paving company.

Whether its asphalt paving from scratch or overlaying, the right kind of asphalt application is something indispensable.

Our expert team of asphalt professionals can help you figure out the answer.

We are an asphalt construction and maintenance company equipped with industrial experience of many years backing our expertise.

Main Infrastructure offers safe and reliable asphalt pavingservices in the Greater Toronto area. Additionally, we take care of the entire pavement management planning including everything your project may require for successful completion.

We are known for our:

Furthermore, we assure each project gets a diversified team that can fulfill the dynamic requirements of the specific project.

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Asphalt Paving Thickness - Is 2 Inches Enough for a Driveway?