Asphalt Resurfacing in Laredo, TX

Asphalt resurfacing lays a new layer of hot-mix over existing pavement. It is a common question in Laredo, and the honest answer is that it depends on the base. When the old pavement is faded, rough and lightly cracked but still firm underfoot, resurfacing gives you a new surface for less than replacement. When it is rutted, sinking or broken into potholes, the base has failed, and a new layer will crack in the same places.

What the numbers say

On HomeGuide's figures, resurfacing a driveway runs $3 to $7 a square foot, a thin commercial overlay of an inch and a half to two inches runs $1 to $3, and skipping full replacement on sound pavement usually trims 20 to 30 percent off the bill. Angi's spread for resurfacing is wider, $3 to $20 a foot, because it covers everything from a simple overlay to heavy prep work.

How we decide

We walk the surface, probe soft areas, check ruts with a straightedge and look at drainage. If most of it is sound, we recommend resurfacing, with any failed areas cut out and rebuilt first. If failure is widespread, we tell you replacement is the better use of the money.

Edges and transitions

A new layer raises the surface. At garage slabs, sidewalks, gutters and building entrances that creates a step, and it can change drainage. We mill the old surface along those edges so the overlay ties in flush, and on lots we may mill the whole surface to keep the grade unchanged.

Steps

• Repair failed areas down to the base
• Mill edges or the full surface
• Clean and apply a tack coat
• Pave and compact the overlay
• Restripe lots once the surface is ready

Heat considerations

An overlay is fresh asphalt and needs the same care: a few days in hot weather before heavy use and a few months before the first sealcoat. On truck lots, rutted areas need to be rebuilt, not just overlaid, or the ruts come back.

Resurfacing for commercial lots

On larger lots, resurfacing is often done in phases, a section at a time, so customers can still park. Restriping follows each section once it cures. Because the overlay covers all of the old markings, it is also a good time to review the layout, the accessible spaces and how trucks move through the lot.

The case against overlaying too soon

If a lot is only faded, a sealcoat may be all it needs, at a fraction of the cost of an overlay. We tell you when an overlay is not yet necessary.