No matter how hard you try, a steep or curved residential driveway may be unavoidable. At Cassidy Paving we understand that this is not anyone’s first choice, but don’t despair. There are things you can do to increase the safety and accessibility of your steep or curvy driveway with the help of a professional asphalt contractor. Keep reading for more information on how you can work with an asphalt professional regardless of the slope, grade, or layout type of your driveway.
How to Properly Pave Steep or Curved Driveways
Working with Slope
If your driveway will have a steep slope, there are certain factors to consider before applying asphalt pavement. Bob Vila’s Planning Guide for Driveways states that “as a general rule, a driveway should be less than a 15% grade, which means that it should not rise more than 15 feet over a distance of 100 feet.” If you find that your slope is higher than that, you should consider grading it down to an appropriate incline prior to laying the asphalt. Also, if your slope is very dramatic from your home to the road, you may want to consider adding a curve prior to entering the road to help you maneuver your vehicle in a safer way. Cassidy Paving has provided grading services for even the steepest of topographies and with the correct gameplan, we are sure that we can help make your driveway as safe as possible.
Adding Safety Barriers
The Massachusetts winters can be full of snow and slick roads. You don’t want to find yourself on a sloped driveway without proper safety barriers. One way to protect yourself from skidding off your drive is by installing a barrier of some kind. Barriers can be walls made from bricks, stone, or even fencing, but your contractor can also give your driveway ridges along the edges that will help your vehicle regain some traction in the event of skidding.
Surface Treatments
For curved or steep driveways there are also options for asphalt materials that provide more friction than just a traditional application. The Federal Highway Administration defines a slurry seal as “a low-cost bituminous surface treatment used to seal the underlying surface from water infiltration, fill surface cracks and voids, and improve friction and appearance of an existing pavement”. Diamond grinding is another technique that can be used by a professional contractor to increase skid resistance. This is very important to improve the drivability of your steep and/or curved driveway.
Get an Estimate Today
If you know that your driveway has special qualities that will need an expert touch, Cassidy Paving is here for you. We understand how Massachusetts weather can play a role in the drivability of your steep or curved driveway. These specialty drives cannot be treated in the same manner as those that are flat and straight. Give us a call today at 866-978-9788 to discuss how to make your driveway as safe as possible. You also will receive a no-pressure free estimate for your asphalt services.