New Asphalt Driveway Cure Time

A new asphalt driveway can improve curb appeal as well as improve your home's value. Homeowners should follow certain precautions and allow proper cure time to keep the new asphalt driveway looking like new. Asphalt is an oil-based product, so in many climates it becomes softer in extreme heat during summer months and is prone to cracking or shifting during colder weather when the driveway is subjected to repeated freezing and thawing.

A new asphalt driveway needs six to 12 months -- depending on weather conditions -- to fully harden and cure. You can walk on new asphalt after 24 hours, but vehicles should be kept off for three to five days. During the first 30 days of curing time, vehicles should not be repeatedly parked in the same spot. Avoid activities that can damage the new driveway, such as turning a steering wheel back and forth while the vehicle is not moving, or parking a bike or motorcycle with a kickstand -- this can leave indentations in the new asphalt.