Key Takeaways:
- Potholes are an advanced form of asphalt pavement distress.
- Poor drainage, lack of maintenance & absent surface protection results in freeze-thaw damage to asphalt pavement.
- Asphalt patching is a practical range of cost-effective solutions to potholes.
- Regular asphalt maintenance ensures optimal budgets, higher profits, & business curb appeal.
- American Paving, local contractors in Locust, NC, have what it takes to patch potholes on any scale professionally.
Well-kept asphalt pavement is the crux of customer excellence & curb appeal if you need a business to run and a home that sells. One pavement distress that impairs that objective is potholes.
Ugly, unsightly, and dangerous to traverse, they can drop property values & set up the scene for ADA violations & legal issues.
Today, American Paving is going to expand on some pothole patch & asphalt repair methods in the manner professional paving contractors do. But first, let’s touch on why potholes occur & why they are such an issue.
How Are Potholes Formed?
Potholes are an advanced form of pavement failure that happens when a cracked pavement is repeatedly subjected to water intrusion & freeze-thaw cycles over the course of a season.
The water damage is accommodated by poor pavement drainage, ungraded asphalt, existing pavement cracks, lack of a protective surface coat, and often, asphalt design mix flaws. Water and ice are among the most potent eroding elements on earth, so it’s no surprise that flexible & inflexible pavement needs protection from moisture getting into cracks.
Are They Really Such a Nuisance?
Of course, they are!
Suppose you have been putting off an appointment with a paving contractor, skipping asphalt driveway repair, or even forgoing an asphalt crack filler. In that case, you are in for a world of paved misery. Anything breaking through the surface of your pavement, facility lot, or driveway will end up costing you dearly.
- Potholes are damaging to the undercarriages of low-ground clearance luxury & sports vehicles. And even if you have a high ground clearance vehicle, HMVs, or a car with an elevated kit installed, regularly going over potholes will take the suspension to an early grave.
- With cratered pavement in a state of disrepair, there is more room for damage. Every pothole opens up the section of the pavement to further raveling, cracking, and cratering. With extensive damage, a road replacement is the only way for pothole repairs.
- Once the pavement is compromised, you can bid your lot’s asphalt signage & stripes goodbye. Potholes become birdbaths, which negate the purpose of a seal coat, effectively eroding anything you painted over it.
- If curb appeal is central to a business, consider your losses as people take a turn after seeing heavily damaged & cratered pavement. No one likes to go over a bumpy stretch of asphalt unless they want their tires punctured.
- Potholes are an ADA lawsuit waiting to happen if an unsuspecting victim suffers a damaged undercarriage, a sprain, or a medical emergency.
How To Patch Potholes? – By The Pros!
So, the word for such asphalt repairs is a pothole patch. You will notice small to large rectangular sections on highway pavement or your residential driveways that happen to have a darker, fresher shade of asphalt. Those are the repair spots for reference.
There are numerous ways to fix asphalt issues, but we have asphalt patches on the agenda today so join in!
1. Emergency Patch
Also called a throw-and-roll, it is a rudimentary patch for quick action at busy routes. Liquid asphalt or pitch (obviously heated) is poured into a pothole, filled with gravel chips, and stamped & roller-compacted. It’s ideal for a quick fix but can lead to asphalt tracking in summer if not replaced with a more permanent patch.
2 . Semi-Permanent Repair
While not a permanent solution, it is among the best because it calls for thoroughly cleaning the damaged site for patch adhesiveness. All debris is removed from the pothole, the edges cut to an incline, and the asphalt-aggregate mix poured. After the new patch has been stamped & compacted, an edge sealer is applied, and that’s it!
3. Spray Injection
Although similar to the semi-permanent patch, this pothole patching method requires specialized equipment. Powerful air blowers remove dust, debris & water from the cratered site; then, a heated tack coat is sprayed into the pothole. A pressurized mix of crushed aggregate & asphalt is injected into the binder mold. A topping of aggregate completes the patch; no compaction is necessary.
4. Infrared Patching
In frosty temperatures and much-needed HMA asphalt repairs, it becomes more feasible to heat the pothole where it is and then fix it. The damaged section is thoroughly cleaned & dried; then, heating plates are applied to the section until the asphalt softens. A rejuvenator is sprayed over & blended into the disturbed asphalt to renew the binder.
Usually, recycled asphalt chips are scarified into the section, then roller-compacted. It is the most eco-friendly pothole patch method in use in the industry.
5. Cold Asphalt Patch
While all the methods mentioned are large-scale HMA or hot mix asphalt patches, one can be done for more minor pothole repairs in winter. Below 60F, hot asphalt does not cure well, so a colder mix is best used. A highly viscous bituminous-aggregate mix is prepared, scooped & leveled into a pothole, then stamped over. It can last the winter but must be permanently patched before spring hits its zenith.
6. Full Depth Patch
When you have pavement distress bordering on a combination of raveling, cracking, rifting, corrugation, slippage, & potholes, then it’s time for the big blind. No matter how extensive, the damaged section is altogether scrapped – binders, bases, asphalt, and all!
Then the removed section is installed as new pavement, and care is taken to offer it optimal surface protection.
The One ‘Professional’ Patching Method to Avoid
Throw & Go
Yes, this is a pothole patch method, but it is the worst one because it goes against the entire point of a patch – semi or permanent. The gist is that the pothole is not cleaned, not dried of any water, and the HMA is unceremoniously shoveled into the pothole.
The compaction is just a customary pat with a shovel, and the rest is left to the traffic to compact further. If a paving contractor suggests such a solution, citing cost savings, ditch them and hire American Paving instead!
How To Best Avoid Potholes?
Simple, enforce measures to keep the pavement clean. It doesn’t matter whether it is a driveway, parking lot, or highway – cleanliness & appropriate drainage are paramount to avoiding pothole repair costs.
Define a regular asphalt repair schedule & budget for it to keep your finances & your business looking robust.
In proactive terms, know which contractors to hire so you don’t get scammed or end up with a paving job done with poor quality materials. If you need help picking the right paving contractor, be our guest!
Can I DIY Patch My Driveway?
Cold patch mixes, cold pour asphalt crack fillers, sealers & seal coats are available at local depots & home improvement stores. And they are safer to DIY for small-scale repairs. However, you might need specialized patching equipment for more ambitious repairs, which is why calling in professionals is ideal.
Handling hot mix asphalt can be risky and cause devastating burns if it gets on the skin. Protective gear, tools, and preparation specifics are necessary with anything asphalt.
Get The Best Asphalt Paving Contractors In North Carolina!
Suppose you need asphalt driveway repair or even a crack filler for badly damaged & potholed pavement. In that case, American Paving is the best that a combo of asphalt paving perfection & local expertise can offer you in Locust, NC!
Check out our asphalt repair services & don’t forget to get your quotes from us – free of charge!
