Interesting facts about asphalt crack repair.
Routine asphalt care and maintenance help maintain your curb appeal as well as prolong the lifespan of your parking lot. However, as time goes by, your asphalt parking lot may experience distresses that make it lose its aesthetic appeal. One most common asphalt paving distress is cracking, which occurs due to heavy traffic, thin asphalt, UV rays, weak foundation, and tree roots.
When this happens, you need to consult with parking lot repair experts to get advice on the right pavement crack filling measure. If done promptly, asphalt patching and repair prevents severe deterioration and saves you money. With that said, below are six fascinating facts everyone should know about asphalt crack repair.
The Type of Repair Depends on the Type of Cracking
Before coming up with the best asphalt crack repair strategy, your parking lot repair contractor determines the type of cracks and the level of damage.
There’re different types of cracks which include:
- Alligator cracks- these are the most common and affect a large part of your asphalt paving. They occur due to poor drainage, overloading, and poor asphalt thickness. Professionals will saw cut and remove the area affected by the cracks to determine the root cause of the problem before offering a solution.
- Traverse cracks- these run horizontally on your parking lot and are caused by the constant change in weather temperatures. The contactor uses asphalt emulsion crack filler to repair these cracks.
- Linear cracks- these are parallel to the center of your asphalt paving and are caused by poor joint construction. Asphalt sealcoating will prevent moisture from penetrating through the cracks, hence making them severe.
- Slippage cracks- these occur when new material is laid but fails to bond with the underlying layer. To repair, the contractor removes the marks before performing partial or full-depth patching.
Pavement Crack Filling Differs from Sealcoating
Many people assume that crack filling and sealing are similar and end up seeking asphalt sealcoating. Although the two terms are used interchangeably, they have a big difference as you’re going to learn below.
- Pavement crack filling– the process involves placing asphalt emulsion into non-working cracks to help strengthen the adjacent pavement and prevent water infiltration. Non-working cracks are less than 0.1 inches and include alligator, diagonal, and longitudinal cracks.
- Crack sealcoating- in this case, the contractor applies a hot sealant on working cracks to prevent water penetration. Working cracks are over 0.1 inches and include traverse cracks.
As you can see, pavement crack filling helps repair cracks that don’t any signs of progress.
Proper Preparation is Essential
Good preparation maximizes the performance of the crack filler or sealant used. Crack cleaning can be done using routers or mechanical wire brushes. After cleaning, the parking lot repair team uses walk-behind blowers or hot-compressed air lance to blow out the cracks. The preparation ensures that the crack filling material flows into the cracks and bind with the sides of the cracks.
Prolongs the Lifespan of Your Parking Lot
As your asphalt parking lot gets exposed to intense UV rays, it becomes weak, leading to the development of cracks. If ignored, these cracks expand, making your pavement look aged. Asphalt patching and repair seals the cracks, hence preventing water from penetrating to the foundation of your pavement. The process also prevents oxidation and erosion, further increasing the lifespan of your parking lot.
Save Repair Costs
Neglecting the cracks as soon as they appear could cost you a lot of money in terms of repair cost than repairing sooner. With time, the cracks get deeper and widely spread. Sometimes you may require to do a complete asphalt replacement, which is more expensive than a simple parking lot repair.
Minimizes Parking Lot Accidents
Carrying out regular parking lot maintenance limits the number of accidents happening on your property. Cracks in your pavement are a significant slip, fall, and trip hazard, with studies showing poor pavement as one of the major causes of fatal accidents. During asphalt repair Tampa, also ensure that your parking lot is ADA compliance. Maintaining your Tampa paving minimizes accidents and the possibility of facing a lawsuit due to negligence.
Want to Learn More About Asphalt Crack Repair?
If you’ve found this information helpful feel free to contact PLS for more information about asphalt crack repairs and asphalt sealcoating in Tampa today.