Acreage driveways and approaches in Desert Blume, Dunmore and Cypress County

Acreage driveways in Desert Blume, Dunmore and the rest of Cypress County just east of Medicine Hat are long, open and exposed. They take sun all day, wind across the prairie, and freeze-thaw all winter. Asphalt in that position goes grey fast.

Grey is the warning, not the problem

New asphalt is black because of the binder holding the stone together. UV and oxygen break that binder down. As it goes, the surface fades and starts letting go of aggregate, then water gets in, freezes, and opens it up from the inside. The full explanation is in why asphalt turns grey.

What we do on an acreage drive

• Surface cleaning back to sound asphalt.
• Crack preparation — cleaned out before anything goes over them.
• Oil spot treatment where trucks and equipment park.
• Clean edges against the garage pad, walks and approach.
• Sealing back to a deep, even black that sheds water.

Sealer goes on clean, sound asphalt or it peels by spring. The prep is most of the job.

Exposure out here

East of the city there is very little to shade a driveway or break the wind. Dust and grit blown across from fields and gravel roads settle into the surface and into the cracks. That is why a long acreage drive near Desert Blume or Dunmore usually needs more cleaning before sealing than a sheltered driveway in town.

When sealing is the wrong answer

If the drive has failed structurally — alligator cracking, potholes, a soft base — sealing it is paint on a broken thing. We will tell you when it needs patching or an overlay instead. Cracks also have to be dealt with before sealer, not under it — here is why.