The Do’s And Don’ts Of Asphalt Repair: A Guide To Making Your Surfaces Look New Again

Asphalt driveways and parking lots endure a lot of wear and tear. Sooner or later, most of them will need some repair work. If you’re lucky, the only thing that needs fixing is a crack or two. But more often than not, entire sections will have to be patched up or replaced altogether.

Straight Edge Contractors LLC will discuss standard asphalt repair techniques to prevent your asphalt from turning into a money pit.

Patching – The Most Common Asphalt Repair:

What crosses your mind when encountering a crack or a hole in your asphalt? If you said, “I need to patch that up,” you’re on the right track! Patching is the most common form of asphalt repair. All you need is some cold patch (a pre-mixed asphalt found at most hardware stores), a trowel, and a little bit of elbow grease.

Once you’ve filled the crack or hole to the top, use the trowel to level off the cold patch. Then, give the area a few days to cure (dry). Once it’s cured, you can go over the area with a seal coat to give your asphalt an extra layer of protection.

Asphalt Removal and Replacement – The “Nuclear” Option.

If your asphalt is too damaged for patching or seal coating, you’ll have to replace it. It’s also known as peel and pave; paving repair and replacement is a more comprehensive and long-term answer than surface patching. This technique is highly efficient in preventing and repairing reflexive cracking. It will necessitate the assistance of an expert asphalt contractor.

Reflective cracking is a form of damage that occurs due to repeated stress concentration in a particular asphalt area (for example, heavy vehicles constantly driving over the exact location). The continual pressure will cause the overlay to crack with time. The objective of peel and pave to keep as much of the original asphalt pavement as feasible so that it may be blended into a new and stronger aggregate.

Milling – The Last Resort:

Milling is a process whereby a large machine grinds down the top layer of asphalt. It is usually done when the asphalt has reached the end of its lifespan and can no longer be repaired.

This method is usually a last resort for two reasons. First, milling is very disruptive and creates a lot of dust. Second, it is expensive! That being said, there are some advantages to milling. For example, if the underlying asphalt is in good condition, milling can be used to level out a surface.

Full-Depth Repair – The ‘Solid’ Solution:

Full-depth asphalt repair entails superseding your complete pavement system. The procedure is commonly reserved for cases where the foundation or the stone base has been substantially damaged and needs to be repaired or replaced.

When the pavement base is damaged, it’s nearly impossible to repair it while it’s still in the ground. Instead, before replacing the asphalt aggregate on top of it, the entire foundation needs to be dug up, reformulated with a stronger aggregate, and then reapplied.

Conclusion:

Asphalt repair is one of those cases where it’s best to leave the work to the pros. Rest easy knowing that your asphalt repair will be done right when you contact a licensed contractor like Straight Edge Contractors LLC in El Paso, TX. Our experts can help you with all your asphalt repair and maintenance needs!

Contact us today for a free estimate.

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