Hear from Our Customers
A properly paved surface isn’t just smooth asphalt. It’s graded correctly so water runs off instead of pooling. It’s installed with materials that flex through Tennessee’s temperature swings without cracking apart in six months.
You get a driveway that doesn’t embarrass you when people pull up. A parking lot that doesn’t damage customer vehicles or create liability issues. Pavement that actually lasts 20 years instead of needing repairs every other season.
The difference comes down to experience and honest work. We’ve been doing this for over 50 years in Wilson County. We know what fails and why. We know how to prep the base, manage drainage, and use materials that perform in this climate. You’re not getting experimental work or shortcuts that save us time but cost you money later.
TriStar Paving is a veteran-owned asphalt contractor based in Wilson County, serving Ashwood and the surrounding Nashville area for over five decades. That’s not a marketing line. It means we’ve paved through every weather pattern, economic shift, and material change this region has seen.
We handle both residential driveways and commercial parking lots because the fundamentals don’t change. Proper grading matters. Base preparation matters. Material quality matters. Whether you’re a homeowner tired of a crumbling driveway or a business owner who needs a parking lot that won’t fail during your busiest season, the work gets the same attention.
Ashwood properties face specific challenges. The soil composition here, the drainage patterns, the freeze-thaw cycles. We’ve worked on hundreds of projects in this area. We know what works.
First, we evaluate your site. Not just measurements, but drainage issues, soil conditions, access points. If your property has grading problems that’ll undermine the asphalt, we tell you before we start.
Next comes base preparation. This is where most failures happen. We excavate to proper depth, compact the subgrade, and install a stable base. If water can’t drain away from your pavement, it will destroy it from underneath. We grade everything to move water where it needs to go.
Then we pave with quality asphalt mixed for our climate. Temperature matters when laying asphalt. We time projects so the material bonds properly and compacts to the right density. After paving, you wait 24-48 hours before driving on it. That’s not negotiable if you want it to last.
For commercial projects, we add striping and any required ADA-compliant markings. For residential work, we make sure edges are clean and transitions to existing surfaces are smooth. The job isn’t done until your property is cleaner than when we arrived.
Ready to get started?
Our residential paving covers new driveway installation, driveway replacement, and asphalt resurfacing. If your existing driveway has good bones but a failing surface, resurfacing costs less than full replacement. If the base is compromised, we remove everything and start fresh. We don’t patch over problems that’ll resurface in a year.
Commercial paving includes parking lot construction, parking lot resurfacing, and asphalt repairs. Ashwood businesses need parking areas that handle daily traffic without constant maintenance. We install asphalt thick enough for your traffic load, grade it for proper drainage, and ensure compliance with local codes. For retail properties, that means smooth surfaces that don’t trip customers. For industrial sites, it means pavement that handles heavy trucks without rutting or cracking.
We also offer tar and chip paving. It’s a cost-effective option for longer driveways or private roads where you want durability without the full cost of traditional asphalt. The stone surface provides excellent traction and a rustic appearance that suits rural Ashwood properties. It performs particularly well on secondary access roads or farm driveways where appearance isn’t the primary concern but longevity is.
Tennessee weather is tough on pavement. Ashwood sees hot summers that soften asphalt and cold winters that cause contraction. Spring rain tests your drainage. Fall leaves trap moisture against the surface. We account for all of it when we design and install your pavement. The goal is a surface that performs through every season without premature failure. That means proper material selection, adequate thickness for your use case, and drainage design that moves water away from the pavement structure.
With proper installation and maintenance, asphalt paving in Ashwood typically lasts 20 to 30 years. That lifespan depends on several factors you control and some you don’t.
Installation quality is the biggest factor. If the base isn’t properly compacted or drainage isn’t addressed, your asphalt will fail early no matter how good the surface material is. Tennessee’s freeze-thaw cycles are brutal on poorly installed pavement. Water gets under the surface, freezes, expands, and cracks everything apart.
Maintenance extends life significantly. Sealcoating every 2-3 years protects asphalt from UV damage, water penetration, and chemical breakdown from oil or gas. Filling cracks when they’re small prevents them from becoming potholes. Most homeowners who complain about asphalt failing in 10 years never sealed it once.
Traffic load matters too. A residential driveway with two cars lasts longer than a commercial parking lot with constant heavy vehicles. We adjust asphalt thickness and material specs based on expected use.
Resurfacing means applying a new layer of asphalt over your existing pavement. Replacement means tearing out everything down to the soil and starting over. The right choice depends on what’s actually failing.
If your asphalt surface is cracked and worn but the base underneath is still solid, resurfacing works. We clean the existing surface, make necessary repairs, then apply 1.5 to 2 inches of new asphalt. You get a fresh surface at roughly half the cost of full replacement. The existing base continues doing its job.
Replacement is necessary when the base has failed. Signs include large areas of crumbling asphalt, significant settling or heaving, or drainage problems causing constant water damage. At that point, resurfacing just covers up problems that’ll destroy your new surface within a few years. We remove everything, fix the underlying issues, install a proper base, and pave fresh.
Some contractors push resurfacing because it’s faster and easier. We’ll tell you honestly what your pavement needs. If the base is shot, resurfacing is throwing money away. If the base is good, there’s no reason to pay for full replacement.
Wait at least 24 hours before driving on new asphalt. In hot weather or for heavier vehicles, 48 hours is better. This isn’t about the asphalt being “dry.” It’s about giving it time to cure and reach proper hardness.
Fresh asphalt is still cooling and setting when we finish. If you drive on it too soon, especially in hot weather, tires can leave permanent impressions or scuff marks. Heavy vehicles like moving trucks or delivery trucks need the full 48 hours or they’ll damage the surface.
You can walk on new asphalt after a few hours, but avoid dragging anything across it or turning your steering wheel while stationary. Those actions create stress points when the material is still soft. For the first week, avoid parking in the same spot every day. Vary where you park so weight distributes across the whole surface.
If you need immediate access for some reason, talk to us before we start. In rare cases, we can adjust the paving schedule or use specific materials that set faster. But rushing the cure time usually means compromising the final result.
Asphalt cracks for several reasons. Water infiltration is the biggest culprit in Ashwood. When water seeps through small surface cracks, it reaches the base material underneath. In winter, that water freezes and expands, pushing the asphalt apart. The crack grows larger each freeze-thaw cycle.
Poor drainage accelerates cracking. If water pools on your pavement instead of running off, it constantly works its way into any weak points. That’s why proper grading during installation matters so much. We slope everything so water moves away from the pavement.
Tennessee’s temperature swings cause expansion and contraction. Asphalt flexes better than concrete, but it still moves. Over time, that movement creates stress points, usually along edges or where different sections meet. Quality installation minimizes these stress points through proper joint placement and edge support.
Prevention starts with good installation and continues with maintenance. Sealcoating creates a protective barrier against water and UV damage. Filling small cracks immediately stops them from becoming big problems. Keeping your pavement clean prevents chemicals from breaking down the asphalt binder. Most cracking is preventable if you stay ahead of it.
Residential driveway paving in the Nashville area typically runs $1,700 to $1,900 for a standard 600 square foot driveway. That’s for basic asphalt installation with proper base prep. Your actual cost depends on site conditions, access, material choices, and project complexity.
If we need to remove old pavement, that adds to the cost. If your property has drainage issues requiring extra grading work, that’s additional. If access is difficult and we need special equipment, that factors in. A straightforward residential driveway replacement on level ground with good access costs less than a complicated installation on a steep slope with drainage problems.
Commercial parking lot paving costs more per square foot because we use thicker asphalt and more robust base materials to handle heavier traffic. A small business parking lot might run $3 to $7 per square foot depending on size and specifications.
We provide upfront estimates based on your actual site conditions. No hidden fees or surprise charges. If we find unexpected issues during excavation, we discuss options before proceeding. The goal is a price you can plan around and a finished project that delivers what you paid for.
Tar and chip paving, also called chip seal, is a surface treatment that combines liquid asphalt with stone chips. We apply hot liquid asphalt to a prepared base, then spread stone chips over it and compact everything together. The result is a textured, durable surface that costs less than traditional asphalt.
It works well for long residential driveways, private roads, and rural properties where you want something better than gravel but don’t need a smooth parking lot finish. The stone surface provides excellent traction in wet weather and handles Tennessee’s freeze-thaw cycles effectively. It also has a more natural appearance that suits country properties in Ashwood.
Tar and chip typically costs 30-40% less than conventional asphalt paving. You sacrifice the smooth finish of traditional asphalt, but you gain a surface that’s easier to maintain and repair. Small damaged areas can be patched without the repairs being obvious like they are with regular asphalt.
It’s not ideal for high-traffic commercial areas or if you want a pristine, smooth surface. But for residential driveways over 200 feet long or private roads where cost is a concern, tar and chip delivers solid performance at a lower price point. We’ll help you decide if it fits your situation or if traditional asphalt paving makes more sense.
Local Resources
Useful Links
Other Services we provide in Ashwood
