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Jul 12, 2016

Getting a paved driveway you will love

This is the first blog in a series we are preparing to assist the property owner in making the right choices when selecting to have a driveway paved. We will look at both completely new installations and the issues surrounding having an old driveway replaced.

First off as with any project, there is the matter of the planning and design considerations. A reputable professional paving company will take you through the process and explain the steps, but in general you want to start with design and have a clear idea of the desired finished product.

Part 1: Design Considerations

When designing your new driveway there are several things you will want to consider.

Width: The minimum width you should make a driveway is 8 feet. This is enough to allow any regular size car or truck access provided it is s relatively straight driveway. If access for larger vehicles is required it is important to identify this up-front. All things considered, and if space allows, a 10 or 12 foot wide driveway is usually more desirable. This creates a more prominent entrance and gives vehicles more room for access. If you are looking to park multiple cars side by side, the parking area should be at least 10 feet wide per car to allow for the opening of doors.

Aesthetics: Landscaping objects such as trees and rocks should be considered. When placing a driveway close to trees, you will want to take into consideration the future root growth of the trees. If you are not careful they could be tearing up the edges of your new driveway within 5 – 10 years leading to premature deterioration and costly repairs. Likewise things like planters and furniture such as benches needs to be factored into the design. This is particularly the case if such items are fixed in position and will need to be worked around.

Curved Driveways: If you decide to install a curved driveway, be sure to increase the width of the driveway in the curved areas to allow traffic additional room to maneuver. Failure to do this will result in frequent occurrences of vehicles driving off the edge and causing excessive wear and tear. If you don’t allow for additional width in the curved areas don`t blame your guests for driving over the lawn or hedges in the curved areas.

Special Features: Some pavers have the ability to provide interesting value added effects such as stamped or coloured asphalt. Stamped Asphalt is the printing of patterns (usually brick) into the surface of warm asphalt, giving the pavement an authentic brick appearance. The printed pattern is then usually given a custom colour coating to enhance the patterns overall appearance. Custom logos and designs can also be imprinted, however they can be costly to implement.

It`s also worth noting that you can reheat and imprint your existing driveway even if it’s a few years old, provided the asphalt is still in good condition.

Next Steps: Removal, Base Preparation and Grading

In our next post we will look at the steps before actual paving. If an existing driveway is in place then this starts with removal of the old driveway. Once all the old stuff is out of the way then we can access the base and make sure that the foundation is prepared and that proper drainage is in place. A key part of proper drainage is having first rate grading done so the paved layers is of even thickness and slope so that water does not pool.

Next post we will detail all these steps so check it out!

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    COVID-19 Pandemic: Your Safety is Our Priority

    To our valued customers

    As a company, we prioritise health and safety for our employees and most importantly, our customers. We would like to assure you that we work under strict compliance with the BC Centre of Disease Control (CDC) and adheres to the guidelines provided by Health Canada and the World Health Organization regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Our business procedures, including estimating, collections, on site work procedures and overall customer interaction have been adjusted to ensure a healthy interaction between our employees and customers:

    Our employees have been educated with regards to the health and safety requirements amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We make sure that they strictly adhere to the following:

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    We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will ensure that all policies and preventive measures are adhered to. We also would like to encourage you to be up to date with COVID-19 pandemic by visiting the Health Canada’s website and watching the daily news.

    If you have queries and concerns regarding the above practice, please feel free to contact us at 778.855.0513 or send an email to [email protected]. Be assured that we will continue to be at our best in providing a safe and healthy work environment.

    Thank you.

    Burnaby Blacktop Ltd.