Driveway Paving
A driveway in the Eastern Panhandle has to survive clay that stays wet, hills that shed water in a rush, and winters that freeze that water inside any crack. A+ Paving & Landscaping builds and rebuilds residential driveways from our home base in Gerrardstown, including asphalt, tar and chip, overlays, and extensions.
Start with the ground, not the blacktop
The surface is the last step. On clay-rich ground over the limestone and shale of Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan counties, a thin skin of asphalt on soft soil moves with every freeze. Water sits in the clay, expands when it freezes, and opens a crack that was invisible in October. A driveway that lasts is shaped so water leaves it and built on a compacted stone base before the hot-mix asphalt or tar and chip surface goes down.
Where the old pavement is too broken to cover, it comes out. An overlay is a fit when the shape is still sound and the base is not pumping mud. A brand-new run, or a side-yard extension, needs room for the base and a slope that does not send water at the garage, a neighbor's yard, or the public road.
Asphalt or tar and chip
Hot-mix asphalt is the smooth surface most homeowners ask for, and it is the one we sealcoat later to keep water out. Tar and chip is the rougher, more rural look that suits longer lanes around Inwood, Gerrardstown, and Berkeley Springs. The choice comes down to the length of the drive, the slope, and how you want it to look. Our asphalt versus tar and chip comparison walks through the difference, and our paving cost guide explains what goes into the price of a new asphalt driveway.
The apron is a different question from the driveway
The apron is the short section that meets the public street. Widening it, paving through a ditch, or tying into a curb is not the same job as paving the private drive. Before that work starts, check with Berkeley County, Jefferson County, or Morgan County, with the town if you are inside one, and with your HOA. Rules differ by road, so it pays to ask first.
Once the drive is down, winter protection comes down to crack repair and sealcoating in a warm, dry stretch. Need a commercial lot? See parking lots. For beds, patios, and walks that meet the new pavement, see landscaping, and browse finished drives in our gallery.
Tell us the town and what the driveway does today, whether that is a short city apron in Martinsburg, a longer lane in Inwood, or a hillside cut in Berkeley Springs. Request an estimate and we will talk through the right surface for your driveway.