You just finished a new home in Tennessee and are just about to contact asphalt paving contractors about your new driveway. However, you have heard about many types of asphalt and aren’t sure which is right for you. Making the wrong choice could force you to stick with a pavement type which you don’t like and which doesn’t work effectively for your home or yard.

So if you aren’t sure which type of asphalt is right for your home, take a look at the list below to get an inside look at the best types available on the market today. Each of these asphalt varieties has a myriad of benefits that make them uniquely useful for your home. Try to find out which works best for you and talk to your contractors about it to ensure you get the best possible results.

Warm-Mix Asphalt

Warm-mix asphalt is slightly different than the other pavement options on this list because it is mixed at a much lower degree than other types. Typically, the temperature is about 50-100 degrees Fahrenheit lower than hot asphalt, which produces a few significant benefits. First of all, warm-mix uses less fuel to produce, which can save you money on the installation time. Just as importantly, it minimizes the production of greenhouse gases while you make this type of pavement.

As a result, warm-mix asphalt is an excellent choice for those who want to protect the environment or minimize their impact on global warming. However, this paving option also has the benefit of setting more quickly and decreasing your waiting time. As a result, you can start using your driveway more rapidly than you would with hot asphalt. That said, though, this type sometimes lacks the sturdy and reliable strength of hot asphalt, which must be considered before installation.

Porous Asphalt

This type of asphalt utilizes a unique mixture that creates a porous texture when it dries. As a result, the surface won’t collect excessive levels of water but will, instead, pass most of the water through the asphalt and into the ground. As a result, this type of pavement makes an excellent choice for your driveway if you’re concerned about water damage, and it is also relatively inexpensive to add to your home at the same time – a double benefit that shouldn’t be ignored.

However, you may want to call asphalt paving contractors to add this type to your property if you don’t have a lot of money to spend and live in an area with a lot of rain. The porous nature of this asphalt will ensure that water damage is minimized and also helps to keep severe expansion and contraction damage to a minimum. This step also ensures that you get pavement that will last up to 20 years or even longer with proper maintenance steps.

Thin Overlays

Thin overlays are a unique paving option that not many people consider for their home. In essence, this pavement utilizes warm-mix asphalt and various recycled materials to produce an inexpensive, environmentally-friendly, and quiet type of pavement. This paving option is perhaps one of the quietest you can get, which is a good choice if the sound of tires of pavement annoys you. However, this option has other benefits that are worth considering.

For example, the life-cycle costs – including maintenance – is usually cheaper on this type of pavement than others included on this list. And the lifespan is generally comparable to other types of pavement, at around 15-20 years. However, this type of asphalt doesn’t last quite as long as others on this list, which may be a deterrent to those who want a driveway that will last a lifetime. It may also be more prone to problems with weather and temperature changes, so keep that fact in mind before contacting any asphalt paving contractors near you.

Quiet Pavement

This type of pavement is commonly used on a variety of roads and freeways because it is designed to dampen the sound of driving cars. The sound-dampening effects of this pavement are so high that you may not even notice somebody arriving at your home. However, this asphalt is often a bit more expensive than other louder types because it requires unique engineering to achieve this effect.

While this type of pavement may seem a bit excessive for a home – and many asphalt paving contractors would agree – it can be beneficial in some situations. For example, if you live on a long driveway that makes a lot of noise, quiet pavement is a good choice. It may also be an excellent option if you live near a busy freeway that already makes too much noise.

Perpetual Pavement

Lastly, perpetual pavement is one of the most popular options and is one that many asphalt paving contractors will suggest for your home. This paving method uses a combination of asphalt and a unique paving design that utilizes various layers, rather than one simple pour. The idea behind this pavement is to create a long-lasting type that pours quickly and which minimizes the impact of cars driving on it.

The lifespan of this pavement can top nearly 30 years, which makes it an excellent choice for your home. Let’s put it this way – if you build your home when you’re 30, there’s a good chance this asphalt will last nearly until you retire. That benefit is one that you cannot ignore. The only big downside of this pavement is that it will definitely cost you more to install and maintain than other types.

Making the Right Choice

As you can see, asphalt paving comes in many different varieties, each of which has unique benefits that make them worth your consideration. Thoroughly understanding all of these advantages will help you make the right installation choice and avoid complications with your driveway. However, you should work with a professional on making this choice instead of doing it on your own to ensure that you get the best quality driveway at a price you can afford.

So if you need help choosing the best asphalt for your home and aren’t sure which asphalt paving contractors in Tennessee are the best choice for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us today to learn more about this process. Our professionals will come to your home, inspect your property, and come up with a high-quality paving option that will ensure you get the best results out of your driveway by purchasing the best possible asphalt for your home’s needs.