Asphalt Repair, Patching, and Crack Sealing

Is your driveway, parking lot or other area in need of asphalt repair, patching, or crack sealing? Your asphalt driveway can develop cracks over time. These look unappealing and can be a huge inconvenience for you and your guests. If you don’t deal with it on a timely basis, these cracks can only worsen due to environmental conditions.

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These cracks can be frustrating to fix but are necessary for a proper and well constructed asphalt driveway.

When should you do Crack Sealing?

Crack Sealing is important maintenance for a well maintained driveway. Many people neglect sealing the cracks on their driveways, which can become even more of a burden later on.

Because of fluctuations in temperature, your asphalt can develop cracks as it contracts in cold weather and expands in the heat. This can lead to cracked surfaces, and sealing them is the only way to solve the problem.

A good time for crack sealing is when your driveway is in a fair condition.

What Exactly Is Crack Sealing?

Crack sealing requires filling in cracks by pouring material into the working cracks. It serves two main functions:

Water Prevention

Crack sealing is usually done to prevent water from seeping through the cracks into the pavement structure. Any intrusion of water is bad for the underlying pavement as it weakens the structure, making it easier to break.

Prevention of Extraneous Materials

The intrusion of extraneous materials inside the cracks can deteriorate the pavement even further as it continuously contracts and expands when there are fluctuations in temperature.

Contractors seal the crack by pouring a hot sealant inside them. Depending on certain factors like weather conditions (how frequent and how drastic the temperature changes are) and the efficiency of the crack sealing technique used, it can last anywhere around 5 to 7 years.

The Procedure for Crack Sealing

Crack sealing requires following a procedure before the contractor can effectively deal with the cracks in your driveway. The contractor will likely take the season into account before deciding to work on the cracks because temperature conditions can affect the efficiency of the procedure.

Sawing or Routing

First, they’ll start sawing or routing the cracks to remove extraneous materials. They usually do this using a vertical spindle router or a crack saw.

Cleaning the Cracks

Once they finish the routing or sawing process, they clean the cracks. For this, they use high pressure air or water, wire brushing, or sandblasting. Properly cleaning the insides of the cracks is necessary to ensure that the sealant will stick to the sides.

Checking the Depth

Once contractors thoroughly clean out the cracks, the next step is to check their depth. Contractors place a backer rod inside the crack. This is usually made up of compressible, nonabsorbent materials with a higher melting point than the sealant.

Contractors prefer to have a back rod that is roughly 25 percent wider than the crack to prevent any slipping after the rod is placed inside the crack.

Filling the Cracks

Once the cracks are cleaned and prepared, contractors fill them with liquid asphalt.

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What Is Patching?

Patching helps fill up potholes in the asphalt pavement. Patching potholes in time is necessary to prevent further deterioration and can save you from costly repairs in the future.

Contractors offer a few different kinds of patching services to repair potholes.

Surface Patching

This is a temporary form of patching and involves milling a portion of the pavement and removing all deteriorated material.

Infrared Heater Patching

This is done by heating the area with an infrared heater, and rejuvenators are then using it with existing asphalt or a new asphalt mixture.

Asphalt Repair, Patching, and Crack Sealing: Bottom Line

Patching and crack sealing are very useful procedures to fix your driveway, parking lot, or any area where asphalt is used. This method of repair can help save you the high costs  of a full replacement. If you’re looking to fix your driveway or other area where asphalt is used that is suffering from heavy cracking chipping or other deterioration, call Whitman’s Asphalt Maintenance & Repair, Inc today. They are the most experienced asphalt and concrete contractors in the Tampa Bay St Pete area. Over 30 years of experience.

Contact us today for a free consultation

Whitmans Asphalt Maintenance & Repair
Randy Whitman

6802 Stonesthrow Circle North
St. Petersburg, Florida 33710
727-449-9204
whitmansasphalt1981@gmail.com

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