Aurora Paving and Concrete provides commercial asphalt paving and asphalt seal coating in both Maryland and Virginia. Our friendly and knowledgeable team works with you to figure out the most cost-effective ways to provide you with asphalt paving, asphalt seal coating, or any of our other services. 

If you need parking lot striping, asphalt seal coating, or any other service from a paving contractor, our expert team can help with any size job. We have the most qualified personnel and equipment to help you. To ensure your safety, we are licensed and insured. 

Our paving contractor team, which specializes in asphalt seal coating, has the right knowledge, experience, and high-quality tools to finish the job right and on time. Contact us now for more information about our asphalt paving services.

Aurora Paving and Concrete is a paving contractor. We offer related services such as asphalt paving, asphalt milling, asphalt resurfacing, asphalt repairs, seal coating, commercial paving, parking lot striping, and parking lot paving.

There are multiple ways you can contact us. You can call us directly at 410-484-5787. You may also email us at office@aurorapaving.com

We also have a convenient contact form.

Whichever method you choose, one of our friendly staff is ready to address your inquiry! 

What is the difference between resurfacing and sealcoating my drive?

The main difference is that resurfacing/ rehabilitation is a structural repair that will extend the useful life of your asphalt surface. It entails the patching (if necessary) and resurfacing of the entire surface with a new overlay of 1 ½" to 3" of hot bituminous asphalt. Sealcoating is not a structural repair and may be likened to painting your house. The sealcoat protects and extends the life of your asphalt, but does nothing to correct structural flaws. Sealcoating, accordingly, is substantially less expensive than resurfacing your drive.

Can I get asphalt in gray or any color other than black?

Essentially all asphalt is black. When the aggregates (stone) are mixed together with hot asphalt cement, the mass of material becomes black. Over time, as the asphalt oxidizes, the coating on the aggregates breaks down and the color of the aggregate starts to show through. This can lead to a 'grayish' color if the asphalt plant uses a light color aggregate.

When can I drive on my new drive?

Your new asphalt surface can take more than 30 days to cure depending on temperature variations from night to day. In general, however, you should be able to drive on the surface after two to three days if you are careful. (See tire scuff marks below)

My car left tire scuffmarks. Are they permanent?

Tire scuffmarks are caused when you turn your car's steering wheel while the car is stationary. If it is a hot day and the asphalt has not completely cured, the surface will get a blemish like grinding your heel into a soft substance. Over time, most of this will become less noticeable.

Why does asphalt appear to have different textures in different areas?

Asphalt is comprised of roughly 95% varying sized aggregates and 5% black asphalt cement. While the mixes we use are all state approved, the appearance and characteristics of the mixes from any of the 62 asphalt plants in Maryland will vary. It is natural to expect a variation in the surface texture of the asphalt between loads and in different areas of a paved surface.

Why do I see roller marks on my surface?

A critical aspect of producing a long lasting job is the achievement of the proper compaction of your surface. 90% compaction is ideal. Sometimes the rollers leave 'streaks' or marks on the drive. These are temporary and will become less noticeable over several months.

What can I do about poor drainage on my drive?

As a frame of reference, good drainage requires a minimum of 2% 'fall' for water to run off properly. In plain English this means that the grade (angle) of the driveway should have a ¼" decline for each foot of pavement… i.e. a 10 foot wide section of asphalt should decline 2 ½" to have the water run off properly. There are a variety of solutions to this including drains, swales and curbs. In areas with less than 2% fall, ponding water is to be expected.

Why shouldn't I pave my driveway during the colder winter months?

When asphalt is mixed at the plant, it is super heated to in excess of 325° F. By the time it is put in a truck, shipped to the job site and installed on your project, it should still be a minimum of 250° to allow it to be properly compacted. Ambient air temperature and the temperature of the ground both play a significant role in how long the asphalt is 'workable' and can be properly compacted. This can range from several hours on a hot summer day to 10 minutes on a chilly fall morning.

What should I do to help prevent the edges of my driveway from cracking?

The edges or 'shoulders' of your drive are one of the most vulnerable areas of the drive. If you put a lot of weight on the edge (say by driving your car or lawn mower right to the edge), there is the possibility that the edge will crack or break off if it is not properly supported. We try to help the situation by creating a 'beveled edge' on the side of the drive with a 45° angle to defuse the pressure. You can help by installing seeded topsoil against the finished height of the asphalt once the job is completed.

Our car is leaking oil on the asphalt and it is causing it to deteriorate. Why is this happening?

Asphalt is a petroleum based product and oils, gasoline and brake fluids act like a solvent, causing the surface to soften and become more susceptible to damage.

I have grass growing in my new drive. How can this happen?

Properly compacted asphalt has 10% air voids in it. If a seed of grass gets into the mix and germinates - viola! - We have grass. The best thing to do is spray the area with 'Round Up' to kill the grass.

My driveway has areas that are deteriorating. Should I wait a year or two and get the entire driveway resurfaced or address these specific areas now?

Much like the repair of rot in a piece of wood on your house exterior, it is significantly cheaper to repair deteriorated areas before they start to spread than to wait and rehabilitate the entire drive. Typically a dollar spent on repairs in the first half of a driveway's life will cost $4 to $5 to repair at a later date.

I am concerned about the aesthetics of patching my drive. Will it look okay?

This is one of the trickiest questions we get. And the answer is 'it depends'! Once we patch part of your drive, it will be a black area in the midst of your existing graying surface. If your driveway has been sealcoated previously, the new asphalt will also have a more porous texture. This does not bother some people, as they know that they are protecting the investment that they have in their driveway. Others see it as an eyesore and have the whole driveway resurfaced or sealcoated after the patching is completed.

Is there an environmentally friendly way to resurface my driveway with asphalt?

'Environmentally friendly' is a term subject to many interpretations, but - yes - some asphalt is more environmentally friendly than others. Aurora utilizes a foamed asphalt stabilized base (FASB) product for its base asphalt on certain projects. This is manufactured in a cold mix process incorporating recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) aggregates and has been approved for credits towards LEED certification. For more information see www.greenmixasphaltinc.com.

When should I sealcoat my new drive?

This is generally a function of the amount of direct sunlight and traffic that an area gets. As a rule of thumb, a surface should not need sealcoating more than every three or four years. Once a driveway has been sealcoated too many times, it becomes very smooth and slick when it rains.

Can I get my driveway sealcoated in any color other than black?

No. We have many calls for this, but as Henry Ford said " you can have it in any color you want, as long as it is black". Recently a more environmentally friendly light grey sealer (less heat retention) has been under development for commercial uses, but this is very expensive and has not been utilized very extensively.

What are the pros and cons of using asphalt versus concrete for my drive?

Color aside, we believe that this is primarily a question of personal taste, but there are two primary differences.

Asphalt is a flexible surface that has the ability to flex with use and slight movements of the base. Concrete relies on its own internal strength to absorb loads and bridge weaknesses in the sub-base.

Concrete costs significantly more than an asphalt surface of comparable strength.

Can I put an asphalt surface over my old concrete drive?

Yes. This can be done if the concrete has not deteriorated too much, but there is a caveat. Concrete has expansion joints and when the concrete 'moves', it will reflect up through the asphalt and crack. We can put a Petrotac paving fabric over these joints to retard this cracking, but sooner or later it will show through.

The alternative is to excavate the entire concrete drive and rebuild an asphalt or concrete drive from the base up, but this is an expensive proposition.

What exactly is concrete?

In simplistic terms, concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, a fine aggregate (sand), a coarse aggregate (gravel), water and several chemical additives. When water mixes with the cement, a process known as "hydration" takes place that binds the whole mixture together.

In its finished state, concrete appears to be a solid slab, but is actually quite porous. As the excess water in the mix evaporates, it leaves capillaries throughout the slab much like a sponge.

Can I pour concrete in all weather?

Extreme temperatures make it difficult for the hydration process to take place. When it is too close to freezing, the hydration slows to a standstill and the concrete will not cure and gain strength. Typically the ground should be at least 50 degrees and rising. On the other extreme, when it is very hot, too much water is lost by evaporation and care must be taken to keep the concrete wet.

What kind of sub-base should I have?

All topsoil should be removed. A smooth, granular (stone or gravel) sub-base should be installed and compacted so that the slab has a uniform thickness.

The sub-base should be properly graded so that water flows away from any structures. As a rule of thumb, the base should slope 1/4" for every linear foot to provide proper drainage.

How thick should the slab be?

We recommend a 4” thickness for sidewalks and 5” to 6” , depending on the type of vehicular traffic. Aprons are generally 7" to 8" thick.

Should I use reinforcement in the concrete?

Yes. Steel reinforcement (6x6 #10 welded wire mesh), can help prevent cracks over the life of the slab. The wire mesh should be elevated to the center of the slab as it is poured. Additionally, fiber can be added to the concrete to help minimize cracking and reduce permeability.

The genetic component of concrete.

There are many different mixes of concrete for different applications. In our market, most of the mixes involve adding more Portland cement which affects the strength of the concrete. We typically use a 6 ½ bag (of Portland) mix that has a compressive strength rating of 3500 psi for sidewalks and 4000 psi. Concrete is sold by the cubic yard.

Concrete does not require much water to achieve maximum strength. Too much water makes it easier to install, but greatly reduces strength. The 'slump' of a mix is a measure of consistency of freshly mixed concrete, measured in inches. It is the distance that the mix falls when a conical mold (slump cone) is lifted from a test specimen. Increasing the slump is typically done by increasing the water in the mix. We normally use a slump of '3' to '4' for sidewalks .

We also request an air entrained concrete mix. This entails adding an air-entraining agent, a surfactant, which creates tiny air bubbles in the mix that help reduce or absorb stresses from freeze/thaw cycles.

Concrete should be in place within 90 minutes of its loading at the concrete plant.

Is it true that concrete shrinks?

Yes. As it cures, concrete shrinks roughly ½” for every 100 linear feet.

Doesn’t this shrinkage cause the concrete to crack?

Yes. Control joints should be put in the concrete to provide a place for stress relief (read 'cracking'). Control joints should be 2 to 3 times (in feet) the thickness of the slab in inches. i.e. a 4" slab should have control joints every 8 to 12 feet.

Control joints should be ¼ the thickness of the slab. Thus a 4" sidewalk should have 1" deep control joints. They should either be scribed into the surface with appropriate concrete finishing tools or saw cut within 8 to 12 hours of the pour.

Isolation joints are areas where the new concrete slab abuts against another fixed surface and their interaction might cause cracking. Typically a ½" to ¼" thick premolded joint filler is used in these situations.

Does all concrete crack?

All concrete will crack to some extent. The key is to use the correct mix and proper workmanship to minimize or control the cracking.

Primary causes of cracking are stress induced by shrinkage of the concrete as it cures or stress occurring from a poor sub-grade or due to use.

How do I address cracks that appear in my concrete?

We do not recommend addressing hairline cracks until they become 1/8" to 1/4". At that point, the crack can be ground out with a grinder and caulked with a self-leveling concrete caulk such as Sikaflex 1CSL or Dow Corning 890-SL caulk. The caulk should be tack free within 2 hours and cures fully within one to two weeks.

What finish should the concrete have?

We recommend a simple ‘broom finish’ to provide traction and a clean aesthetic look.

How long does it take for concrete to cure?

Concrete actually gets stronger as it gets older, the curing process continuing for years. The hydration process happens rapidly at first and then slows down and so the standard has become that all concretes are rated at their 28-day strength. For practical purposes, we recommend that car traffic can generally enter onto concrete slabs after three days and truck traffic after seven days.

Do you recommend a curing compound?

Yes. It is very important to maintain proper moisture levels in new concrete in its early stages of hydration and protect it from the sun and wind.

Do you recommend the use of concrete sealants?

This is a personal preference item. After the concrete has had a chance to cure properly (at least 28 days), a sealant can be applied to prevent moisture from getting into the slab. The key item here is that the sealant must still allow the concrete to breathe to allow moisture from the soil underneath to evaporate.

Typically sealants last about two years. You should also check to make sure that the sealant doesn't discolor the concrete in an objectionable manner.

Why is exposed aggregate concrete more expensive than standard concrete?

Two reasons. The first is that a special pea gravel or larger smooth gravel is used in the mix.

The second is that the installation process becomes a 'two step' process. Once the concrete is poured and finished, a special surface retarder is sprayed over the entire area. This allows the center of the concrete slab to cure while the top surface stays more malleable. The next morning, we return again and hose off with water the top layer of concrete.

What does the term ‘spalling’ mean?

In regions such as ours where we periodically have severe freeze thaw cycles, water can get into the concrete, freeze and cause small pieces of the concrete to chip off or spall. Sealants can help protect against spalling.

Why shouldn’t I use salt on my new concrete?

During new concrete's first winter, it is very susceptible to water damage. During freezing conditions, salt melts ice and allows the water to penetrate into the mass of the concrete. When the water freezes again, it expands as much as 9%, causing the surface of the concrete to spill off in small chips.

The Portland Concrete Association recommends the use of sand or cinder chips during this first season.

What exactly is sealcoating?

Sealcoating is a process not unlike painting your house. The asphalt in your driveway can deteriorate due to exposure to the sun, heavy traffic or oil spills. The sealcoating process involves spray applying an asphalt or coal tar emulsion to help protect the asphalt from the elements.

What sealcoating is not.

The important thing to remember about sealcoating is that it is a cosmetic process and is not a structural repair. If your property requires any patching or crack sealing, these must be done first before the sealcoating takes place.

How often should I sealcoat my property?

We do not believe in sealcoating a surface too often unless it gets a lot of traffic or exposure to the weather. What this generally means is that a property should be sealcoated every 3 or 4 years or when it starts to look ‘dry’.

My driveway has a lot of cracks. Will you crackfill these?

As part of the production process, we will use a cold pour crack fill to fill significant cracks. We define significant as cracks of roughly ½" or wider. In general, if the asphalt has extensive 'alligatoring', you will still be able to see the random cracks through the sealcoat.

What will the finished product look like?

Sealcoating gives your property a uniformly black color that many people find very attractive. When you examine the surface, however, you will still be able to see areas that have been crack filled or patched due to the different texture of the asphalt. Worn asphalt that has been previously sealcoated has a much smoother appearance than new asphalt that is just sealcoated the first time.

Do you have any suggestions for making the production process run smoother?

Yes. If you have a lawn sprinkler system, please make sure to cut it off. While we will barricade areas that we have sealcoated, you should advise your lawn service and trash pick-up to stay OFF of the surface for at least two or three days to prevent scuffing.

When can I drive on my newly sealcoated surface?

Every situation varies due to the weather, but as a rule of thumb, you should stay off the drive for at least 2 to 3 days to allow the sealcoating time to properly cure so that it doesn't track onto adjoining areas or scuff. Rainy days cause the product even longer to cure.

Are there any adverse effects to applying sealcoating too often?

To draw on the painting analogy again, if you sealcoat the drive every year (or every other year), unless the property gets a lot of traffic, the sealcoating will build up. The biggest drawback we find is that the surface gets extremely slick when it rains. On a property with a hill or on a steep incline, this can be a major consideration.

Can you sealcoat in any type of weather?

No. Sealcoating should only be done when the ground temperature is at least 50? and rising. Colder than this and the sealcoating tends not to adhere to the asphalt surface very well.

Obviously we do not schedule sealcoating projects when rain is imminent, but if the product is down for 2 or 3 hours before a sudden summer rainshower, the surface has generally set adequately to prevent washing out of the sealcoating.

Are different types of sealer available?

Yes. The traditional sealcoat that has been in use since before WWII is a coal tar-based sealer. This creates a hard, durable film, has a deep, dark color and has increased resistence to petroleum spills.

An asphalt-based sealer was developed in the 1980s and is considered to be more environmentally friendly as it has lower PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) levels. These products do not smell as much and can dry faster. Their drawback is that there are strict mix specifications and they are not as forgiving in cooler temperatures.

The sealcoating industry is an industry in change. The sealer that Aurora utilizes at this point is primarily the coal tar sealer.

When do I need to do the work?

If you repave or alter the parking lot, you must add as many accessible parking stalls as needed to comply.

If you re-stripe the parking lot, you must re-stripe so that you provide the correct number of accessible stalls.

How many accessible stalls do I need?

The guidelines for the number of stalls is as follows:

# of parking stalls # accessible stalls

1 to 25 1

26 to 50 2

51 to 75 3

76 to 100 4

101 to 150 5

151 to 200 6

201 to 300 7

The first accessible stall must be a van accessible stall. One out of every eight stalls thereafter must be van accessible.

What do the accessible stalls look like?

Van accessible stalls

• the accessible stall must be at least 8 ft wide
• there must be an access isle beside the stall at least 8 ft wide.
• the stall and the access isle must be level (less than 2% grade) both from side to side and fore and aft.
• two accessible stalls may share an access isle.
• there must be at least 98" vertical clearance along the vehicular route to the accessible stall.
• there must be a sign in front of the stall indicating that it is an 'accessible' stall with the words 'van accessible' underneath. The bottom of the sign should be at least 84" above grade so as to be visible over the vehicle.

Automobile accessible stalls

• the accessible stall must be at least 8 ft wide.
• the access isle need only be 5 ft wide.
• the bottom of the sign in front of an automobile must be visible over the vehicle.

What are the practical considerations for making my parking lot more ADA compliant?

When leveling a portion of an existing asphalt parking lot, consideration must be given to the 'transition areas' that will surround the new stalls. Significant changes in elevation require more extensive transition areas so as not to create new trip hazards.

Asphalt is not a material that can be finely sculpted. Installation of concrete accessible stalls provides a more controllable process and long-lasting product. Unfortunately, it is often more expensive.

When checking the grade on an accessible stall, make sure to utilize a 4 to 8 foot digital level. Shorter levels can provide distorted results.

How do Customers get from the accessible stalls to my place of business?

• the accessible stalls should be located so as to provide the shortest accessible route of travel to an accessible facility entrance.
• there must be a minimum 36" clear width access route from the access isle beside the parking stall to the accessible facility entrance.
• if the access route crosses an area of vehicular traffic, a designated crosswalk should be provided.
• if an access route crosses a curb, a curb ramp must be used. A built -up ramp must not extend into the access isle. The angle of the ramp must not exceed 5% grade with a maximum 2% cross slope.
• if an accessible route has a running slope of more than 5%, it is considered a ramp. The maximum grade of the running slope for new ramp construction is 8.33%
• If the curb ramp has flared sides, the grade of the flares shall not exceed 10%.
• If the sides of the ramp are taller than 6", railings must be provided.
• if a ramp changes direction at a landing, the minimum landing size shall be 5ft x 5 ft.
• detectible warnings (tactile strips) must be placed at all public streets and signalized intersections. The preferred color of the detectible warnings for use on concrete sidewalks is red.