Insight for Successful Asphalt Maintenance and Repair Practices
The asphalt pavement that makes up your home's driveway or other paved area is an important element in the condition of your home exterior and the value of your property. Without good maintenance and repair practices on your asphalt, your home's exterior will fall into disrepair that will only worsen exponentially over time as native vegetation takes over places where cracks form. For this reason, it is important to understand the basics of asphalt repair and when to replace it so you can keep up on your investment. The following gives you some tips to repair your asphalt pavement with the right successful process.
Understand the Need for Replacement
When you recognize that your asphalt needs regular maintenance and repair, it may already be in a natural state of disrepair and decline. If you have allowed your pavement to succumb to the elements and nature, then there may be cracks yielding large weeds and grass growth. When damage worsens and cracks widen to evolve into potholes, it may be time for a full surface replacement. Otherwise, spot patching and the attempt to restore a broken-up patchwork of damage will only result in further failure of the surface, so it is important that you keep up with its care.
When damage covers the majority of your asphalt pavement, it is a good idea to hire a professional to evaluate the area and ascertain if it will be beneficial to arrange for professional repairs. This type of hot mix application provides you with a more durable replacement for damaged areas.
Complete a Full Area Preparation
Take the time each week or month to look over your pavement so you can remove the area of damage and complete the needed repairs. For cracks, you should clean out the interior of the crack to remove debris and dirt along with any growth of weeds or grasses. For a larger crack that has spread further into the surrounding asphalt, remove any loose pieces of asphalt that have begun to crack from the damage. Dig out any foundation gravel or further pieces of aggregate until you have reached down to the asphalt's soil foundation.
Then, you can begin filling in the pothole with a solid foundation of gravel. Tamp this into place so that it does not contain any voids that will collapse later on. Spread over the compacted foundation a new layer of asphalt mixture, tamping it down as you go.
For help keeping up your asphalt, contact a paving repair service in your area today.