Great Choices for Asphalt Driveway Edges
When the asphalt used for a driveway cures, and you see this smooth, solid expanse connecting the street and the garage, you may think that this is a strong surface that can take a lot. After all, it can support cars, so it should last a long time. It can, but what you don't see is how the way the edges are set affects the driveway's longevity. While asphalt can withstand a lot more than, say, pavers, which can be spread apart gradually through pressure, it's still prone to chipping and breaking up if you don't treat it correctly. One of those correct treatments is to anchor the sides of the driveway so that they don't begin to deform over time.
Pavers, Bricks, Stones, or Stamped Concrete
A very common choice is to add borders of pavers, bricks, stones, or stamped concrete. These not only look nice, but they also hold the edges of the asphalt together very well. Asphalt is relatively flexible when dry; it feels strong and solid but can move if something heavy is on it. A solid border like one made of bricks holds the asphalt in place. A disadvantage to these is that they require a fair amount of work to install, and they themselves need a form of edging on the non-asphalt side. But they are the nicest options if the appearance of the driveway is important to you. You can have these match the color of the asphalt, although having a contrasting border can be a nice touch.
Soil Over Graded Sides
The sides of an asphalt driveway don't suddenly drop down at a 90-degree angle to the soil; they're sloped a bit to help with pressure from the weight of whatever is parked on the driveway. But that means that the asphalt driveway can look oddly uneven compared to the soil. If you don't want to install borders, you can pile soil up against the sides of the asphalt, level with the top surface to make the driveway's top blend in better. You eliminate the weird step between the higher asphalt and the lower soil, and instead, you have this nice surface that runs from the asphalt to the soil with no interruption.
Plastic Paver Edging
Finally, if you want a visual border but don't want to install pavers or similar materials, you can use plastic paver edging right up against the sides of the asphalt. Ensure that the edging is snug; as it's plastic and not stone, it can be prone to moving a bit if you don't anchor it in the right spots. Loose edging means the asphalt paving can flex more and potentially break at the sides.
When you have a driveway paved, you may think the final steps are curing and sealing. But securing the edges of the driveway is also important. You want that smooth asphalt to stay in place and not start crumbling at the edges, and installing some sort of border material is the way to do that.
Reach out to an asphalt paving company to learn more.
