Asphalt Paving & Tire Scuffing

One of the most common questions we receive about new asphalt is concerns about tire marks and scuffing. Many customers envision asphalt essentially being black concrete. However unlike concrete asphalt goes through a 8 month to 1 year curing process. During this time the asphalt is still slightly soft, especially in the hot temperatures of South Florida. These marks are most common in areas where vehicles are required to twist the tires while the vehicle is stationary. Naturally the larger the vehicle and tires are the more power steering marks will appear.

Other common areas for theses marks are entry ways and circular driveways. Unfortunately the only realistic way to minimize the marks is to spread sand over the areas of concern. This will keep the tires from digging while also smoothing out the surface line sandpaper. During the curing process you should also avoid using trailer jacks on the new pavement or driving off the edge.

The good news is the sun, traffic and the curing process will smooth these areas out and make them almost entirely unnoticeable. On rare occasions it’s necessary for us to lightly heat the areas and compact and smooth out the surface. After one year many of our customers choose to sealcoat their driveway. This will not only protect the pavement and increase the life span but also give it a more aesthetically pleasing uniform appearance. You must wait a minimum of 6 months to sealcoat new asphalt.

We understand your concerns and realize you have made a large investment. Therefore we have taken some time to prepare a video showing local projects that had power steering marks as well as other common concerns initially and what those areas looked like 12-24 months later. It’s important to remember all of these projects passed rigorous inspections and were signed off on by engineering firms as well as city and county inspectors. Please view below.