The Pros And Cons Of Recycled Asphalt

Ever wonder where the big chunks of asphalt go after a construction crew has dug up an old asphalt layer to replace it with a new one? The large chunks of asphalt layer from old asphalt driveways are not disposed of in different landfills. Instead, they are brought to recycling plants for re-purposing.

A recycled asphalt may seem an ideal choice when it comes to installing a new driveway for your home. In fact, it is becoming a trend. However, before you make the same decision, here are some things that you need to consider to make an educated choice:

The Pros Of Recycled Asphalt
It is affordable. One of the major advantages of using recycled asphalt is that it is not too heavy on your wallet. A recycled asphalt does not require as much resources than that of a virgin asphalt. Virgin asphalt production requires more oil, more labor, and more work hours to get done. It is for these reasons that virgin asphalts are more expensive than recycled asphalt.

It is friendly to the environment. Asphalt does not decay. This means that throwing them away to landfills is not an option as they don’t rot. Thus, the use of recycled asphalt is friendlier to the environment as they are put to use again. In addition, manufacturing plants will be able to help minimize the use of non-renewable resources when old asphalt are recycled and re-purposed.

It has good bonding qualities. Tar is still present in recycled asphalt. This means that recycled asphalt will bond better than loose driveway products and materials. When wet and compacted, recycled asphalt will bond easily. This will produce a semi-permanent driveway, which keeps dust and dirt in place.

It allows percolation. Recycled asphalt is good for places that experience a lot of rain or snowfall. The reason behind this is that it holds up well in wet season and winter season. It allows water to pass through, which can help avoid flooding and pooling in the driveway.

It is attractive. The appearance of a recycled asphalt driveway is a hybrid between a gravel driveway and an asphalt driveway. For some, this is an attractive characteristic of recycled asphalt as it is more unique than others.

The Cons Of Recycled Asphalt
Color. In terms of color, recycled asphalt is not as deep as the traditional virgin asphalt. Some homeowners find this unique and attractive in recycled asphalt, but other homeowners still prefer the deep black color of fresh and non-recycled asphalt driveways. If color is something that you think is important, then you should consider how the finished product of a recycled asphalt driveway would look like in comparison to a pure virgin asphalt driveway.

Quality. Some recycled asphalts may not be as good, in terms of quality, as other recycled asphalt and most especially to a pure asphalt. This is because the quality of recycled asphalt would depend on how it is recycled and where it is recycled. Before you purchase a recycled asphalt, you should make sure that you do your research so you can make an educated decision. Make sure that you are purchasing from a reputable recycling facility to make sure you are buying a recycled asphalt that is of good quality.

Using recycled asphalt or not is entirely up to you. With the pros and cons listed above, you should be able to make an educated choice whether to buy a recycled asphalt or go with the traditional kind.

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