The Importance of Asphalt Maintenance

Even though asphalt is extremely durable, it’s so common to see it fail. It doesn’t have to get to that point, though. Ongoing asphalt care can make a huge difference and be much cheaper than taking on delayed larger repairs. Here are key reasons to prioritize asphalt road, driveway and parking lot maintenance and the best ways to do so.

Why Does Asphalt Maintenance Matter?

Asphalt maintenance matters for many different reasons: 

Safety: Poorly maintained pavement leads to dangerous driving and walking conditions. The danger is only increased by hazards like rain and snow that prevent people from properly seeing issues like potholes. 

Costs: It’s much cheaper to maintain asphalt over time vs. pay for repairs or replacements when it’s past the point of no return. If you don’t think pavement maintenance is worth it now, it could cost you later. 

Efficiency: Asphalt maintenance often requires very little downtime. On the other hand, repairs can be more time-consuming, potentially requiring entire pavement areas to be blocked off. 

Impressions: Anyone will notice gray or damaged asphalt, and they’ll certainly feel it too. This creates a poor 1st—or even 100th—impression for anyone visiting. It’s much more valuable to create an area that people don’t mind visiting. 

Preventing deeper issues: Even if asphalt looks or feels fine enough on the surface, underneath, things can be in poor condition. Seemingly little things like cracks can lead to water and other matter making their way in and comprising the integrity of your asphalt’s base, which can lead to major issues. 

The Top Three Asphalt Maintenance Solutions

There is no single way to maintain asphalt pavement. Rather, it must be supported with the right mix of maintenance solutions for its circumstances. An expert paving specialist can help advise you on the best course of action for your lot, road or driveway. 

Sealcoating

Sealcoating is the most affordable way to prevent asphalt deterioration and protect your investment. The process involves spraying and/or squeegeeing sealer over the entirety of the pavement’s surface. Doing this not only gives asphalt a refreshed black look, but the sealer also doubles as an enhanced barrier against sun rays and other elements that wear asphalt down. When administered every 2-3 years (depending on the asphalt’s usage and how it’s holding up), more complicated and costly repair needs can be avoided. 

Crack Filling

Even with sealcoating—but especially without it—cracks can occur in asphalt. Proactively searching for cracks while they’re simple and filling them can prevent much larger ones (and the issues that come with them). For cracks that are at least ¼” wide, we can use a rubberized filler to seal them back up. The filler we use is both waterproof and flexible enough to deal with changing weather and temperature conditions. 

Some cracks are too severe for filling, like those that form an interlocking pattern (also known as alligator cracks). These can signify structural damages, and the asphalt will likely have to be removed and patched over. Our team can advise you on what’s best based on your current pavement’s condition.

Surface Patching

Surface patching can offer a quick fix for damages like potholes, but the results will be much more short-term than those of a full-on repair. That said, as long as your asphalt’s base is stable, surface patching can be done efficiently and stop potholes from becoming larger problems in the present. This process is done through the use of a tack coat that enables a new asphalt layer to be adhered. 

Work With NC’s Leader in Asphalt Maintenance Solutions

Paving with asphalt offers great benefits—from being reasonably priced to highly time-efficient. But with everything it’s constantly exposed to, even expertly applied pavement can weaken. At Raleigh Paving, we can provide the expertise and services to make sure your asphalt pavement holds up now and in the future. Get started by scheduling your free consultation.