Professional asphalt maintenance and repair is absolutely necessary to maximize your pavement’s lifespan, whether you have a residential driveway or a commercial parking lot.
Despite misconceptions, maintaining asphalt pavement doesn’t have to be a costly affair, especially compared to the cost of repaving damaged pavement.
As leading paving contractors in Houston, Texas, we can say for sure that every dollar spent on maintaining your pavement will help you save money in the long run. Click here to learn more about Doctor Asphalt.
Asphalt begins to deteriorate the moment it is paved. Weather conditions, traffic, water, and daily wear and tear damage your driveway over time.
Without proper maintenance, surface degradation will happen faster. Your driveway may last 15 to 20 years without any maintenance, but prepare to navigate around large cracks and potholes, especially in the later years.
However, proper maintenance and timely repairs will rid you of visible signs of damage and help you avoid potential hazards and liabilities, while adding an additional 5 to 10 years to the pavement.
Here are some of the best ways to maintain your pavement without breaking the bank.
1. Sealcoating
During the initial years, asphalt pavement can survive general degradation without requiring significant repair work. However, as the asphalt gets older, it needs protection from water, oil, chemicals, weather conditions, and tire damage.
Sealcoating provides that protective layer and also restores the shiny, dark appearance of new asphalt.
Sealcoating should be applied every 3 to 5 years, always during the warmer months. Doing so will prolong the life of your asphalt driveway or parking lot, and will save you $2 on average per square foot as compared to repaving.
2. Cracksealing
Cracks can occur on asphalt pavement surfaces due to various factors, such as weather, erosion, thermal stresses, etc. Cracks allow water and moisture to penetrate into the sub-grade material and cause severe damage.
This can be prevented by cracksealing, another cost-effective routine maintenance procedure that involves filling cracks with sealants. Once cracks are filled and sealed, they become airtight, which minimizes oxidation.
If cracks are left untreated, oxidation and water damage can result in the formation of even larger cracks and potholes that will require patching.
3. Infrared Patching
Finally, we have infrared patching, yet another inexpensive method of fixing cracks and potholes on asphalt surfaces. Moreover, infrared repairs take half the time typical paving would take, making life easy for property owners/managers in Texas.
Infrared patching works by heating and melting existing asphalt, and then mixing in new cement. The mixture is then poured over damaged areas on the pavement and spread evenly. Thermal bonding occurs between the old and new asphalt, creating a seamless finish once it is cooled.
And since old asphalt is part of the mix, infrared also becomes an environmentally-friendly asphalt repair technique.
To sum up, asphalt maintenance procedures prove cheaper than repaving at any given time. At Doctor Asphalt, we help property owners in Houston, Texas, with high-quality asphalt services that last. Click here to learn more about our services.