Why Do You Need To Use The Asphalt Patching Technique?

By Rosella Campbell


Keeping driveways and parking lots in good condition is very essential if they have to last for long. After you have constructed your asphaltic pavements, one task you are left with is maintaining them properly. Whenever there are defects like potholes and localized cracks, you can use techniques such as asphalt patching to repair the defects. Asphaltic pavements will suffer from many kinds of defects ranging from cracks, potholes, upheavals, depressions, and wearing out of the binders.

To determine which procedure to use, you need to inspect the defects properly and determine what is causing them. Asphalt is a material used in constructing roads, driveways, lanes, parking lots, and other paving surfaces. However, although it lasts for long and can bear heavy weight, it is affected by changes in the environment and manmade factors. The heat from sun will bake the blacktop and harden it.

Once cracks have started forming, consider repairing them as soon as possible. There are different techniques you can use including crack sealing, overlays, sealcoats, patching, and removal and replacement. Each technique depends of the extent of damage of the pavements. An asphaltic material is elastic and flexible when it is laid down but after some time, it dries out and begins cracking.

The first cracks you will see are small little and tiny cracks. They are at first invisible and not a threat as such. These tiny cracking can be resolved using sealcoats. However, when you leave them to continue expanding, you will have to deal with a more complex problem. The small cracks can widen and form deep and wide cracking that requires an effective method of restoration. Patching is one way to resolve issues of potholes and localized cracks.

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.

The open areas allow water to settle down and continue wrecking havoc to pavements. Before long, your structure is completely damaged and needs costly repairs. There are different forms of patching including hot and cold patches. The cold patches are intended for small repairs where there are sidewalls to hold the material together.

On the other hand, the hot patches are intended for larger areas, and where there are no sidewalls to hold the material. If you are repairing an area that has no sidewalls to hold the patch material, then you can consider the hot patches. When you use the patching products ensure they area of the highest quality.

You should deal with contractors who use only quality materials so that the repairs can be done properly. Applying the patches helps prevent water intrusion into the sub base layer of pavements through cracks. Water undermines the structural integrity of pavements by loosening the material underlying pavement base.




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