Congratulations on your new blacktop driveway. We are pleased that you have chosen us as your paving contractor and trust that this webpage will answer all of your questions for a longer lasting driveway.          Since the liquid asphalt in blacktop needs time to harden and cure, usually 6-12 months, your driveway will remain soft and pliable until then. You may walk on your new driveway within a couple of hours, but you should keep vehicles off it for at least 2 full days and longer in hotter temperatures. Even after the blacktop has cured, do not expect it to be as hard as concrete.          Your new blacktop will soften and harden as temperatures rise and fall. Watering down your driveway with a hose on hot days will cool and temporarily harden the blacktop. This is helpful but not mandatory.          Although every effort is made to avoid puddles in your driveway, some small ones may be inevitable depending on the natural slope and drainage of your ground.          Lawn chairs, bicycle and motorcycle kickstands exert weight on concentrated areas and will create holes and depressions in your new driveway. Watch out for those pointy high heels during the warm months when your driveway is new. Blacktop is scarred by automobiles starting out too fast or pulling in too quickly. During the first 6-12 months while your driveway is curing, don't park in the same spot every time. Avoid turning the steering back and forth when your car is not moving. Also avoid using jack stands or car ramps unless a piece of plywood is placed under them to help distribute the weight.          Excessive weight from large heavy vehicles or trailers can depress your new blacktop. Keep oil trucks, concrete trucks, and any other heavy trucks off your driveway. When storing campers for long periods of time, place a piece of plywood under the tongue jack and also under the tires.          Your driveway may look smoother in some areas than in others because of the makeup of blacktop. Blacktop has various sizes of stone, sand, liquid asphalt, and other ingredients which cause a varied texture of the surface. Also, blacktop areas that have been raked and spread with hand tools may apear different in texture from those spread by machine.          Avoid gasoline, oil, anti-freeze, power steering and transmission fluid spills and leaks. These will dilute the liquid asphalt in your blacktop. Any hole left by these spills should be filled with cold patch. Any hairline cracks that may have developed over the winter due to the contraction and expansion of the ground should be filled with crack filler. These products can be purchased from your local building supply store.          The edges are the weakest part of your driveway due to the lack of side support. Avoid driving on the edges since they will crack and crumble in time. We suggest building up the sides of your driveway with topsoil. This will support the edges and enhance the appearance after the grass is grown. Be sure to compact the topsoil when you place it along the edges.          The best time to seal coat your new driveway is 3-12 months after it has been paved, and every 3-5 years thereafter. For best results always use a latex based sealer. Seal coating protects against oil or gas spills.