Cincinnati OH property owners with pavement, whether they have a commercial parking lot or residential driveway, don’t necessarily know everything about thor pavement. It’s important to know if you have pavement damage that needs to be fixed or a new parking lot or driveway installed, but your local paving experts can help answer questions like the difference between blacktop and asphalt.

Julius C Howe Asphalt Sealing Co is this trusted Cincinatie paving contractor with over 20 years of experience in asphalt paving. We have all the answers about asphalt paving for residential homeowners, local business owners, and property managers.

Your Asphalt vs Blacktop Questions Answered

• Is there a difference between blacktop and asphalt?

  Most people think ‘blacktop’ when someone mentions paved roads and ‘asphalt’ when talking about parking lots and driveways, but others think the opposite! Even though many laymen use these two terms interchangeably, asphalt and blacktop are actually two different formulations of the same type of paving material.

• How are blacktop and asphalt similar?

  Both blacktop and asphalt use a petroleum based dark black substance (sometimes called bitumen or tar) that is liquid at high temperatures, also used in roofing materials. Bitumen is mixed with aggregates like gravel and additives to make this versatile paving material.

• What is Asphalt?

  Asphalt is the basic mixture of bitumen and aggregates that we think of when talking about a dark paved surface. Asphalt is heated to temperatures over 200 degrees Ferinhight while being mixed and then poured over a prepared base, leveled, and allowed to cure into a hard pavement. Asphalt creates a surface that is durable enough to withstand traffic and smooth enough to reduce noise and vehicle wear and tear. The thickness of asphalt layers depends on the use it will be put to, with higher traffic pavement needing thicker layers.

  Asphalt is used in high-traffic applications such as:

   
  • Roadways
  • Highways
  • Large commercial parking lots
  • Drive-through lanes

• What is Blacktop?

  Blacktop is a different mixture of the same basic materials (bitumen and aggregates). Blacktop is mixed and poured at higher temperatures, around 300 degrees Ferinhight. Blacktop paving generally has smaller aggregates and is poured in thinner layers, making it more suited to lower-traffic areas like driveways, walkways, running tracks, and sport courts.

For smart asphalt paving services, Julius C Howe Asphalt Sealing Co is the paving company to call.

For over 20 years, Julius C Howe Asphalt Sealing Co has been serving the greater Cincinnati OH area with the highest quality roadway paving with blacktop as well as asphalt paving services like parking lot repair and asphalt driveway installation. Our founder Julius started this business to help locals get the best in paving, and that dedication has remained throughout our growth. Whether you need a new asphalt parking lot or repairs on your blacktop driveway, we’re the company to call!

To see how asphalt or blacktop can improve your Cincinnati OH area property, contact us today!