Black is the New Green: 5 Eco-Friendly Facts You Didn’t Know About Asphalt

Every April 22, the world celebrates Earth Day. First observed in 1970, Earth Day is all about raising awareness and support for environmental protection.

In honor of this year’s Earth Day, Roccie’s Paving would like to shine the light on a little known fact about our industry: asphalt is one of the greenest materials on the planet.

Not green as in the color, obviously – asphalt is black. Green as in asphalt is one of the most environmentally-friendly materials on the planet. Take a look at these five stats that prove just how “green” black can be.

1. Asphalt is 100% recyclable.

Asphalt can be reused over and over again with minimal loss just through reheating. In fact, the asphalt in your driveway may have been roof shingles in a previous life!

2. Asphalt is the most recycled planet in the country.

More than 80 million tons of asphalt is recycled every year, making it America’s most-recycled material. For comparison, only about 2 million tons of plastic gets recycled every year.

3. The asphalt industry is constantly becoming more efficient.

Since 1970, pavement manufacturers have reduced emissions by nearly 100%, while still managing to produce over twice as much asphalt!

4. Asphalt saves taxpayers money.

Because asphalt is so durable, it requires less maintenance and repairs. Some estimate that this saves American taxpayers over $2 billion every year.

5. Asphalt can improve water quality. 

Porous asphalt is a type of pavement designed to let water flow through it. Not only does this reduce water runoff and allow the water to reach the soil, it also filters the water as it trickles through.

Nobody knows more about asphalt than Roccie’s. For nearly 60 years, we have been the most-trusted paving contractor in Fairfield County, CT and Westchester County, NY. From residential driveways to commercial parking lots, no job is too big or too small. Visit our website for more information, or call us for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.

Spring Showers and Your Driveway: What You Need to Know

As a kid growing up, you probably heard that April showers bring May flowers. As an adult, spring storms are not so fun and harmless.

During this time of year, Fairfield County, Connecticut and the surrounding areas often experience heavy rainfall. If your home does not have a proper drainage system in place, this rain can cause leaking, flooding, and several thousands of dollars worth of water damage.

It's not just your home that is at risk, either. Your asphalt driveway can also incur damage from excessive rain. When left standing, water can penetrate the top layer of an asphalt surface and begin to deteriorate its base. If the temperature gets cold enough, this water can freeze and expand, causing cracks and potholes to develop.

This usually only happens if your driveway suffers from inadequate drainage. Whether due to natural causes (such as a hill on your property) or man-made errors (which generally occur during installation), your current driveway may not be prepared to handle large amounts of water.

As the spring season progresses, keep an eye out on your driveway. If you notice that water pooling is common, contact a professional service immediately to fix the problem and prevent long-term damage to your property.

If you need a hand getting your driveway ready for spring, the experts at Roccie's Paving are just a phone call away. Since 1956, we have provided homeowners in Fairfield County, CT and Westchester County, NY with professional asphalt drainage solutions. If you live in our service area, just call us for a free estimate at 888-88-ROCCIES.

Spring Clean Your Driveway With These 5 Steps

Spring has arrived, and this is the time of the year when homeowners are focused on their spring cleaning checklists. While you already know to clean the inside of your home, many people tend to neglect the outside. One often-forgotten area that needs a little bit of maintenance every year is your driveway.

Take an hour to give your asphalt driveway some much-needed TLC with this spring cleaning checklist:

1. Sweep debris away. Use a push broom to sweep away any loose debris such as leaves, dirt, and lawn clippings.


2. Wash it off. Even after sweeping with a push broom, dirt and other small particles could still be hiding in the crevices of your driveway. Normally, a garden hose with a high pressure nozzle attachment should take care of it. If not, you can use a power washer to blast the debris away, but you should exercise some caution and not get too close to the pavement with the spray tip. This can cause damage to the surface.


3. Scrub away the stains. If you've got any oil marks on your driveway, take this time to get rid of them. Not only are they unsightly, but oil stains can deteriorate the binding agent in your driveway. To remove them, apply a generous amount of cleaning agent (baking soda, dish soap, or powdered laundry detergent) to the stain and allow it to sit for five minutes. Mix warm water and more cleaning agent in a bucket, and use this solution to scrub the stain with a stiff-bristled brush. Once the stain is completely gone, use a hose to wash away the excess cleaning solution.


4. Patch any potholes. Potholes in your driveway are primarily formed during the winter months. Water from melting snow penetrates the surface of the asphalt, where it then freezes and expands, creating small cracks in your driveway which eventually grow into pot holes. Click here for step-by-step crack patching instructions for your asphalt driveway.


5. Apply seal coat. Asphalt Seal Coat should be applied to provide a uniformed surface color and help protect from future oil and gas spills. You can do this yourself, or hire a professional contractor to do it for you.

If your driveway is riddled with cracks and potholes, it may be time to consider surface maintenance (patching and seal coat), resurfacing, or even a complete repaving. Connecticut homeowners have turned to Roccie's Asphalt Paving for all of their paving needs since 1956. We have provided professional asphalt paving and masonry services to thousands of homes in Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York.

Call us today for a free estimate at 888-88-ROCCIES.

Reasons to Expand Your Driveway

Is your driveway currently meeting the needs of your household? If you find yourself with too little room for your liking, expanding your driveway is always an option. Here are four common reasons that homeowners may expand their driveway.

New Drivers in the Household

Do you have a teenager that just became old enough to drive? Or maybe you got a new roommate that is forced to park in the street? Whatever your situation may be, it is not uncommon for households to welcome in a new driver at some point – welcome them with a bigger driveway.

Parking Flexibility

If you have a driveway that is only wide enough for one vehicle, parking can quickly become a hassle. Cars must constantly be reshuffled, and people need to drop everything they are doing to move their cars so the person at the very front can leave. If you want more parking flexibility, widening your driveway is a great option.

Basketball Hoop Addition

Take a drive down any residential suburban street and you will see plenty of basketball hoops installed in people's driveways. If you have an up-and-coming sports star in your family, or just want a place to play the occasional game of “HORSE”, why not extend your driveway and add a basketball hoop?

RV Acquisition

For the free-spirited, cross-country adventurer in you, recreational vehicles provide a way to explore the great outdoors in style and comfort. The only problem is: where are you going to keep it? RVs take up a lot of room, so much so that most people can't fit one in their driveway in addition to their everyday cars. A driveway expansion can quickly take care of this problem.

So what are you waiting for? No matter what your reason is, a bigger, better driveway is just a phone call away with the paving experts at Roccie's Asphalt. We have offered high-quality paving jobs to homeowners in New York and Connecticut for almost 60 years! Call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.

Parking Lot Preventative Maintenance Tips

As a property manager, your asphalt parking lot probably isn't at the top of your priority list, but neglecting it will only cost you money further down the road. Properly maintaining your parking lot will not only save you money on future repair work, but a visually-appealing blacktop will also leave a strong first impression on your potential customers.

Follow these preventative maintenance tips to preserve your asphalt parking lot for as long as possible:

• Clean your parking lot every month. Washing away dirt, leaves, and other debris will help prevent staining and uneven fading.

• Be on the lookout for oil stains. If you do see one, clean it immediately using dish soap and water. If left to sit, the oil can begin to break down the surface of the asphalt.

• If you notice “birdbath” areas in your parking lot or other spots with pooling water, look into installing a drainage solution. Water is one of asphalt's biggest enemies, and will eventually lead to cracks and potholes down the road.

• All cracks should be professionally sealed as soon as possible. Cracks are usually caused by water penetrating the surface, freezing, and expanding. Although a small crack may not look like it deserves your attention now, it will continue to expand and cause more problems if it isn't sealed.

• Sealcoat your parking lot every 3-5 years. In addition to adding a protective layer to the top of the asphalt surface and effectively sealing small cracks, a fresh sealcoat will also make your parking lot look like new. A good sealcoating routine can double the lifespan of your parking lot.

• Always be sure to adhere to local regulations in regards to parking lot size, number and size of parking spaces, handicapped parking, etc.

Do you need a hand getting your asphalt parking lot in tip-top shape? The asphalt experts at Roccie's Paving are here to help! For almost 60 years, property owners and managers have depended on us to provide high-quality asphalt paving services for a reasonable rate. We serve Fairfield County CT and Westchester County NY, call us today for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES.

Why Is Your Driveway Cracking?

Do you remember what your asphalt driveway looked like when it was freshly paved? The perfectly smooth surface and deep black color made your home stand out, but chances are it doesn't look like that anymore.

If you don't properly maintain your asphalt driveway over the years, that jet black finish will fade to a dull gray, and the formerly smooth surface will start to resemble alligator skin. If this is what is happening to you, here are some potential reasons as to why your asphalt driveway is cracking.

Poorly Installed Base

The quality of your driveway is only as good as the paving company who installs it, which is why it is important to deal with an experienced contractor. Improper installation is the leading cause of driveway cracks, usually because the base was installed using sand or dirt instead of crushed stone.

Cold Weather

The freeze-thaw cycles of colder climates really take their toll on asphalt driveways. This happens when the water from melting snow or ice penetrates the surface of your driveway, making its way to the base. When the temperature drops, this water freezes and expands, causing cracks to form deep down. As more water enters, freezes, and expands, these cracks continue to grow until they eventually come to the surface.

Tree Roots

When paving your driveway, you should pay close attention to surrounding trees – especially large ones. Much like the freeze-thaw cycle, tree roots can put a substantial amount of pressure on your asphalt driveway from underneath. You can install a root barrier system along the edges of your driveway during installation, but be aware that these can compromise the stability of the trees.

Excessive Weight

Asphalt is a very strong material, but it is not invincible. Just like pressure from below can cause cracking, so can pressure from above. Don't park commercial vehicles on your driveway, and try not to park close to the edge, where the foundation is its weakest.

Do you need help getting the cracks out of your driveway? If you live in Fairfield County CT or Westchester County NY, call Roccie's Asphalt for a free quote at 888-88-ROCCIES. One of our trained specialists will thoroughly inspect your driveway to determine the cause and severity of the cracks, and will work with you to find the solution that best meets your needs.

How to Plan Your Parking Lot Layout

If you own a large business or shopping center, a pristine parking lot should be near the top of your priority list. You may think a customer's first impression comes when they step foot in your store, but their opinion starts to develop from the moment they turn into your parking lot.

If your parking lot is small, crowded, and ridden with cracks and potholes, it could be turning customers away before they even make it to your store. On the other hand, a freshly-paved parking lot with plenty of space and available spots has the opposite affect. We have already discussed what attracts people to a parking lot, and if you are planning on repaving yours, you will need to a plan.

Step One: Determine how much space you have to work with.

The first step in laying out your parking lot is determining how much space is available. If you are simply repaving your lot, you should already know this information, but if you are purchasing a new property, you might have some room to work with. After you have calculated your total square footage available for paving, you can move on to the next step.

Step Two: Determine a layout.

Your parking lot layout will be contingent on local zoning regulations as well as the size and location of the store relative to your property. Always check to make sure you aren't violating any town laws when planning commercial projects. Once everything is squared away from a legal standpoint, you will design your parking lot around your store. If the store is centered on the piece of land, you could designate parking all around the building, whereas if it is on an edge, you have to put everything in front of it, which would lead to longer walks for your customers.

Step Three: Plan your parking spaces.

The last step is to plot out your parking spaces. Ideally, you should be able to provide enough spaces to accommodate more customers than you will ever have at your store at one time, but there could be space limitations. If you are tight for room, arranging your parking spots correctly could help you maximize the space you do have.

According to this report from Planning.org, there are four main ways to lay out your parking spots:

It is recommended to designate about 300 square feet of space per car; a 9'x18' space for the car to park and the remaining ~140 square feet of space should be factored into aisles, landscaping, entrances, and exits. Cars are seven feet wide, so a space that is nine feet wide provides enough room to comfortably park. If you try to save space by making your spots narrower, it will encourage customers to park over the divider, taking up two spots and costing you room instead of saving it.

Do you need an extra hand in designing and paving your new parking lot? Call the experts at Roccie's Asphalt! Connecticut and New York business owners and property managers have trusted us with their commercial paving projects for 60 years. Call us for a free quote today at 888-88-ROCCIES.