Knowing how to perform asphalt driveway repair can save you a lot of money and frustration. More homes have asphalt driveways than concrete or other materials. And asphalt does require a little bit of maintenance or it can start to break down and have problems. A little maintenance can prevent many issues, but there's still a chance that cracks will appear.
When those cracks appear, they're usually small and don't seem too troublesome. The problem with the cracks is that they let water get in, where it seeps beneath the asphalt. This expands the cracks thanks to freezing in the wintertime, or merely with the moisture changing the foundation under the driveway.
Doing asphalt repair as soon as you see a crack or as soon as the asphalt starts to appear gray is essential to keeping your asphalt driveway in good shape.
Clean
Clean the driveway. You can sweep it thoroughly, or make quicker work of it with a pressure washer. The next step is to wash it with asphalt cleaner or Trisodium Phosphate (TSP). This helps clear away any leaked oil or other stains. It's important to get any oil residue off the asphalt before sealing it because oil will break down the asphalt and let water get beneath it.
Asphalt Repair
You need to fill the surface cracks. You can opt for a thick, pourable crack filler or the type that's thicker, like caulk. Either will work, so choose whichever you're more comfortable working with. You'll want to dig into the crack to make sure that the crack doesn't look like a V with the widest part at the surface. This gives the crack filler nothing to grip on to. Dig the bottom out a little so that the narrowest part of the crack is on the surface and it gets wider as it goes down. This anchors the filler, and means that it will be thickest at the base, and can't just lift out of the crack.
Once you've dug out the crack in this way, fill it with crack filler. Be sure to use too much and overfill it. And then use a flat surface like a trowel to smooth it out. For very deep cracks you can fill most of the crack with sand, and leave about a half an inch at the top for the crack filler.
While you're performing asphalt repair because of cracks, go ahead and smooth and level out your driveway. Asphalt cold patch should be used according to the manufacturer's instructions to fill dips and low spots. Pack as the instructions say and leave it overnight.
Asphalt Sealing
Be sure there's no rain predicted for at least 2 days. Choose asphalt sealer and apply with a long handled brush. Follow any special directions on the sealer, and don't forget to dress in clothes that can get messy. Special cleaners can get asphalt repair sealer out of clothing, but if it dries you may have to throw the clothes away or save them for painting and other messy jobs.
Photo Credits: Fuschia Foot
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