How to Make Road Surfaces Last Longer

Considering the amount of traffic they withstand on a daily basis, it’s no wonder that road surfaces regularly wear down and need to be replaced. And that new pavement can be costly, to say the least. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to extend the life of your road surface, and that involves making repairs as soon as possible after the surface begins to show wear. What follows are some of the asphalt repair options that can help to save your road, not to mention your budget.

• Pothole repair – Potholes typically form as a result of water seeping into the asphalt surface and then contracting or expanding as the temperature changes. Although the exact repair method depends on the size of the pothole and the current weather conditions, the important thing to remember is to have potholes repaired right away. The longer you wait, the worse the pothole will become, and that can lead to extreme damage to your road surface.
• Crack filling – Cracks in asphalt are inevitable and are usually due to a variety of causes, including the age of the surface, the amount of heavy traffic, and the quality of the asphalt. Cracks may not seem like a big problem, but they quickly become so when water seeps through the cracks and weakens the asphalt. When you see cracks in the road surface, contact a paving contractor to have them filled and prevent further damage.
• Permanent patching – This is the preferred method for repairing asphalt, assuming that the weather conditions are favorable. Applying a permanent patch to a road surface requires removing debris, then filling a hole or crack with asphalt patching mix and smoothing the surface with a roller.
• Temporary patching – Weather doesn’t always cooperate when it comes to asphalt repair. Patching is a method typically used in emergency repair situations when the weather doesn’t allow for other methods. It involves pouring liquid asphalt into a crack or hole in the pavement, then rolling over it to help smooth the material.
• Spray injection – Paving contractors use the spray injection method to repair potholes and cracks by using a high pressure tool to inject aggregate and emulsion into the damaged areas. The method can be used regardless of the weather conditions.
• Sealcoating – A layer of sealcoat will protect the road surface from erosion, weather and oxidation. An added bonus to sealcoating – it makes the road surface look new again!

For more information about asphalt repair methods that can extend the life of your road surface, contact a local paving contractor.