How does a remove and replace differ from an overlay (cap)?
A driveway’s longevity will depend on three things; the geology of the soil, the quality of the installation and the maintenance it receives. Nevertheless, at some point it will begin to fail. When this happens, there are two options; an overlay or a remove and replace. An overlay consists of bonding a 2 inch asphalt veneer to an existing asphalt surface (it is rolled to a finished 1 inch thickness). It is only recommended when the majority of the existing asphalt and its limestone base are viewed to be structurally sound. A properly installed overlay on a sound base can last as long as a completely replaced drive. However, the keys to success are “properly installed” and “sound base”. If an overlay is applied over a weak or compromised base, it will fail. If an overlay is applied over extensively cracked asphalt, those same cracks will eventually express themselves through to the new surface. The speed and extent of this process depends on many things, but typically is does occur over
