Ever look at a bumpy, cracked driveway and wonder how to fix it without tearing out the whole slab? That is where Asphalt Milling comes in. If you live around Tuscany Hills or down near the lake in Lake Elsinore, California, you know how brutal our Inland Empire heat can be on pavement. It bakes the asphalt year after year until the surface gets rough, oxidized, and uneven. Asphalt Milling strips away that top damaged layer so you get a fresh start without the cost and hassle of a total replacement.
Before the Equipment Rolls In
Planning matters for Asphalt Milling in Lake Elsinore, California. First, take a close look at your drainage. If water pools near your garage after a heavy storm off the lake, Asphalt Milling can actually help correct the slope, but you need to know where that runoff is going. Clear out any vehicles, patio furniture, and potted plants from the work zone. You also want to mark any shallow utility lines or sprinkler heads if you have them near the edges of the asphalt. Hitting a sprinkler line with heavy machinery ruins everybody's day.
What You Can DIY vs. When to Call a Pro
Homeowners can handle the prep work and the cleanup for Asphalt Milling. Sweeping, clearing debris, and hauling away minor waste are all things you can knock out with a shovel and a weekend. Some property owners try to rent a small walk-behind cold planer for a tiny patch, but unless you have experience handling heavy industrial equipment on hot Southern California afternoons, leave the actual grinding to someone else.
Asphalt Milling machines are massive, heavy, and tricky to control. If you dig too deep, you hit your sub-base and create a structural mess. That is why most local homeowners call Neighborly Asphalt Co to handle the heavy Asphalt Milling work. Neighborly Asphalt Co brings in the specialized machinery, grinds down the damaged surface to the exact depth needed, and hauls away the old asphalt millings so you do not have to worry about disposing of tons of crushed rock.
During the Process
When the Asphalt Milling crew shows up, things get loud and dusty fast. The machine uses a rotating drum with carbide teeth to chew up the top layer of asphalt. You are going to hear a lot of noise and see a steady stream of pulverized material coming out of the conveyor belt. Keep kids and pets safely indoors. If the wind is kicking up off the lake that day, the dust can travel, so closing your windows is a smart move. The crew will monitor the depth closely to make sure the crown and slope of your driveway stay correct.
After the Milling is Done
Once the machine finishes, your driveway will look gray, rough, and textured like a gravel road. Do not panic, because that is supposed to happen. That rough texture is called a friction course, and it provides the ideal bonding surface for a brand-new layer of asphalt overlay. You can drive on milled asphalt for a short period if you have to, but you should not leave it exposed to our harsh desert sun and occasional rain for too long. Unsealed millings will start to ravel and loosen up under car tires.
Sweep the surface clean of any leftover loose grit. If you are doing an overlay, coordinate with your paving crew to get the hot mix down quickly. A fresh layer of asphalt over a newly milled base gives you a smooth, dark, brand-new driveway that will easily last another couple of decades if you take care of it. For homes and businesses in Lake Elsinore, Neighborly Asphalt Co provides Asphalt Milling services.