How do you fix the pothole in your driveway?

Over time, even the best-looking driveways will age and break down into the usual ignorable cracks that are an inconvenience to huge potholes and sinkholes. Potholes result from wear and tear from the expansion and contraction of the asphalt pavement during the freeze-thaw cycles and traffic on the pavement. They usually appear late winter and early spring, and if left unpatched, the eventual cost of redoing the whole driveway increases.

Pothole and fixing

If you are a DIYer and willing to put in some work, you can get a high-quality patching material and finish the repairs in three basic steps, prepare, patch and compact. You can try to fix the pothole, but it will only be a temporary patch before a complete repair. Hot-mix asphalt patch pothole repair requires the services of a professional paving company. A cold mix asphalt repair is used for quick pothole repair, especially in cold weather.

The choice of asphalt mix to use to repair pothole determines the aesthetics and durability of the repair. Our experts will recommend a suitable material that will make the process less costly and guarantee an impressive finish.

To patch with a cold-mix asphalt pour, these are the steps

• Clean and prepare the pothole; remove all the dirt and debris accumulated in the pothole, including loose pieces of asphalt. Use a blower or a stiff broom until you have a firm base. Alternatively, you can dig out the excess rock and dirt until you reach the subsoil.
• Using a wet saw or a concrete jackhammer, Cut and square the edges around the hole and dig out any loose material remaining in the spot.
• Apply the cold patch asphalt mix or the blacktop repair; you have to fill the hole, leaving a ½” overlay above the surface or 25% higher than the thickness of the patch and surrounding area. If the pothole is more than 4 inches deep, apply in lifts and compact thoroughly. The cold-patch asphalt is available from your local hardware store.
• Compact each layer fully until the patch is level with the rest of the pavement. You can use a tamper or a similarly heavy object with a weighted, level surface. The more compact the patch is, the higher the quality of the patch and the longer the repair will last. Set the patch ¼ inch higher than the surrounding area for future settling and proper drainage.
• Although the patch can handle regular traffic immediately, you best let it cure. Let the repaired pothole settle for at least three weeks before making any turns or parking vehicles on it.

If you choose to do skin patching or a hot asphalt mix, ensure the temperatures have been consistently high for about 48+ hours. A hot-mix asphalt repair is more permanent and will require an expert around. The steps are similar to cold patching, except your asphalt will be ready to use in a few hours.  If you are unsure how to do this or need expert advice on pothole repair, give us a call.

Address

Commonwealth Paving, 136 Outerloop, Louisville, Kentucky 40214
Phone: 502-459-7283, Fax: 502-456-2678

Opening Hours