Budget usually drives the decision to redo a driveway, but timing decides how well the job turns out. Asphalt goes down best when the ground is dry and firm and the weather is warm and settled. Get the timing right and the surface binds properly and lasts; get it wrong and you can be looking at cracks or soft spots within the first year.
Aim for the drier stretches
In South East Queensland the thing to plan around is rain, not cold. Our summers bring heavy downpours and storms, so the more settled, drier months are usually the easier window to book paving. Asphalt lays and compacts best when both the air and the ground sit somewhere between about 10 and 32 degrees, which is comfortably in range here for most of the year. What you want to avoid is laying into a wet base or with rain on the way.
Why wet ground is the enemy
Asphalt mix contains oils, and oil and water do not mix. Lay asphalt while it is raining, or onto ground that is still wet from recent rain, and the water stops the mix bonding. It cools too fast, the oil separates and rises to the top, and you get cracks or potholes almost straight away. That is why an honest contractor will reschedule rather than push on through a wet forecast, even when everyone wants the job finished.
Heat helps, to a point
Warm, dry days actually work in your favour. Hot mix stays pliable and workable, spreads smoothly and can be finished neatly before it cools. It also gives the crew time to do the job properly rather than racing an incoming storm. Extreme heat is the exception: a scorching day can leave a fresh surface soft, so timing the lay for a warm rather than blistering day is ideal.
Give the ground a chance to dry
Before we lay, we want a couple of days of dry, settled weather so the base is firm and the ground temperature is right. That short wait is what protects the surface underneath, and the base is what the whole driveway depends on.
We keep a close eye on the forecast and book jobs into the right conditions so your new asphalt driveway gets the best possible start. Thinking about redoing yours? Get in touch and we will look at the site and give you an honest recommendation and a free written quote.