How Asphalt Patching Can Help Repair Your Pavements

| Thursday, July 10, 2014
By Rosella Campbell


Keeping driveways and parking lots in good condition is very essential if they have to last for long. After you have constructed your asphaltic pavements, one task you are left with is maintaining them properly. Whenever there are defects like potholes and localized cracks, you can use techniques such as asphalt patching to repair the defects. Asphaltic pavements will suffer from many kinds of defects ranging from cracks, potholes, upheavals, depressions, and wearing out of the binders.

When you have laid down your pavements, the next thing to do is ensure that you maintain them properly. Even with the best designs, construction practices, materials, and expertise, if you do not take good care of your paving surfaces, they will deteriorate fast. The construction of a new driveway is something costly, and you do not want defects to render your expensive structures useless.

Once cracks have started forming, consider repairing them as soon as possible. There are different techniques you can use including crack sealing, overlays, sealcoats, patching, and removal and replacement. Each technique depends of the extent of damage of the pavements. An asphaltic material is elastic and flexible when it is laid down but after some time, it dries out and begins cracking.

The first cracks you will see are small little and tiny cracks. They are at first invisible and not a threat as such. These tiny cracking can be resolved using sealcoats. However, when you leave them to continue expanding, you will have to deal with a more complex problem. The small cracks can widen and form deep and wide cracking that requires an effective method of restoration. Patching is one way to resolve issues of potholes and localized cracks.

Potholes are formed when moisture penetrates the pavements and makes the sub grade layer loose. Potholes are also formed when heavy vehicles turn over roads and cause pressure that pushes the material apart leading to degradation of the pavements. With potholes, they need to be repaired immediately because they cause a big threat to the life of driveways. If you do not repair potholes, you might soon have to replace the entire paving structure.

The open areas allow water to settle down and continue wrecking havoc to pavements. Before long, your structure is completely damaged and needs costly repairs. There are different forms of patching including hot and cold patches. The cold patches are intended for small repairs where there are sidewalls to hold the material together.

On the other hand, the hot patches are intended for larger areas, and where there are no sidewalls to hold the material. If you are repairing an area that has no sidewalls to hold the patch material, then you can consider the hot patches. When you use the patching products ensure they area of the highest quality.

There are products that have been developed to provide the patching of driveways or parking lots. You ought to ensure you use quality product so that the problem is resolved. Potholes may also be repaired using this technique since they tend to be localized or occur within one area. You can do the patching yourself if you are knowledgeable, but if you lack the skill, it is better to consult a contractor experienced in road construction.




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