Pavement Care & Our 10-Year Warranty Info

Long-Term Satisfaction: Paving a Partnership

When you choose ACT Asphalt Specialties, you are trusting us to deliver a long-lasting, quality product. We are committed to working with integrity and care, doing the job right the first time. However, ensuring the longevity of your investment is a partnership.

By combining our exclusive 10-year warranty with your proper care and maintenance, your long-term satisfaction is assured. This guide provides you with all the information you need to maintain your new asphalt or concrete surfaces.

How to Protect Your Asphalt Pavement

Asphalt is a flexible pavement, meaning it requires specific care, especially during the first few years after installation. Here's the essential information you should know after we've installed your asphalt driveway:

• Manage Heavy Loads: Avoid heavy loads over the surface in the spring when frost is coming out, as the ground is weakest during this time. If you park a heavy vehicle for a period of time within the first couple of years, distribute the load by parking on a sheet of plywood placed under each tire.
• Protect the Edges: Try not to drive over or off an edge, as this can depress the edge and eventually cause breakage. Also, try not to park with your wheels turned to avoid surface markings.
• Gas & Oil Spills: Be very careful of gasoline or oil spillage. A concentrated amount can eat through the asphalt surface within hours, and oil will deteriorate the surface over a long period of time.
• Crack Maintenance (Most Important): Thermal cracks (caused by freezing and thawing) and root cracks are unavoidable. Sealing these cracks annually with a crack fill product is the single most important key to pavement longevity, as it stops moisture from penetrating under the pavement.
• Sealcoating: We do not recommend sealcoat for our driveways. Over-application or aging of sealcoat can cause it to shrink and crack, which holds moisture and causes deterioration.

Quick Look at Concrete Care & Maintenance

Concrete is a rigid pavement that provides incredible strength, but it requires patience during the curing process and protection from harsh chemicals.

• Driving & Walking: Do not walk on your new concrete for 24 hours. You must wait 7 to 10 days before allowing car parking and truck traffic.
• Strictly Avoid Salt: Do not use salt on your new concrete. Ammonium Nitrate or Ammonium Sulfate salt can react chemically with the concrete and cause surface scaling. Salt usage will void our warranty.
• Sealing the Surface: Upon installation, we apply a curing sealant that is good for the first year. For colored, stamped, or exposed aggregate installations, special sealers are used to bring out the color and texture, which need to be reapplied every second year.
• Understanding Cracks: Concrete is guaranteed to crack with ground movement or material shrinkage during curing. We saw-cut or tool joints into the concrete so cracking occurs at the bottom of the weakened joint rather than randomly across the surface. All cracks should be sealed annually to prevent water penetration below the slab.

10-Year Warranty: Insurance for a Complete Return on Your Home’s Investment

Working with integrity allows us to confidently provide you with our long-term warranty. Our one-of-a-kind residential warranty provides security and peace of mind in your investment choice. This warranty is based on 10 years from the date of completion and is fully transferable to other homeowners of the property for up to 10 years.

• Asphalt Coverage: We warrant against breakup (cracks in a block or alligator pattern), settlement (water pooling where it did not collect before), edge break-off, or weed growth.
• Concrete Coverage: We warrant against breakup or settlement causing water pooling.
• Our Promise: If any of these structural conditions occur over the course of the warranty period, we will repair the affected area to a structurally sound condition at no charge to you.
• What We Cannot Cover: Our warranty cannot cover negligence or abuse contrary to our instruction sheet, abnormal ground movement or frost heaving, unavoidable thermal and root cracks, or surface scaling due to salt usage on concrete.

Common Questions About Your New Pavement

Are tire marks on my new asphalt normal?

Yes. Asphalt is a flexible pavement and can mark during the first couple of years. We understand this inherent pavement characteristic and will repair minor surface markings as part of our warranty.

Will water pool on my new flat pavement?

On very flat areas, small water puddles may occur. Our rule of thumb for achievable accuracy is that if the puddle dries up within 24 hours, there is no concern of damage occurring over time.

Why is my new concrete a slightly different shade?

The surface color may not be totally uniform due to installation conditions. Ground moisture, sun and shade, or using plastic protection during cold/rainy weather can affect the shade of the concrete. If your job requires more than one truckload, the different loads can also have slightly different shades of color.

Will repaired areas match the rest of my pavement?

Please understand that it is impossible to match concrete color exactly, and reworking asphalt will leave the area slightly darker. Repaired sections will stand out for a period of time, but they will weather and blend out over a short time.

Have Questions About Your Pavement?

If you believe you have a warranty situation, please call our office promptly so we can record your request, inspect the issue, and schedule the repair. If there is anything you are not satisfied with, we want to hear from you: 651-484-1696.

Contact Our Paving Experts