You’ve decided to pave your yard’s walkway. Perhaps you have a sloped yard, and you want better footing in different weather conditions. Maybe you want to prevent your soil from eroding. Or it could be that you simply want a better-looking walkway. As you know, asphalt is a durable, budget-friendly material. What you may not know is it can also facilitate your creativity.

Exposed Pea Gravel

When most people think of an asphalt walkway, they likely think of a smooth, dark surface. This type of asphalt is called hot-mix asphalt. If you want a more rugged and natural look for your walkway, consider a chip seal with pea gravel instead.

Pea gravel, or pea-sized stones, adds texture and color to your asphalt walkway. The process of applying a chip seal with pea gravel pressed in involves a few simple steps.

First, the contractors create the base of the walkway with gravel. Once they have prepared the base, they mix the asphalt and pour it into a pre-shaped mold. While the asphalt is still hot, they pour pea gravel over the top of it.

To ensure the gravel is spread evenly over the walkway, the contractors rake the gravel and smooth it out with a roller machine. The roller machine also helps to compact the surface so that the gravel doesn’t come loose easily from weather or foot traffic.

After the asphalt has cooled, the contractors sweep off any loose gravel. The finished walkway allows the color and texture of the pea gravel to show through the asphalt, offering an interesting finish. The added texture also increases the safety of the walkway, particularly in snowy, icy, or rainy conditions.

Encircled Planting Bed

Because contractors pour the asphalt, they have an easier time altering the shape of the pathway than with traditional pavers or bricks. They simply have to create the desired form and then pour the asphalt in.

A charming detail for garden paths is to devise them to mix with your landscaping. You deliberately plan the path so that it’s interrupted by a large planting, such as an ornamental tree or a planting bed. Such a configuration creates a sense of mystery with your pathway and emphasizes the beauty of your landscaping.

You could even have your asphalt contractors widen the walkway and add a planting bed somewhere in the middle. They’ll do so with raised curbing in the material of your choice. If you have the garden bed placed off-center, you’ll keep the feeling of a casual garden pathway. If it’s in the center, the ambience is more of a grand entrance.

Do you want to design an asphalt walkway that enhances the look of your yard? If so, then contact our team at JR Paving & Construction Co., Inc., for expert advice on paving your pathway.