New asphalt driveway paved by Erickson Asphalt in 2011

Everybody likes the look of a newly paved asphalt driveway – there is just something about that fresh deep black color and the smooth surface that can bring out the beauty of a well landscaped yard – like this one! You can also see the thickness of the asphalt mat on this picture as well as the corner of the paver in the lower right corner (tried to miss it all, but…). I have to admit myself, I have seen a lot of driveways, but this one really looks good – it just has everything in the picture looking great!

When different places advertise “black dirt” for sale, it seems that you see everything from old used up top soil that has very little nutrients still in the dirt – to dirt that looks more like class 5 gravel than it does dirt. Some are loaded with rocks, roots, sod and everything in between.

Some of the qualities you should look for in black dirt are not only a nice rich black color, but dirt that is screened to remove all debris larger than 1 inch or so. Also look for dirt that is locally produced and not just trucked in from somewhere else (trucking adds to the cost, so to compete in price, it usually is inferior dirt).

Look for dirt that is nearly nuetral in p.h. and also ask for the nutrient levels remaining in the dirt (if it looks great, but has no nutrients in it, you won’t grow much). Also, there should be some peet in the dirt to retain moisture. 

Does your black dirt vendor deliver and do they have a variety of different sized loads to meet your needs? Do they have insured vehicles, liability insurance in case something happens on your property when they deliver it and do they have workers comp in case something happens to their employees while processing your black dirt?

Do they answer the phone when you call? Do they treat you politely and answer any questions you may have? Do they offer other services and products like decorative rocks, gravel, crushed granite, etc?

Some of this may not seem like much to some of you, but, not all black dirt is created equal!

Erickson Asphalt Services warrants all sealcoating applications against defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from date of application. We will honor all written claims under the following conditions and guidelines.

If you have used any of the following product list or similar products on your driveway – you, the customer, need to disclose this information to Erickson Asphalt Services prior to the beginning of the job or at the time of the estimate.

Erickson Asphalt Services cannot be responsible for damage of sealer due to lawn chemicals or sprinklers, domestic animals, foot or vehicle traffic for the appropriate sealer cure time. This is usually 24 to 48 hours.

Erickson Asphalt Services will not be responsible for damage due to excessive standing gravel, snowplows, tire chains, or winter salt applications, also for any gas, oil, anti-freeze, or the following list of everyday products that can cause sealer to not adhere properly on your sealed surface.

Erickson Asphalt Services will not be responsible for sealer peeling and flaking due to oil or gas stains on asphalt. Although we will not warrant this we will do our best to prime and clean these areas to ensure the sealer adheres to the asphalt.

Erickson Asphalt Services cannot be responsible for peeling and flaking due to tree sap and pollen. The owner of the driveway is responsible for power-washing or usage of heavy broom w/water on problem areas in their driveway prior to sealcoat application to help prevent tree sap on the asphalt surface. Almost all trees leave a form of invisible sap on asphalt surfaces and cause the sealer to peel after the first winter.

EVERYDAY PRODUCTS THAT CAN POSSIBLY CAUSE SEALER TO NOT ADHERE PROPERLY OR CAN POSSIBLY CAUSE DAMAGE TO YOUR FRESHLY SEALED DRIVEWAY.

Can’t wait – it’s been a long winter and we are looking forward to serving all of our loyal return customers and meeting new customers.

For QUALITY paving, sealcoat, gravel work, black dirt – with OUTSTANDING customer service and EXPERIENCE – it is well worth a call to Erickson Asphalt @ (763) 633-1123 or (320) 225-1100 to set up a totally free – no obligation quote!

We service a radius of roughly 50 miles around the Princeton, MN area – cities like St. Cloud, Sartell, Sauk Rapids, Foley, Foreston, Milaca, Cambridge, Dalbo, Bradford, Isanti, Elk River, Ramsey, Big Lake and Becker – to name a few. If you question if your area is covered by us – GIVE US A CALL!

Please click, or double click this link.   IMG_0119

A Revolution in Road Base Material: 

            In the 1700’s few real roads had been built since the fall of the Roman Empire, and trade was difficult as a result. A man named McAdam, and his associates Thomas Telford and Perre-Marie_Jerome Tresaguet, led a revolution in road base material. By doing away with the large stones typically used for the base of a driveway or road McAdam required small hand broken stones of 6 ounces. The smaller broken stones had sharper edges than the natural stones, creating an angular edge resulting in a locking action.

            With today’s advanced technology in recycling asphalt and concrete materials we now have a superior product for base material. Recycled asphalt is probably the most recycled material in the world. The combination of this fractured material along with the residual oil in the recycled asphalt, help to lock down the base even tighter than virgin material. Erickson Asphalt uses recycled material for base whenever possible.

Asphalt Driveways, Seal Coats and more!

Erickson Asphalt offers asphalt driveways, asphalt parking lots, seal coating, parking lot striping, asphalt repair, parking lot sweeping, gravel driveways and asphalt maintenance to the Twin Cities. If you do not see your city below, feel free to contact us!

Repair with sealcoat or thin bituminous overlay using skid resistant asphalt.

Supplied by the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating manual by the University of Wisconsin.