Asphalt Driveways in Allentown, PA

Asphalt driveways in the Lehigh Valley fail from the bottom up. When a driveway in Allentown breaks into a web of connected cracks, sinks near the garage or crumbles at the lawn edge, the cause is almost always a thin base, soft soil under it, or water that soaks in and freezes. A new driveway is a chance to fix those causes, not just to lay fresh blacktop over them.

When replacement makes sense

• Cracks that join up into a pattern like alligator skin across large areas
• Potholes that keep returning in the same spots after patching
• Sunken tire tracks or low areas that hold water after rain
• Edges breaking off into the grass
• More patches than original surface

A few isolated cracks can be filled and a small failed spot can be cut out and patched. Once the failure covers much of the driveway, replacing it usually costs less over its life than repeated repairs. If the surface is worn but still solid, an overlay may be enough, and we tell you which one we see.

The build, layer by layer

We remove the old asphalt, concrete or gravel and look at what is underneath. Soft or wet spots are dug out and replaced with crushed stone. The stone base is graded to the slope the finished surface needs and compacted in layers. HomeGuide describes a typical residential section as 6 to 8 inches of compacted gravel under 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt, and 8 to 10 inches of base under 3 to 4 inches of asphalt for driveways that carry heavier vehicles. Hot mix is then placed, raked at the edges and rolled while it is still workable.

Water and limestone

Much of the Lehigh Valley sits on limestone. Pennsylvania American Water notes that stormwater soaking through cracked pavement is one of the ways sinkholes start in karst areas. We do not claim to know what is under your lot, but we do make sure the driveway sends water to the lawn, a swale or the street rather than into one corner, and we point out downspouts that dump onto the pavement. If you have seen a depression open up in the yard or driveway before, tell us at the estimate.

Garage, sidewalk and alley transitions

At the garage we taper the asphalt so it meets the slab without a lip that catches snow shovels. At the front, most city driveways meet a concrete curb and sidewalk; in Allentown, curb and sidewalk work needs its own permit, and opening a street or alley surface needs a Public Works permit under Chapter 545. For rowhouse and twin garages off a rear alley, the pad on your property can usually be paved without touching the alley itself, and we plan the joint so water from the alley does not run into the garage.

Gravel to asphalt

Gravel driveways on larger lots in the townships are a common conversion. The existing stone can often be regraded and reused as part of the base after it is cleaned up and topped off, which keeps the cost down. We check the depth and condition of the gravel first, since a thin layer over clay or topsoil will not support asphalt.

Caring for it after

New asphalt stays a bit soft through its first summer. Vary where you park, do not turn the wheels while the car is standing still, and put a board under kickstands and trailer jacks. Wait three to six months before sealcoating, then seal every few years and fill cracks before winter. Use a plastic shovel blade if you can, and avoid piling salty snow on the same edge all winter.