How to Prepare Asphalt Cracks for Filling?

Before asphalt cracks can be properly filled, they must be cleared of debris, dried, and measured. For asphalt crack filling, contact a professional asphalt contractor that has the necessary knowledge and tools.

With the sun, rain, ice, and traffic relentlessly attacking your asphalt surface, Asphalt cracks in the blacktop are an all-too-common occurrence—one that can lead to some serious property damage and even safety hazards!

When cracks come to the fore, it is crucial to patch them as quickly as possible to prevent them from worsening and necessitating more extensive (and costly) repairs. Doing so correctly requires proper prep work—or else you will be wasting your precious time, and your asphalt will continue to wear down.

Here are a few tips to help you get your asphalt crack filling just right:

Remove debris

The first step in preparing an asphalt crack for filling is to clear the crack and nearby areas of dirt and debris like loose asphalt and vegetation. Failure to remove these obstructions will hinder the crack fill’s ability to adhere to the pavement effectively.

Ensure the Asphalt cracks are dry

In the same way that debris must be cleared, the crack must be dry for the filler to adhere to the pavement effectively. Therefore, avoid crack filling during or after a day of rain. In addition to monitoring the weather, check to see whether the cracks are in the range of any sprinkler systems—directly or via runoff—and turn them off if necessary.

Measure the cracks

The next step in making sure you are fully prepared to fill your asphalt cracks is to measure them. The size of the cracks will determine how you fill them.

Start by measuring the width. The width of the crack determines whether it can be filled with rubberized crack sealant or whether additional materials are required.

Here are some tips to remember:

• If the cracks are less than 0.5 inches wide, they can be fixed with cold pour crack filler.
• If the cracks are 0.5 to 2 inches wide, hot pour crack filler and hot asphalt crack filler equipment are required to fill them.
• If the cracks are more than 2 inches wide, they should be treated as potholes and fixed with a cold asphalt patch.

Next, measure the depth. Asphalt Cracks smaller than 0.5 inches deep can usually be filled without any additional prep work. On the other hand, deeper cracks should be filled with sand until they reach the depth of 0.5 inches.

Lastly, measure the length. The overall length of all the Asphalt cracks on your asphalt surface will tell you how much crack filler you will need.

Get the right equipment.

Steps 1 to 3 can be completed with a broom and a steel wire brush, although this takes a lot of time and does not always produce the best results. The use of the right crack filling equipment improves the quality and efficiency of your prep work.

Once you have completed these steps, you will be ready to fill the filling in your asphalt.

Address

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

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