Why is filling cracks in asphalt so important?

If you own an asphalt parking lot or driveway, you should consider performing annual crack fill maintenance. You may not think much about your paved surfaces, except when someone complains about a pot-hole, but this part of your property needs annual maintenance just like every other piece of your property. You may ask why? Colorado’s climate has dramatic temperature swings, plenty of sunshine and freeze-thaw cycles in the winter. These weather patterns cause slow deterioration to your asphalt pavement.

How Water Crates Damage

Every year you may notice that cracks form in your pavement surface. These cracks are mostly unavoidable. When water drains into these cracks, over time it removes the soil from under the pavement. Asphalt is only as durable as the soil underneath it. When water flows through the cracks, it creates voids underneath the asphalt, and when traffic travels over the pavement in those areas, the asphalt collapses into the void. This cracking and collapsing pattern then spreads. Eventually, it will create potholes.

Solution

But there’s good news; you can slow this deterioration by performing some straightforward maintenance. Fill the cracks with a hot crack sealer once every year. A crack filler can be done on your own or by a professional. In Colorado, it’s ideal to perform the maintenance between April and October. When temperatures are over 55 degrees for the whole day and the pavement surface is dry, you’ll achieve the best results. If you hire a professional, make sure they are using hot crack seal material, and they adequately cleaned all weeds and debris from the cracks before application of the crack sealer.

If you have any questions about asphalt crack repair, contact us. We are glad to perform a site visit with you to discuss any of your asphalt questions. We offer free estimates and budget projections.