Specializing in Road Building and Preservation

Surface Applications

The Chip Seal process is used for a variety of pavement distresses; polished surfaces to regain skid resistance, oxidized surfaces to combat aggregate loss on the existing surface, as a seal to fill minor cracks and are applied to gravel roads producing a maintenance free hard driving surface.

A Chip Seal surface consists of an application of asphalt mixed with about 30% water, or fuel oil, depending on the treatment. This emulsified mixture is then applied to the road using a special spray truck. As soon as the liquid asphalt meets the road surface, the water, or fuel oil, begins to evaporate.

Immediately after spraying this asphalt, a layer of crushed rock is applied by a spreader. The rock (or chips) has a maximum size of 3/8 inch. This process will be repeated twice on a gravel surface build up.

Next, the rock is compacted and embedded into the asphalt by rubber-tired or steel drum rollers. However, even with the high pressure rolling, some gravel will not become embedded in the asphalt.

Chip Seal

The Hot Mix Asphalt pavements are typically composed of a two inch thickness of aggregate or rock held together by an asphalt binder, over a two inch crushed rock base. The asphalt binder is dark in color, so even when lighter colored aggregate materials are used the pavement still tends to stay fairly dark and hot. In many applications a pigment called carbon black is added to help the pavement stay blacker for a longer period of time.

Asphalt Paving

Dust Control improves safety, driving efficiency and aids in meeting mandated air quality standards in many state and local governments.

The Dust Control process is utilized as a temporary solution to reduce dust on a gravel  surface. Depending on the traffic this process may have to be applied twice during a summer season.

Dust Control

Regardless of the Surface Application method used on a road or driveway the most important step is to stabilize the base rock layers the surface treatment is to be applied on.

Road Construction

To contact us:

Phone: 208-687-2851

Fax: 208-687-5682

A Fog Seal is applied to new Chip Seal or asphalt pavement to “seal” open pores. Fog sealing consists of spraying a light coat of asphalt emulsion on top of the chip seal after sweeping.

Benefits of using fog sealing include:     -Smoother appearance     -Reduces the amount of loose rock

-Improved snow melting     -Better visibility of pavement markings on roadways

Chipmasters, Inc. has the equipment and the expertise to build the base levels needed to insure the driveway, road or parking lot will be the quality necessary to insure the driving surface applied will withstand many years of normal use.

The new Chip Seal surface can require up to two days to cure properly. Hot, dry weather helps speed up this process in which all of the remaining water or fuel oil in the emulsion evaporates and the asphalt hardens. Traffic can pass over this surface at reduced speeds during the curing process.

After curing, the loose gravel can be swept off the surface and a Fog Seal applied if desired. Service life is usually 5 to 7 years. The road takes on more of the color of the rock used in the chip layer since it's not mixed together with the asphalt binder, so use of lighter colored aggregate here can make more of a difference in cooling the road surface.