Asphalt 9 Lucky Patcher
Matilda Equiluz
To be honest, there are a lot of great articles out there on the internet that explains what you need to do to repair your asphalt driveway but we wanted to create an article that explains not only "how to repair a blacktop asphalt driveway" but also the products and equipment you will need to properly make the necessary repairs.
If you're a DIY homeowner looking to make repairs for the very first time, let us assure you that the process really isn't that difficult as long as your asphalt driveway is in decent condition. If you have a really old asphalt or blacktop driveway with a lot of potholes or alligator cracks (we'll explain those later) then you might be better off, in the long run, to have your driveway resurfaced with fresh asphalt.
Let's start off by explaining the main problems with a blacktop asphalt driveway. This will help you decide if you need to make initial repairs or if you just need to simply fill cracks and then sealcoat which are both simple preventative maintenance tasks, not really repairs.
Potholes are pieces of asphalt that are physically gone from the asphalt. It literally creates a "hole" in the asphalt. The origin of the word is a bit hazy, but I'm sure you can use your imagination to come up with an idea of how it came to be known as a "pothole". Point is, potholes are definitely an area of your driveway that will need repairs. Pothole size can vary from a few inches to several feet in diameter and many times, they are the result of unmaintained alligator cracks.
Alligator cracks, also known simply as gator cracks or spider web cracks, look like the scales of an alligator or a spider web. I suppose if Dinosaurs were still around, we would call them T-Rex cracks or something... If you're lucky, you only have a small area of what we call alligator cracks that you will need to repair on your driveway, but even so, they aren't hard to fix at all. If you have a big area, it's just going to take lots of time and some extra material.
Sinkholes and birdbaths are usually caused by major settling of the ground after the driveway was surfaced with fresh asphalt. They are either formed by a poorly constructed base (foundation) or the base has washed away over time and heat from the sun has warmed the asphalt enough that it contours to the missing base. In colder climates or high traffic areas, these depressions will stress the asphalt and cause it to crack which eventually leads to potholes.
The minor sinkholes called bird baths are usually 1-2 inches deep and they can use similar repairs as alligator patch, but the really deep sinkhole repairs tend to vary. It might be as easy as adding pothole patch or it might require some pretty extensive repairs like cutting the bad area out and adding new pothole patch. We'll let you be the judge if you want to tackle driveway sinkholes.
Now that we have explained the main symptoms, now would be a good time to reflect on the problems you have with your blacktop asphalt driveway to determine which repairs you will need to make. (If you need to get up and go check, we'll stick around and wait.)
First thing's first, we need to prepare the driveway to make the repairs. This is just a matter of thoroughly cleaning the affected repair area and making sure it is clean from dust, debris, vegetation, water or anything that will keep the repair materials from adhering to the existing asphalt. This is especially important for alligator asphalt.
Removing Dirt and Dust
Method 1) Using a stiff-bristled broom, simply sweep off or around the areas to be repaired. If you don't have a stiff-bristled broom lying around the garage, any broom should work just fine. You can usually find a cheap broom at the local hardware store or you can always pick up a professional grade broom from us and make things easy by getting everything in one place.
Method 2) If you decide to use water (from the hose or a pressure washer), you want to make sure the area is completely dry before making repairs. Keep in mind, the problem with using water is that it will seep into cracks of the asphalt and if you cover the cracks up, there's no way for the moisture to escape. This can cause problems down the road... So, if you decide to use water, we recommend only using this method on really hot summer days and waiting at least 24 hours before applying any material.
Method 3) Some of you might have a backpack leaf blower or even a walk behind push blower that will make your life REALLY easy... If you do use a leaf blower and can't seem to loosen dirt from an area, use a stiff-bristled broom to loosen the area then try again with your leaf blower.
Removing Vegetation
Method 1) If you're on a tight budget and have a triangle-shaped gardening hoe lying around, chances are you can use the sharp-angled tip to get rid of vegetation from cracks which you will probably find mainly in alligator asphalt or wide cracks. Simply stick the angled part in the crack and pull it toward you. Repeat until the vegetation is gone. This tool should work fine too for potholes or sinkholes. If the gardening hoe turns out to be your wife's and she actually uses it for gardening, you might consider going to the hardware store and picking up your own. Assuming you aren't on a tight budget... Gardening hoes are usually a thinner material and might not stand up to the job. What you'll want to look for is a thicker steel triangle hoe that will take the abuse against the hard asphalt driveway. If you're the type who tends to go all out and get the best money can buy, we can sell you a professional grade crack hoe which is designed with a heavy-duty tip when compared to the typical gardening hoe.
Method 2) If you're the type who loves to play with fire, we have just the tool for you! For around $100, we sell a tool that spits out an extremely hot flame and roasts vegetation in seconds. Our asphalt crack torch runs on standard propane and it's also great for drying up wet spots or even melting snow around the pothole area. If you're more on a budget and just want to stick to the basics, that's OK too. Our heat flame crack torch isn't absolutely necessary but for some of you with big driveways or a lot of vegetation, it might pay off in the long run to have one.
So how do you repair pot holes, alligator cracks, and sinkholes? Most of the repairs are pretty painless and simple, but they do require a bit of elbow grease and some hard work. If you don't have any elbow grease or don't like hard work then you might want to look for a professional. Otherwise, if you don't mind getting your hands dirty, let's move on!
Now that you've prepared the asphalt surfaces by removing the vegetation and cleaning any debris, we'll look into the tools and materials you'll need to repair your asphalt driveway with ease and confidence.
For a quick background, cold pothole patch has been around for years. It's basically just aggregate mixed with an oil bitumen-like binder that doesn't harden at colder temperatures like hot asphalt. Hot asphalt oils start hardening around 185 F and become harder the colder it gets. Cold patch on the other hand, cures over time with open-air. That's why you've seen pothole repairs that last 3 minutes after it's been installed. Municipalities are notorious for using cold patch for quick pothole fixes because it is cheap and easy. Unfortunately, that same pothole is completely blown back out after a few days, making it a complete waste of money.
While a lot of companies have tried to make a better traditional cold patch over the last 60 years, none of them have really been able to find a good long term solution despite claiming to. This has led several innovative companies to create non-traditional cold patch options that are more expensive but work just as good or better than hot mix asphalt so if you look at the longevity of the repair vs the cost of material, spend the extra money upfront and you'll spend less later. If you plan to replace the entire pavement area in a few weeks or months, then, by all means, get some cheap cold patch and call it a day!
We offer several brands of the traditional cold patch with Crafco being the industry standard among contractors. Instead, we are going to recommend that you take a look at a newer, stronger pothole patch that we know you'll be happy with, in the long run.
How much pothole patch material do I need?
Most cold patch asphalt repair aggregate will cover a 12" x 12" x 1" hole per 10lbs. So if you're hole is about 12" diameter give or take and the depth of the hole is 4" plus 1" to 2" for overfill, you're looking at around 50 lbs to 60 lbs for that one hole.
Driveway Pothole Repair Instructions
The first thing to check for is whether or not the pothole goes past the bottom of the asphalt layer. If the hole goes deeper than the asphalt itself, you'll want to fill the hole with sand, gravel or dirt so the hole isn't quite as deep. Sure you can fill it with pothole patch but that's a waste of material unless you're into that sort of thing... If your asphalt is 4" thick and the hole is 8" deep, fill up the hole so you only have about a 4" deep hole. A good rule of thumb is to try and always have a 4" to 5" deep hole. This will keep you from wasting material but ensures there will be enough bonding between the old layer and the new pothole patch. You might have potholes that are more like "dips" or too shallow to really add patch to. If you have these, check out the alligator repair instructions in the next section.
(For the guys who have a flame torch) If you're the type who likes to play with fire and you went out and bought a flame torch despite your better judgment, now is a good time to pull it out and heat up the asphalt surrounding the pothole. This will help bond the patch aggregate with the existing asphalt and helps make the repair last longer. Just make sure you don't scorch or overheat the surrounding asphalt which can damage the oils and cause more problems later.
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