Frequently Asked Questions

Learn About Ford Asphalt Company

Have an asphalt-related question? We have the answer! Check out our FAQs below to learn more about our company and services.

Asphalt paving is a process of applying asphalt material to a road, parking lot, or driveway. The asphalt material consists of rock, sand, and asphalt oil. The asphalt oil is essentially the glue that holds the rock and sand together and comes from the refining of crude oil. It’s basically the sludge that is left over after the more valuable oils like gasoline have been extracted. We are one of the most experienced asphalt paving companies in St Louis, MO. Contact us today for all of your asphalt paving needs.

As asphalt begins to deteriorate the pavement will begin to crack. As cracks are left untreated, they continue to multiply and you begin to see networks of cracks, often referred to as alligator cracking. If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to contact a trusted company for asphalt repair in St Louis, MO. For commercial asphalt service, including parking lot repair in St Louis, MO, contact us today to learn about our services.

Asphalt typically has a lifespan of around 10 to 12 years if correctly maintained. However, most asphalt pavement is maintained every 3 to 5 years, depending on what maintenance is being performed. As asphalt paving contractors in St Louis, MO, we offer many repair options. Asphalt repair, such as surface patching, generally has a life expectancy of 3 to 5 years, depending on how much use it gets. Full-depth asphalt repair, in which the asphalt is removed to the rock base and placed at 6 inches in thickness, has a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years, depending on usage. We are one of the paving companies St Louis, MO business owners trust to make their parking lot look its best. Contact us today to request a proposal.

Asphalt sealcoating is not a structural fix. If you have a solid base, but your parking lot is just getting old and looks worn out, then asphalt sealcoating is right for you. However, if your parking lot doesn’t have a solid base and you are seeing many areas of network cracks (known as alligator cracks), sealcoating is not the correct fix, since your problems will persist. If this is the case, you’ll likely need to consider more substantial asphalt repair or undertake a full asphalt paving project. If you have any questions about repaving versus asphalt sealcoating, let us know. We’re one of the most experienced parking lot construction companies St Louis, MO has to offer, and we’d be happy to help you determine the right solution for your particular situation.

Knowing when to repair versus repave is a tough question to answer. As trusted parking lot contractors in St Louis, MO, we can provide you with some information to point you in the right direction. Asphalt is the most common material used in parking lots. According to the National Asphalt Pavement Association, over 90% of parking areas are surfaced with asphalt pavement. Typically asphalt is repaved when 30% or more of the lot is in need of repairs. Generally, the overlay is performed with 2 inches of hot commercial asphalt. Before an overlay can be performed, it’s also imperative to perform base repairs or repair the foundation the asphalt rests upon, whenever necessary. Deciding on whether to repair or repave can be a challenging decision, so if you are in doubt of which direction to go, reach out to us. We are experienced commercial paving contractors St Louis, MO businesses rely on, and we can help guide you to making the most cost-effective decision.

The typical paving season for our parking lot contractors in St Louis, MO begins around the end of March/beginning of April and runs through the end of November/beginning of December. However, sealcoating season starts around the beginning of May and runs through the end of October. All our services are weather-dependent and we don’t perform any work if it is raining or wet.

The average lifespan for asphalt that is properly maintained is 12 to 15 years. A big factor in this is what the condition of the sub-grade is like. If you have a solid sub-base, you will see a longer average lifespan than an asphalt surface that has a poor sub-base. Also, the weight/frequency of the vehicles that are traveling on an asphalt surface play a major role in the lifespan. Contact the asphalt paving contractors St Louis, MO trusts to learn more about the expected lifespan of your asphalt.

Many factors go into pricing a project but contractors often have the same expenses, so it may lead you to wonder why one contractor is more expensive than another. Most often, however, this is not actually the case.

Typically, clients will call multiple contractors and request a proposal from each one. Unless the client has a pre-determined scope of work, they are asking each company to provide a quote on what they “think” needs to be performed to the parking lot or roadway. This allows for many different opinions on what needs to be done, in which the end result is having each contractor recommending a different scope of work. This then leads to the contractor suggesting the “most” amount of work ultimately having the highest price. Often, customers do not know what they are really receiving for their price. They just know it is cheaper or more expensive than proposals they’ve received from other paving companies in St Louis, MO.

On a new asphalt surface, we recommend giving the pavement at least one evening to “cool off” prior to driving on it. As one of the asphalt paving companies St Louis, MO recommends most, we know just what you need to do to keep your asphalt in great shape. Give us a call to learn more!