How do asphalt crack filler and sealer benefit your parking lot?
Asphalt paving is durable and has a high fatigue resistance that can last for decades if properly installed and maintained. However, asphalt paving breaks at some point due to continuous traffic and extreme weather conditions. Parking lot cracks are the most notorious issue when your paving is exposed to these factors.
Thankfully, you can use asphalt crack filler or crack sealer to treat cracking on your pavement. The two repair options prolong the lifespan of your parking lot by preventing water seepage through the cracks and causing major failures and distresses.
Whether to use asphalt crack filler or sealant depends on several variables, such as the types of cracks and your budget. Understanding the difference between the two options helps you choose the most cost-effective and durable crack treatment.
Choosing Between Asphalt Crack Filler and Crack Sealer
To get the most out of crack filling or sealing, you need to address the issues as soon as you note them. Below are the differences between crack filling and sealing and when to use one over the other.
1. Types of Crack Each Method Treats
When you seek parking lot maintenance in Tampa, the contractor will first examine the type of cracks on your asphalt. That helps the contractor determine the right cause of action, using crack filler, or crack sealer.
Crack filling is more effective on non-working cracks, which are les than 0.1 inches wide. Non-working cracks do not move as they have closer spacing between the edges and they include:
- Block cracks
- Longitudinal cracks
- Diagonal cracks
- Alligator cracks
Since these types of cracks do not expand, they require a temporary fix, making use of crack filler the best option.
Crack sealant is used as a preventative measure on expanding and contracting cracks on asphalt paving. Timing is everything with crack sealing. It should be done soon after the cracks appear to ensure the sealant prevents them from getting deeper.
2. Type of Treatment Material Used
Non-working cracks have minimal flexibility expectations and, therefore, require non-rubberized repair material. Crack filling materials include:
- Cutbacks
- Liquid asphalt
- Asphalt emulsions
Active cracks expand and contract depending on the season, and therefore the sealant needs to be flexible. The most commonly used crack sealant materials include:
- Rubberized asphalt
- Asphalt rubber
- Self-leveling silicone
- Low modulus rubberized asphalt
3. Cost Implications
Crack filling requires a less initial investment by 20 to 30 times less than repaving a neglected asphalt paving. It also decreases the cost of asphalt maintenance in the long run. However, you require to perform regular treatment in the future, to control the cracks.
Crack sealing, on the other hand, is more expensive but provides a long-lasting solution.
4. Durability
Asphalt crack filler acts as a perfect remedy to deep non-working cracks that cannot be bonded by a sealant. This form of asphalt repair remains relevant as long as the cracks are not expanding or contracting. It’s therefore considered a temporary fix that can last one or two seasons.
Crack sealing provides a more permanent solution and can extend the lifespan of your pavement by up to two decades.
5. Climate
When applying asphalt crack filler, it’s essential to consider the prevailing temperatures as they play a significant role in the crack expansion. Crack filling should, therefore, be done when the climate is mild and temperature swings are less extreme.
Crack sealing is effective on active cracks and best applied when the temperatures are falling and rising dramatically.
Asphalt Crack Filler Vs. Sealant, What Is the Best Option?
To help you decide between asphalt crack filler and sealer, you need first understand the different natures of the two materials. You also need to know when each method is most effective.
Most importantly, you need to work with a contractor who provides asphalt repair in Tampa and one who understands the two crack repair options. Parking Lot Services in Tampa offers a wide range of parking lot maintenance services. Contact us today and schedule a no-cost consultation for asphalt patching and repair and asphalt sealcoating in Tampa, among other asphalt paving services.