Thursday, July 3, 2014

Why Do You Need To Use The Asphalt Patching Technique?

By Rosella Campbell


One aspect you will have to deal with if you have constructed driveways or parking lots using asphalt is cracks and potholes. Like many other paving materials, asphalt experiences shrinkage and hardening which causes cracks. There are different methods of restoring cracks and one is asphalt patching. Those beautiful black jet asphaltic driveways and parking lots can experience issues that need timely and proper repairs.

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.

In order for asphaltic pavements to function properly, they need to be elastic. This implies that when they dry up, they cannot contract or expand as required. The hardening results to formation of cracks. The cracking forming will allow moisture and water to seep down and wreck havoc on the interior of the pavements.

If you do not act in time, you will soon find that your driveways have deteriorated and need costly repairs. The best way to maintain driveways is to ensure they are sealcoated and repaired of cracks or other defects whenever they occur. At first, the cracks are small and they may not be a real threat. For example, the fine hairline cracks are the ones that appear fast because of drying of asphaltic material.

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.

During this time, you may have tiny small cracks known as hairline cracks. These are not a problem as such since they may not allow moisture to penetrate however, if they are left unrestored, the will widen and become visible. The fine hairline cracks could easily be solved by just sealcoating. But, one thing with sealcoating is that it is not meant to be a repair technique but rather a preservation process.

Sealcoating is designed to allow the blacktop to regain its elasticity and prevent the damage caused by manmade and environmental factors. The sealcoating can seal the tiny cracks but if the cracks widen, you have to seek for more effective repair techniques. Patching is one technique that is used in localized cracks. If you have a large crack such as alligator cracks, then you can use this technique.

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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