Find Helpful Preventative Tips from Coat Topcoat Sealing & Paving
As your trusted asphalt paving, sealing and repair team in the Okanagan Valley, Coat Topcoat Sealing & Paving is pleased to provide you with preventative maintenance tips to help extend the life of your pavement. If you’re looking for more information, be sure to check out our FAQ.
Asphalt damage can occur from many stressors, including the following:
- Overloaded vehicles can cause compression damage
- Turning car tires can scrape and weaken pavement
- Oil and fuel spills can soften the pavement
- Excessive water can loosen and wash away the fines that protect the larger rock, allowing water to get in and produce cracks
How can you prevent asphalt damage? Asphalt can be protected through routine maintenance.a
1. Cracks
Asphalt should be checked regularly for cracks. All new cracks, as well as cracks previously filled that open up, need to be filled with a hot pour rubberized crack filler. This product is able to expand and contract with the asphalt, therefore providing the best possible seal.
2. Seal Coating
Seal coating can protect your asphalt from excessive water damage, the damaging rays of the sun and chemical spills. This process will also replenish the oils that are lost with age and wear. The nice black finish is not only an effective method of preventative maintenance, it also adds to property value through visual appeal.
It is important to note that crack filling and seal coating are preventative measures, not repairs. Regular maintenance will extend the life of the asphalt and reduce the cost and frequency of repairs.
Maintenance will Save You Money in the Long Run
Preventative maintenance is necessary for the maintenance of any pavement. While it may seem costly, consider that yearly crack filling repairs and seal coating every 4 to 5 years will cost about a third of what you would pay for patching or replacing asphalt that is not maintained. This is the real benefit to preventative maintenance.
Asphalt repairs are inevitable. There are three main repairs:
1. Surface Patch
The least expensive repair is a surface patch. For a patch, hot asphalt mix is used to repair the hole and compacted. This type of repair is used when there are no visible cracks but rather the asphalt has been worn away by water or traffic. In this repair, no saw cutting is required.
2. Full Depth Repair
Where asphalt has attained a damaged ‘alligator’ pattern, the asphalt must be removed and replaced from the base. The damaged asphalt must be cut out and replaced with hot asphalt mix and compacted.
3. Overlay
This repair is for asphalt that has age damage and/or several patches. The area will be prepped using a tack coat to bind the new asphalt to the old. Overlays are generally between 1” to 1.5″ thick when compacted. An overlay is not an option if the existing asphalt is broken, as pre-existing, deep cracks will crack through the new asphalt in a short amount of time. In this case, the old asphalt would be removed and the area repaved with new asphalt.
In order to minimize pavement repairs, be sure to maintain your asphalt on a yearly basis. Remember that regular asphalt maintenance will cut your overall repair costs by up to two thirds. It may seem costly, but it is a wise investment for your property’s future!