How do you Fix a Deteriorating Asphalt Driveway
Like any other construction site, asphalt paving has a natural life cycle and will require maintenance and repair. Naturally, asphalt driveways are adversely affected by weather and other conditions. Most residential owners suffer premature asphalt pavement failure, but the good news is that there are alternative repair solutions to overcome these problems.
Several variables can cause damage to your existing asphalt driveway, including temperature changes causing expansion and contraction, water intrusion, and stress from heavy vehicles.
You can prevent your asphalt paving from deteriorating by performing regular maintenance and repair. The best way to be on top of things is to understand the most common asphalt paving failures, their causes, and how to repair them.
Common Asphalt Paving Failures
Premature asphalt paving failures are usually a result of poor fabrication and engineering, localized soil issues, and general soil issues. Additionally, weather changes play a significant role in asphalt driveway deterioration.
Edge Cracks
This type of pavement failure frequently occurs on narrow concrete driveways. The issue arises due to the asphalt shrinking at the edge of a concrete driveway. Poor quality base or subbase, poor drainage, and lack of support at the pavement edge can also cause edge cracks in your driveway.
Edge Cracks Driveway Repair
You can prevent edge and other concrete cracks before they appear by ensuring your driveway has good drainage. Call an asphalt paving contractor to fix the edge cracks if you need a driveway repair.
For more significant edge cracks, asphalt contractors fix the problem by replacing or patching methods to address the root cause of the edge cracks. For minor edge cracks, they fill small cracks using a crack sealant. To lower the chances of your asphalt paving getting more edge cracks in the future, ensure your contractor puts sufficient high-quality base material.
Potholes
Asphalt usually is waterproof. However, due to weather changes, standing water can seep through the asphalt surface, expanding the sub-base and causing a large hole that spreads over time.
Moisture or water seeps through small untreated cracks known as alligator cracks creating small chunks of pavement that are further dislodged every time you drive over them. Potholes are mainly due to poor drainage, a thin surface, and a weak pavement or sub-base.
Potholes Driveway Repair
You can prevent potholes before they even appear through routine asphalt pavement maintenance. There are several ways to fix a pothole. Standard methods include patching material into the pothole and then compacting the material using truck tires. This method is ideal for small potholes.
For large potholes, a professional asphalt paving contractor must first remove all the water and debris from the pothole. Then the contractor chips away at the pothole to make it square at the edges before filling it up with patching material. He then uses a vibratory plate compactor to compact the patching material.
Raveling
Raveling is a common problem that affects asphalt driveways. This is when the asphalt surface becomes rough due to grit and loose gravel caused by the loss of rocks and asphalt. The problem worsens during the rainy season when water seeps in, leaving the surface uneven. Such a problem affects your curb appeal.
How to Fix Raveling
This problem is mainly fixed by applying a hot mix overlay. Alternative solutions include micro-surfacing, chip seal, and sand seal. The damaged pavement is removed for a permanent solution, and paving contractors overlay it with fresh asphalt.
Rutting
Rutting is when your asphalt paving develops channelized depressions in the wheel tracks. This asphalt paving failure is caused when your asphalt surface has not been appropriately compacted or when there is a displacement in the asphalt surface layer.
How to fix Rutting
For minor cases, ruts can be overlaid or filled. Rutted areas are usually removed and replaced with necessary materials for severe depressions.
Depressions
Depressions are areas on the surface of asphalt paving slightly lower than the surrounding areas. They are often caused by poor drainage, poor construction, and consolidation of subgrade. If left unattended, depressions can weaken the integrity of the asphalt and wear the surface.
How to Fix Depressions
Minor depressions can be fixed by applying a simple asphalt patch on top. Major depressions can be fixed by removing the affected area, replacing the subgrade, and applying a full-depth patch over the new subgrade.
Choose College Bound Sealers for a New Asphalt Driveway Experience
At College Bound Sealers, we provide residents in Rochester, NY, with asphalt driveway solutions such as patching, crack filling, asphalt maintenance and repair, driveway paving, and driveway sealcoating.
We have a team of qualified commercial and residential paving contractors who are happy to discuss asphalt paving issues with our clients and offer action plans to provide durable solutions. We can help you make smart choices and help you find the right solution. Call us at (585) 254-6550 to request a quote.