What is a BST Overlay?
A BST Overlay, or Bituminous Surface Treatment (Commonly called top coating) is a method of repaving that doesn’t require the complete removal of the old paving. BST overlay is laid down on top of existing pavement sealing cracks, and imperfections. This prevents the underlying asphalt and road base from further deteriorating. This method of repaving, when done right, preserves the life of the asphalt for many years to come. Furthermore the total cost of a BST overlay is far less than fully repaving.
Before any job, our experienced team performs an inspection of the property where work has been requested. If the issues with the subgrade or drainage would cause premature failure in the overlay we will discuss other potential paving options.
How Does it Work?
A BST overlay is specifically designed to avoid a full repaving, while sidestepping the problems of crack mirroring that occurs using traditional resurfacing methods. This is done by applying an asphalt emulsion to the asphalt surface. Next a thin layer of #78 Stone chips are spread and set in place. Finally the minimum 1 ½” overlay is applied and compacted. This process gives a useful life comparable to a new asphalt lot at a much lower cost!
